Pros and cons of medication
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One of many options
Medication (or taking tablets) is simply one of the many options available to help combat depression. It has both benefits and drawbacks. Some people have strong feelings about medication, but it is better to evaluate the pros and cons in a balanced way.
Some of the myths and concerns about taking medication include:
‘What’s the point of getting “false happiness” which will disappear when I stop taking the pills?’
Antidepressants do not make you ‘happy’ as such – they help to adjust abnormally low levels of brain chemicals to lift mood to more normal levels.
They are most effective when part of a multi-faceted strategy for reversing the depression habit spiral by providing motivation to tackle other unhelpful habits, like depressed thinking, reduced activity levels or disturbed sleep patterns. When continued for six months after remission from depression, antidepressants have been shown to significantly reduce the chance of relapse.
‘Pills are a crutch and t...
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