Antidepressants: What to know before you decide

(Aging Untold) — Feeling low, disconnected or not like yourself for weeks or months is different from a bad day. When it starts to affect sleep, energy or everyday life, it’s time to talk about support and treatment options. For some people, that could include an antidepressant.

Start with a conversation with your provider

Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, said the decision looks different for everyone.

“Everybody is individualized so you can just talk with your provider,” Rogers said.

Rogers said to recognize whether you’re feeling depressed and to look at signs such as loss of sleep, loss of energy or loss of motivation.

Some people might also experience a triggering event that starts a downward spiral, which they can’t pull themself out of, she said.

“When your quality of life is being affected, then you might want to look into antidepressant therapy,” Rogers said.

Antidepressants are not “happy pills”

Rogers cautioned that antidepressants do not take away sadness.

“They’re not happy pills. They don’t take away the sadness, but they will be a way for you to work on how you got there or what else is going on,” Rogers said.

She listed chronic stress, a thyroid imbalance and nutritional deficiencies as examples of what could be going on.

Gerontologist “Sam” Cradduck said medication doesn’t change the circumstance.

“What they’ll do is they’ll change the chemical imbalance in the brain to help you get to a place to be better,” Cradduck said. “But you can’t just take a pill and be done.”

She said talk therapy is part of the process. The conversation does not have to be with a therapist, she said, but it needs to address the issues that led to the low mood.

“You need to be willing to face that, or it’s just going to continue in a cycle,” Cradduck said.

Ask about the drug, the dose and the withdrawal symptoms

Aging expert Amy O’Rourke recommended a good psychiatrist and a thorough assessment.

Those who decide to take an antidepressant should get help deciding which one as well as the dose, then track how it’s affecting you, she said.

Aging expert Amy O’Rourke recommended finding a good psychiatrist and getting a thorough assessment to help you decide whether to take an antidepressant, which one and at what dose. She also recommended tracking how it’s affecting you.

She described a client who was prescribed an antidepressant and felt like she was having a panic attack, with a racing heartbeat and sweating. The client called her psychiatrist, who took her off the medication and prescribed a different one.

O’Rourke said she’d want to know the withdrawal symptoms before someone starts taking an antidepressant.

Rogers said there are a lot of withdrawal symptoms.

“You cannot just stop it all of a sudden,” she said.

Rogers said people do not all respond to the same drugs. She said if you can afford it, finding out your genetic variations is one investment worth making, because it can help you respond better to your situation.

Look for support beyond medication

Aging well coach Katherine Ambrose mentioned talk therapy, journaling and filling your mind with as much positivity as possible along with seeking support from medical professionals.

“Don’t forget about things like your thyroid, or your hormones or your nutrients,” Rogers added.

“Talk to your doctors, seek answers, get your rebound and come back,” Ambrose said. “Try everything you can because it’s worth bringing yourself back.”

Rogers said it does not have to be one isolated thing that brought you to this point.

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