Thank you for this nuanced take on mental health care, Amber!
The stigmatization of medication creates a cruel double-bind. We’re told we're weak for needing help, then criticized for using the most accessible option available.
As someone who's benefited from both therapy and medication, I appreciate you highlighting that addressing mental health requires systemic solutions beyond just scrutinizing antidepressants.
Thank you for reading! I’m glad it resonates…I guess? Haha. I wish these dilemmas did not feel so familiar to so many of us. I’m grateful for everyone who is willing to see the nuance in these conversations.
Of courses there is a lot of truth to this post and I feel so sorry for your situation in the US. It must be tough and even if nothing is perfect in little Denmark, I know we are privileged.
But I have a personal experience with antidepressants that I can’t stop sharing. As someone who has been on antidepressants for ten years, where the tapering off the meds was absolutely hell and took three years, I can say that antidepressants are addictive. The problem is the definition: A definition of addiction usually is that you need more and more of something: Benzodiazepines, alcohol, heroin. You don’t need more and more of an SSRI. But it can still be so so SO hard to get out of the usage of antidepressant medication because the body has become dependent on it and in the end it disrupts the chemical balance. I know antidepressants help a lot of people and I knew a person who I WISHED had tried it out to safe his life. But for me, I wished I never started because it has destroyed a big part of my own life and nearly killed me. As you mention, we need to be very mindful about starting on these drugs and we need informed consent. Please look into Anders Sørensens work (psychologist and Phd in psychiatry). His work saved me, as there is way too little knowledge of the dark side of antidepressants out there.
And interestingly enough (and of course this does not apply to everyone): I can work way better with my OCD and PTSD on no drugs than on them. But it has been a lonely battle, as I, the one who didn’t want to keep taking the antidepressants (because it just didn’t help, it numbed me and gave me a lot of side effects) felt a lot of stigma too - because I wanted to become meds free. It felt more accepted to take antidepressants.
Of course I understand that we shouldn’t condemn the usage of antidepressants if there aren’t other solutions. I am from Denmark and the US might be way more tricky with such a big mental health crisis.
I am very interested in this topic and not here to criticize. I would love to learn more, but also shed light on a very important topic which has had a heartbreaking impact on my own life.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience Fiona. I absolutely hear you. And I’m sorry that SSRIs were so life-altering for you in a negative way. It is important for us to hear these stories!
I have gotten push back from others on whether or not physiological dependence is the same as addiction, and I understand why it can feel like these words don’t have a meaningful difference in definition. I personally believe they do, because one of the most maddening parts of addiction is how people destroy their lives in pursuit of the substance (the drug seeking behaviors) making it a painful psychological problem that is incredibly hard to treat. For clinicians, we see addiction as a mental health disorder in its own right, a syndrome that includes many other factors in addition to physical dependence.
I do wonder about the cultural context too…in the US, we also have a very serious addiction problem, so the word is weighty.
And at the same time, I want to validate that you are not alone in having a significant difficulty getting off of SSRIs and the withdrawal shouldn’t be undermined. It’s a legitimate problem that deserves attention; including training for prescribers and therapists like me who are not prescribing but work with clients and refer to psychiatrists. One of the articles I referenced was helpful in describing how to best help folks get off these medications successfully.
Thank you so much for this understanding an validating respons! It is such an important topic which needs to be looked at more closely and with an open, but critical standpoint. And your openness makes me really happy.
Thank you also for elaborating your understanding of addiction. It makes sense and I learned something new. But I think we still do have a missing term for what SSRI’s are causing…. I would say I still have a psychological addiction to Zoloft for example, as I, even after a year off the drugs, are longing for the numbing. It’s nice to not feel! But it didn’t help me moving forward and I still had debilitating OCD.
Thanks, Amber. I've saved your article to read and learn more details. I appreciate you laying all this out.
I'm sorry that the process of getting medical support for your husband was such a rollercoaster and stressful. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised. I'm still trying to stay curious and learn about what happens in the US, and thanks to your articles, I can do that.
Thanks for reading Victoria, as always! I imagine it’s a bit wild to watch it all from afar. But please know that those of us who are struggling with this administration definitely feel and appreciate the international support ❤️
Really helpful article. I think we are only one generation away from the "bootstrap" mentality you mentioned. RFK Jr. is of my parents' generation and only really "crazy" people needed mental health treatment then. And if people had breakdowns they were expected to return to normal again quickly without ongoing support. Many people had mental health problems that they self-medicated for. My own grandmother was the "50s housewife" who battled (still battles) with addiction and mental illness but felt such deep shame and pressure to "return to normal" that she never had proper on-going treatment in her lifetime, only very short spurts of therapy or medication. A diverse array of safe medications and therapy options and just acknowledgment/lack of stigma is the way forward.
It’s so important to remember where we were as a society just a couple of generations ago right? Definitely progress and yet still so far to go. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!
This was a great read. Thank you for advocating and the work you do. I’m super frustrated with MAHA and its misinformation, lack of professionalism, and stigmatizing ignorance. No strong feelings though haha.
To me, with the clients I’m seeing, the most helpful things that may benefit broader mental health would be leadership that promotes calm and prioritizes peace, policy that stops wage stagnation, and more community connection among other things. This is obviously a huge stretch and won’t happen soon but one can dream.
Navigating our mental healthcare system can be a nightmare which is why many have resorted to the use of chat GPT as their therapist. It’s heartbreaking to hear the struggle your husband went through just to get recovery services. Unfortunately that’s all too common. Addiction recovery is already an extraordinary battle. The health system makes it even worse. Let’s keep advocating!
Thank you for this nuanced take on mental health care, Amber!
