Misconceptions About Antidepressants

I was scared to take antidepressants because of all of the negative things I have heard. Antidepressants won’t work for everyone, but you shouldn’t be scared to try them. Recovery is a trial and error process, and all options should be considered. Here is a list of common misconceptions about antidepressants: 

1. Antidepressants cause a false sense of happiness: This is not accurate. Antidepressants cause serotonin levels to rise. Serotonin is the chemical responsible for happiness, but it does not directly cause happiness. Antidepressants make it possible to feel happy, but they won’t cause you to feel happy for no reason.

2. Antidepressants cause you to act robotic: This isn’t true in every case. In fact, pretending not to have emotions is a common defense mechanism, and that might be coming into play. Also, the recovery from depression is not a straight uphill slope. Recovery will fluctuate and that will cause changes in emotions and behavior. This is not due to medication.

3. The side effects aren’t worth it: This is honestly a personal call to make. When I first started taking medication, I experienced nausea, headaches, and drowsiness. The side effects only lasted a few weeks, and I’m glad I stuck with them. The outcome was better than the side effects, in my personal opinion.

4. You shouldn’t rely on medication for depression: Nobody would ever say that to someone who needs insulin or heart medication. In this case, my brain doesn’t naturally produce enough serotonin, and medication fixes that.

Remember that everyone reacts differently to antidepressants. I hope you are able to find the right treatment for depression.

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