Antidepressants rank among the highest for medications the world over. People taking them for depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders manage their mental health with these medications. Lifesavers in the truest sense, these medications work to bring mental health back to the individual and restore their quality of life. Like many other medications that are prescribed, there is the issue of dependence. Can doctors and clients lose a type of control over the addiction to antidepressants, and what does that actually mean?
Here, we’ve taken the time to examine facts in detail regarding antidepressant use, misuse, and the risks of forming a dependency. By addressing common misconceptions, we’ve provided a reality-based approach to assist your understanding of these topics.
Understanding Antidepressants
The medications tend to correct the imbalances in brain chemistry. There are different classes of antidepressants, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), tricyclic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Even though they carry out different functions, the primary goal of all of them is to improve a person’s mood and lessen the effects of mental health issues.
Antidepressants do not offer fast-acting rewards like opioids, alcohol, or stimulants do. For this reason, some professionals contend that true addiction to antidepressants probably does not occur. This, however, does not mean that dependence and withdrawal symptoms are not real.
Dependence vs. Addiction
The most important idea to convey in this topic is the distinction between dependence and addiction. Dependence, in this case, is the case of someone being on antidepressants. This can occur with antidepressants when the brain gets used to the medication and is unable to function without it, and this is referred to as dependence.
Addiction is when a person compulsively seeks a substance, has overwhelming cravings, and continues to use a substance even when it causes harmful consequences. Stopping antidepressants can create withdrawal symptoms, clocks of compulsive drug-seeking behavior to the forefront. This continues the concealed debate of addiction to antidepressants and poses the risky question as to whether this term truly fits.
Withdrawal Symptoms and Discontinuation Syndrome
Discontinuation syndrome is often experienced by people who try to stop antidepressants too quickly. Symptoms can include:
- “Brain zaps” or general dizziness
- Mood swings and irritability
- Sleep disturbances
- Flu-like symptoms
- Rebound depression or anxiety
For some people, these symptoms can be severe and lead them to think they are addicted to the medication. This is often the case with dependence, but there is still an awful feeling when these symptoms arise. This leads to antidepressants feeling impossible to stop, with severe symptoms arising when they try. This can create an awful cycle that feels like being trapped.
Why Some Patients Say Addiction is Possible
Most psychiatrists and medical organizations do not consider the misuse of antidepressants to be an addictive behavior, but patients do. Patients talking about their experiences state the following:
- They feel as though they cannot function without the medication
- They feel as though the medication’s dosages have to be increased on their own without the doctor’s supervision
- They feel emotional distress when they try to stop using
- They feel the medications will help avoid the depression or anxiety from coming back.
These experiences lead to the conclusion that addiction to antidepressants is the case, even if the definition of medical dependency is different. It is an ongoing argument, but the bottom line is that anyone with a dependency issue deserves help.
Patients Who Are Most Likely to Misuse Prescribed Antidepressants
Patients using antidepressants for a long time and not seeing their doctor do not help the situation. Other risk factors include:
- Mixing antidepressants with other substances like alcohol or benzodiazepines
- Taking higher doses than prescribed
- A personal or family history of substance abuse
When these risk factors exist, there is a higher chance that dependency will develop. It is an ongoing situation that needs to be monitored and addressed.
Mental Health and Emotional Impact
Another component involves the psychological dependence that many people form around antidepressants. When a medication gives a sense of psychological and emotional stability, the thought of living without it can be terrifying. Even without the physical symptoms, the emotional attachment can be overwhelming.
This emotional attachment leads to the assumption that a person could be addicted to antidepressants, and people may stay on the medication due to the fear of emotional relapse. While it could be different in a textbook definition, the lived reality of addiction in such a scenario is very real.
Safe Use and Medical Guidance
To minimize the chance of dependence or abuse, the most effective strategy is to avoid the emotional attachment in the first place, and abiding by a doctor’s instructions helps achieve that. While antidepressants can be very effective, their use requires a high degree of oversight. Patients are strongly encouraged to:
- Attend regular follow-up appointments
- Avoid self-directed changes in their medication
- Communicate any troubling side effects
- Collaborate on a tapering strategy
These all help ensure that reliance is not problematic and make the experience of withdrawal as safe as possible.
Seeking Help for Antidepressant Dependence
When someone feels trapped in reliance, relief can be gained through professional help. For people struggling with addiction to antidepressants, the first step is to understand their situation thoroughly, and the following steps might help:
- A medically supervised taper to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
- Using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in dealing with underlying psychological issues.
- Employing holistic approaches, such as mindfulness and meditation, to level emotional tone.
- Encouraged participation in supportive peer groups to promote emotional health.
With both the physical and psychological impacts, reliance on antidepressants can be more completely addressed.
Breaking the Silence
There could be sentiments of shame and stigma around antidepressant use. For those who need to take the medications, the feeling of shame is immediate, and the settling of remorse for those who need to taper off can halt help-seeking completely.
By having frank discussions about the addiction to antidepressants, the stigma surrounding reliance can be reduced. While dependence on antidepressants is not of the same ilk as substance use disorder, and mental health issues and their treatment can be complicated, the shame need not stop the help-seeking.
Taking the First Steps in the Process of Recovery
Before any improvement can take place, there has to be some recognition. For those who are starting to question the use of antidepressants, recognition is the first sign of progress. Understandably, there has to be some degree of reliance on antidepressants for every prescription, but that reliance can become overwhelmingly burdensome for the individual.
Medical guidance, therapy, and peer support can help in achieving the balance that has been lost. For some, it means that antidepressants would still need to be used, but under excessive supervision, for some, it means that moving towards independence is the right step. What is most important is ensuring that the mental health of the individual is respected and prioritized above all.
Conclusion
The question of whether someone can develop an addiction to antidepressants is not simple to answer, but that being said, the struggles that arise are too real to ignore. The challenges of dependence, withdrawal, and emotional reliance are real and all worthy of compassionate recognition. Available for those in need and offering support to all those in need is the best solution.
Touchstone Recovery Center takes into account the degrees of dependence on antidepressants and the subsequent health issues, as well as the mental health of the individual. The focus at Touchstone Recovery Center is on the recovery and mental health of the individual, offering personalized care and recovery plans. Healing becomes a reality when offered support, and the right support is all someone needs to help them heal.