Antidepressants Are Saving Lives

FEATURE | DRUGS Written by C Fonseca (they/them) | @c.fonseca06703 | Contributing Writer

Antidepressants saved my life. Despite the taboo surrounding mental illnesses and mental health medication, it’s important to show that it is worth talking about. I never thought I would make it past 2022 but with the help of therapy and medication, I’m here writing this article for you to read. Whilst some people deny the benefits of drugs used for the treatment of mental illnesses, I’m beyond grateful for them.

Psychiatrists believed that chlorpromazine was the first drug which treated the symptoms present in an individual, rather than masking their symptoms. In 1957, iproniazide was used in patients experiencing depression, and after a year, over 400,000 patients were treated using this antidepressant. Despite its success, in the 1970s, scientists started to be concerned about the side effects associated with these antidepressants; thus, they turned to exploring selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). 

There are four categories of antidepressants: SSRIs, mixed reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors. SSRIs are usually the first choice when starting treatment for depression, as they prevent the presynaptic reuptake of serotonin, which as a result increases serotonin levels. Fluoxetine, better known as Prozac, is the most well-known SSRI. Despite its effectiveness in increasing serotonin levels, its side effects include physical agitation, insomnia, constipation and nausea.

Mixed reuptake inhibitors are related to tricyclic antidepressants, and block the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin. Typical side effects include nausea and sexual dysfunction, but this class of antidepressants reduces the risk of damage to the cardiovascular system and reduces side effects associated with SSRIs. Moreover, MAO inhibitors are suggested to be more effective with depression, but they are not typically prescribed due to severe side effects. Eating or drinking anything that is high in tyramine can lead to hypertensive episodes, which can sometimes be fatal. Tricyclic antidepressants are now less commonly used because of the introduction of SSRIs. Common antidepressants include imipramine and amitriptyline. Side effects can include drowsiness, constipation or a dry mouth. Despite its side effects, multiple studies and reviews show that the combination of therapy and antidepressants is more effective than just using one of those forms of treatment. 

Whilst there are various side effects associated with antidepressants, they have many positives. When people suffer from depression, they can struggle to engage in daily activities and tend to be in a very low mood. Antidepressants help improve a person’s quality of life, which can be quite low when suffering from depression. Since antidepressants are well-studied, they are generally safe and have been proven to be effective at relieving symptoms. Antidepressants can also help an individual follow through with the rest of their treatment plan. An example of this would be helping individuals to get out of bed to go to a psychiatrist’s appointment to review their medication, or to a psychologist to have their weekly therapy sessions.

Unfortunately, stigma is very prevalent in the topic of mental health, particularly referring to medication. For those unaware, stigma in this case refers to people being seen in a negative light due to their mental illness. This happened in my case, where people I know stopped talking to me as soon as they found out that I was taking antidepressants. There are a lot of myths surrounding antidepressants, which have contributed to this stigma. An example of these myths is that antidepressants are a quick fix, which is untrue, especially because finding the right medication is a lot of work and it can take a long time before the effects of the medication are felt. Speaking from personal experience, I still haven't found a medication which completely works for me and it has been over two years. It is a long and exhausting process, with trial and error of individual antidepressants, or a combination of multiple. However, I have found some medications which worked to an extent, and despite the frustration of not finding the right one, it is reassuring that at least some drugs can help. One of the most common myths is that antidepressants simply make an individual happy without having to work through treatment themselves, which is false. I have been in therapy for over two years, and the antidepressants haven’t magically made my issues go away, but instead help alleviate some symptoms experienced on a day-to-day basis.

Stigmatising antidepressants creates a barrier to mental health treatment, as those who truly need the treatment hesitate to reach out for help when they need it the most. I hesitated to reach out for help, and so have many people I know. As depression is life-threatening, its treatment needs to be taken as seriously as someone with the flu. Just because it is not as physically visible as the flu, it does not mean that it does not exist.

So yes; I’m not afraid to admit that antidepressants saved my life. I am not at 100% yet, but I am still here, and that still counts. If antidepressants are saving lives, then why are people so quick to hate on them? Is it because of the medication itself, or is it because of a much deeper issue of people not viewing mental illnesses as real?