“A lot of what passes for depression these days is nothing more than a body saying that it needs work.” Such are the words of Australian writer, teacher, and historian Geoffrey Blainey. The United States is currently facing a huge problem in the area of pharmaceutical care. Many illnesses that could be easily treated through simple healthy alterations in people's lives are instead being given the “quick fix” with prescription drugs. The issue is that often times the “quick fix” is not quick, and certainly not a fix. Antidepressants can actually do more harm than good when not prescribed correctly or when prescribed as a quick fix before looking into alternative treatments.
According to the Depression Learning Path, an online recovery program, “Major depression is the No. 1 psychological disorder in the western world. It is growing in all age groups, in virtually every community, and the growth is seen most in the young, especially teens. At the rate of increase, it will be the 2nd most disabling condition in the world by 2020, behind heart disease.” Depression is becoming more and more common. Getting to the root of the problem will lead to the best treatment option for the patient.
The “Healthyplace.com Depression Community” reiterates that antidepressants cannot be looked at as the quick fix when they state that “While antidepressant drugs help people feel better, they cannot solve problems in people's lives. Some mental health professionals worry that people who could benefit from psychotherapy rely instead on antidepressant drugs for a “quick fix.” Others point out that the drugs work gradually and do not produce instant happiness.” Sufferers of depression need to realize the fact that although antidepressants can be a huge help for depression, they cannot solve al problems. Everybody, regardless of whether or not they have depression, experiences hard times. Antidepressants will not diminish all sadness because feeling sad from time to time is a completely normal and healthy emotion.
Lesley Hazleton, author of the book The Right To Feel Bad: Coming To Terms With Normal Depression, expounds on this principle when she states that “ Nearly everyone gets depressed. That basic feeling of emptiness, exhaustion, and meaninglessness is universal, crossing all borders of age, sex, and nationality.” Feeling sad from time to time is normal. When sadness persists, however, it is important to act quickly and seek medical attention because the longer depression goes untreated, the more difficult it will be to get control of.
According to Doctors Allen J. Dietrich, Wayne Katon, and Thomas L. Schwenk, professor of community and family medicine at Dartmouth, professor and vice-chair in the department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and professor and chair in the Department of Family Medicine, respectively, “Depressive disorders are more common in primary care than any other condition except hypertension.” With such a common illness, it is detrimental to have a safe and effective cure.
“Depression Community” again mentions that antidepressants are one solution. They explain that “Antidepressant drugs are not happy pills, and they are not a panacea. They are prescription-only drugs that come with risks as well as benefits, and should only ever be taken under a doctor's supervision. They are, however, one depression treatment option. Taking medications for depression is not a sign of personal weakness - and there is good evidence that they do help.” Antidepressants are an effective method to treating depression and have helped many people who suffer with it. As stated earlier, it is important to acknowledge that, although effective, they cannot solve all problems in life.
Being the most commonly diagnosed mental illness, depression is also one of the most disabling. Sufferers of depression experience many different kinds of pain. Aches and pains, social anxiety disorder, panic attacks, fatigue, and lack of motivation and emotion are also associated with depression, proving that sufferers are not only affected mentally but in many different areas.
In some instances, antidepressants have kept sufferers on the path of depression rather then guiding them through it. In many cases, the fault lies with the doctor. When doctors are not careful, they tend to prescribe medications for “illnesses” that have simple cures. Other times, doctors will mis-diagnose patients and give them the wrong medication. If they are not careful, doctors can worsen mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Because the symptoms of some mental illnesses can be similar, it is of the utmost importance that doctors are specific and use great care when diagnosing illnesses. For example, what may appear as depression could actually be anxiety, and if that patient is given an antidepressant such as Prozac, one of the side effects being anxiety, conditions can be made much worse. Not only is this a problem because of the wrong medication, but it also plays a role when finding the correct prescription. Unfortunately, if a medication is not working, the patient can't just go back the next day and try a new one. Instead, the medication must be given at least four weeks, sometimes longer, to kick in. If the medication is not effective, there is the option of going off of it which takes another four weeks for it to slowly leave the system, trying a new medication which requires going off the first one then waiting another four weeks for the new one to kick in, or adjusting the dosage with will also take time to work. When patients are misdiagnosed, waiting and experimenting through the hundreds or different options of drugs and dosages can be frustrating, tedious, and painful.