The stigmatization of medication creates a cruel double-bind. We’re told we're weak for needing help, then criticized for using the most accessible option available.
As someone who's benefited from both therapy and medication, I appreciate you highlighting that addressing mental health requires systemic solutions beyond just scrutinizing antidepressants.
The barriers you describe are painfully familiar.
Thank you for reading! I’m glad it resonates…I guess? Haha. I wish these dilemmas did not feel so familiar to so many of us. I’m grateful for everyone who is willing to see the nuance in these conversations.
Well said Amber. A clear and thoughtful piece.
Thank you Vicki. It’s was a challenging one for me to write.
Of courses there is a lot of truth to this post and I feel so sorry for your situation in the US. It must be tough and even if nothing is perfect in little Denmark, I know we are privileged.
But I have a personal experience with antidepressants that I can’t stop sharing. As someone who has been on antidepressants for ten years, where the tapering off the meds was absolutely hell and took three years, I can say that antidepressants are addictive. The problem is the definition: A definition of addiction usually is that you need more and more of something: Benzodiazepines, alcohol, heroin. You don’t need more and more of an SSRI. But it can still be so so SO hard to get out of the usage of antidepressant medication because the body has become dependent on it and in the end it disrupts the chemical balance. I know antidepressants help a lot of people and I knew a person who I WISHED had tried it out to safe his life. But for me, I wished I never started because it has destroyed a big part of my own life and nearly killed me. As you mention, we need to be very mindful about starting on these drugs and we need informed consent. Please look into Anders Sørensens work (psychologist and Phd in psychiatry). His work saved me, as there is way too little knowledge of the dark side of antidepressants out there.
And interestingly enough (and of course this does not apply to everyone): I can work way better with my OCD and PTSD on no drugs than on them. But it has been a lonely battle, as I, the one who didn’t want to keep taking the antidepressants (because it just didn’t help, it numbed me and gave me a lot of side effects) felt a lot of stigma too - because I wanted to become meds free. It felt more accepted to take antidepressants.
Of course I understand that we shouldn’t condemn the usage of antidepressants if there aren’t other solutions. I am from Denmark and the US might be way more tricky with such a big mental health crisis.
I am very interested in this topic and not here to criticize. I would love to learn more, but also shed light on a very important topic which has had a heartbreaking impact on my own life.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience Fiona. I absolutely hear you. And I’m sorry that SSRIs were so life-altering for you in a negative way. It is important for us to hear these stories!
I have gotten push back from others on whether or not physiological dependence is the same as addiction, and I understand why it can feel like these words don’t have a meaningful difference in definition. I personally believe they do, because one of the most maddening parts of addiction is how people destroy their lives in pursuit of the substance (the drug seeking behaviors) making it a painful psychological problem that is incredibly hard to treat. For clinicians, we see addiction as a mental health disorder in its own right, a syndrome that includes many other factors in addition to physical dependence.
I do wonder about the cultural context too…in the US, we also have a very serious addiction problem, so the word is weighty.
And at the same time, I want to validate that you are not alone in having a significant difficulty getting off of SSRIs and the withdrawal shouldn’t be undermined. It’s a legitimate problem that deserves attention; including training for prescribers and therapists like me who are not prescribing but work with clients and refer to psychiatrists. One of the articles I referenced was helpful in describing how to best help folks get off these medications successfully.
Thank you so much for this understanding an validating respons! It is such an important topic which needs to be looked at more closely and with an open, but critical standpoint. And your openness makes me really happy.
Thank you also for elaborating your understanding of addiction. It makes sense and I learned something new. But I think we still do have a missing term for what SSRI’s are causing…. I would say I still have a psychological addiction to Zoloft for example, as I, even after a year off the drugs, are longing for the numbing. It’s nice to not feel! But it didn’t help me moving forward and I still had debilitating OCD.
Thanks, Amber. I've saved your article to read and learn more details. I appreciate you laying all this out.
I'm sorry that the process of getting medical support for your husband was such a rollercoaster and stressful. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised. I'm still trying to stay curious and learn about what happens in the US, and thanks to your articles, I can do that.
Thanks for reading Victoria, as always! I imagine it’s a bit wild to watch it all from afar. But please know that those of us who are struggling with this administration definitely feel and appreciate the international support ❤️
Really helpful article. I think we are only one generation away from the "bootstrap" mentality you mentioned. RFK Jr. is of my parents' generation and only really "crazy" people needed mental health treatment then. And if people had breakdowns they were expected to return to normal again quickly without ongoing support. Many people had mental health problems that they self-medicated for. My own grandmother was the "50s housewife" who battled (still battles) with addiction and mental illness but felt such deep shame and pressure to "return to normal" that she never had proper on-going treatment in her lifetime, only very short spurts of therapy or medication. A diverse array of safe medications and therapy options and just acknowledgment/lack of stigma is the way forward.
It’s so important to remember where we were as a society just a couple of generations ago right? Definitely progress and yet still so far to go. Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!
This was a great read. Thank you for advocating and the work you do. I’m super frustrated with MAHA and its misinformation, lack of professionalism, and stigmatizing ignorance. No strong feelings though haha.
To me, with the clients I’m seeing, the most helpful things that may benefit broader mental health would be leadership that promotes calm and prioritizes peace, policy that stops wage stagnation, and more community connection among other things. This is obviously a huge stretch and won’t happen soon but one can dream.
Navigating our mental healthcare system can be a nightmare which is why many have resorted to the use of chat GPT as their therapist. It’s heartbreaking to hear the struggle your husband went through just to get recovery services. Unfortunately that’s all too common. Addiction recovery is already an extraordinary battle. The health system makes it even worse. Let’s keep advocating!