We dismantle the myths about antidepressants
More and more people are reluctant to use drugs, probably because for a long time, rather than use, there has been a widespread abuse of drugs for all ailments. In the case of depression, we want to insist that sometimes antidepressants are necessary to heal, yes, as long as they are accompanied by medical and psychological monitoring. Are antidepressants addictive? This is one of the most common fears when we consider taking medication for depression. In this article we solve all your doubts.
Antidepressants are NOT addictive
- The answer is no. Antidepressants are not addictive, they do not generate addiction. Sometimes, antidepressants are confused with anxiolytics, drugs to treat anxiety and that are often prescribed together with antidepressants to treat depression. Anxiolytics are addictive and generate a high degree of dependence, but the same is not the case with antidepressants.
- You may be wondering how you know if a drug is addictive or not. In the case of antidepressants, their effect begins to be noticed 2 or 3 weeks after starting to take them. Much sooner you will notice the negative side effects, but when you start to feel better, you will not feel the need to increase the dose of medication. That is the key to knowing if a drug generates addiction.
- It does not matter how long you have to take antidepressants, because at no time will you have to increase the dose to continue feeling better. You may be familiar with this vicious cycle of increasing and increasing the drug if you’ve ever taken anxiolytics. Your body will continue to respond just as well throughout the duration of the treatment.
- Many people think that antidepressants are addictive because they know of people taking them for many years. This is not a question of addiction or dependency, but rather that the treatment is taking longer than desirable, perhaps because the entire process of overcoming depression is being left in the hands of drugs alone. As we always say, depression cannot be overcome with antidepressants alone.
Be careful when stopping antidepressants
- Although antidepressants do not cause addiction, this does not mean that some psychological dependence is not generated. If you believe that you cannot be well without the drug, the moment you finish the treatment you will start to feel bad again, due to that fear of losing the support that kept you afloat. It is a very common situation, but it can be avoided thanks precisely to the psychological treatment that you must follow in case of depression.
- We can make more clarifications regarding doubts about addiction to antidepressants. If they’re not addictive, why can’t they be quit cold turkey? Why is it necessary to progressively reduce the dose of medication? This is a very important aspect to keep in mind, because if you stop taking antidepressants overnight, it is likely that you will feel so bad that you will have a relapse into depression.
- But the gradual withdrawal of antidepressants is not recommended due to their addictive nature. As with any drug taken regularly, a certain physical dependence is created. Don’t be scared, it’s the organism that gets used to the medication and if you take it from one day to the next, it rebels.
- Some people decide to stop taking antidepressants when they feel better, thinking that their depression is over. And they forget about those fears at the beginning of the treatment of the side effects of the pills, side effects that will worsen if you leave the antidepressants today until tomorrow.
- So as we always recommend, depression is a complex illness that requires medical supervision throughout the entire process. Any questions, consult your doctor. Any step you want to take regarding antidepressants, consult with the corresponding professional. It is the best in these cases!