YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I hear some people on the radio saying SSRI's and other types of anti-depressants are bad to take. They really scare the shit out of me with that kind of talk. Well, what is one to do? I take 30mg of Cymbalta every day. It helped a lot in the beginning, and I think it probably keeps me somewhat normal now. I still get the blues sometimes. My sex drive has reduced by about half (which might not be such a bad thing since I had a very high libido).

I can relate to Paul in the podcasts who in a fear-off has made such statements as thinking they are going to find out that the medication he takes causes some horrible fatal disease. I guess it comes down to which is worse, the ailment or the treatment? The problem is, I’m not sure we know the answer since we may not be aware of all the risks. It would be good if Paul had a show on this, but then again, with all the depression, do we really need something else to worry about or mull over? Perhaps too much information would cause those that really need medication to not seek it? Where’s the line? Can we trust our psychiatrists to know where it is? Or, should we be getting a second opinion in some cases?

In my opinion, drugs alone is dangerous. Drugs with counselling and close monitoring is good. The danger zone is lifting the depression just a tiny bit, so people are still suicidal, but now have enough energy and focus to carry out suicide.

Humans are just too variable to know with complete certainty how a drug will affect someone.

Of course we don't know all the risks. Life doesn't come in with insurance, only death does.

The thing is, meds do help so many but not all and the reasons include, from talking to experts, that depression has differing causes and brains are different. Just like I can have a glass of wine one night and be fine and in a different part of the month or I am tired, whamo and its too much and its the same person.
that is why there is so much talk for and against. It really does help some but can do nothing or worse, if it gives side effects, to others.
But if it is helping you, why would you not take it?
Perhaps there will be side effects down the road but think on this: untreated depression has side effect too. Aside from the obvious self harm and lack of self care (suicide, not eating or eating crap food because you are too depressed to cook, no exercise, no sleep) what if those biochemicals that are not balanced cause heart disease or high blood pressure or dementia down the road?
Bottom line: you don't know.
But, the meds will ONLY change your biochemicals. If you have life issues causing or making a depression worse, or caused by depression, a pill won't do the hard work for you and frankly, most of us need help or a lot of really good friends for that....