How do you not feel shame in taking anti-depressants long-term

It didn't need anyone to say anything to you, up until recently there was a prejudice against people with mental health problems. Cheers to the young royals and others who are trying to change the picture.

I think you post and others is great support to those who have or should be taking AD medication. Well done.

I don't think anyone so far has mentioned that feeling guilty, unsure of oneself, lacking in confidence etc are all part of depression. It sounds to me as if the OP is having these feelings just because she is depressed. Quite normal

Well I feel rather ashamed about taking 3 pills for blood pressure when others I know dont need them. I hate taking them. I realise it's not the same , but just saying ......

alovelycupoftea everyone has individual needs and your anti-depressants are what you need,. Why should you feel guilty? I am taking a pharmacy load of pills for pain, depression and other things besides. My partner who lost his son is taking anti-depressants to help him cope with the loss, and he has working experience of helping people to rehabilitate with mental illnesses. He understands that what he takes is necessary and accepts this is the way things are for him. Please don’t feel that you are ‘weak’ - your strength is knowing how you are and what you need. People who take the ‘pull yourself together’ line have no understanding whatsoever, so don’t let that bother you. Hugs x

Has the cause of your anxiety ever been addressed?
It's no good masking the cause with medication which does not address the reason for your feeling depressed and 25 years is an awfully long time to still be on medication. You say that the very thought of coming off your meds or even reducing your dependency, makes you worried. Depression is a state of mind not a virus or infection, therefore IMHO it might be an idea to ask your GP for a referral to a therapist/counsellor or hypnotist to get to the root of the matter. Which came first, depression or the passing of your mother which might have exacerbated it?
25 years is a mighty long time for your GP to continue putting a plaster on a cut without looking at why it won't heal. I think, with the right help, you could address the cause and have a better life free of meds. Good luck.

I’ve been on citalopram for several years and will be remaining on it for the foreseeable future. I’m not at all ashamed, I have friends with physical health problems that require medication and it’s just that my problems are unseen but still need treating.

Please don't feel ashamed. I've been on AD on and off for 30 years, but constantly for at least the last 10 years. I have had people in the past make me feel ashamed, but I've moved beyond that now. As others have said, you'd take medication for other illnesses, and this is just an illness. A doctor once said to me that if I had a broken arm in plaster I'd get a lot of sympathy, but mental illness scares people, so they treat you unkindly. You have an illness that is made better by medication. Be grateful that we live in a society where we can access that medicine, rather than struggling alone.

I've been on prescribed painkillers for thirty-five years (arthritis). Do I feel ashamed? Nope. Fed up sometimes but never ashamed.

I think it's wrong to say that depression is just a state of mind, implying that with enough will and enough behavioural therapy (or something) it can be sorted out. Depression is an illness or, more probably, a range of illnesses like arthritis.

Depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain. There is no need to try and manage without meds. Take what you need: problem solved.

Gabriella If the cause of anxiety/depression is a slight malfunction in the brain then no amount of talking therapy will sort it. Indeed the very process of raking over old hurts is likely to do more harm than good. The OP might benefit from talking to someone about her feelings re taking the medication prescribed i.e. a problem in the here and now but I don't think delving into the past is the answer here.

This is a decidedly interesting and enlightening topic for me. Thanks to all contributors. Is the general concencus for those of us who are on long term prescriptions that most depressions (is there a finite number?) are incurable?

I would say depression is a condition that can be managed and lived with, just like many others. There are self help measures, the same as with other conditions, but if medication is part of what helps, then why try to manage without? There are no medals for 'being strong'.

I’ve been on antidepressants for nearly 30 years. Thanks to them I’ve led a reasonably normal life (apart from ongoing agoraphobia meaning I struggle to leave home on my own. I’ve had some amazing holidays abroad and enjoy my garden and grandchildren. I’m in my mid sixties and accept that I am able to enjoy my life within my own limitations which is fine by me!! My life would have been very different without the meds. So many people need meds for so many different things - absolutely nothing to be ashamed of!! Just do what you need to do to stay well. Sending you my very best wishes.

Granny23

I take on board what you say but, if anxiety/depression is a 'slight malfunction in the brain' as you say, then it cannot have, as a cause, any 'hurts from the past'. Any 'slight malfunction' must have been there from birth (and in the womb) as part of that person's genetic make-up. Your brain doesn't suddenly malfunction unless you have an injury, take mind altering drugs, prescribed or otherwise or imbibe alcohol to a level of impairment.
As none of us are registered doctors, we each have our own opinions. I question long-term reliance on certain medications as they become a habit which some people are reluctant to reduce and that can cause anxiety blah blah. A carousel forever returning to the same place. Maybe I say all this because I'm not and never have been on meds of any description OCT or prescribed. Perhaps I'd think differently if I'd ever been unwell.

With all due respect, I think that is precisely why some people feel embarrassed to admit to depression.

You are questioning yourself ' should I still be taking anxiety medication'. This in its self is adding to your anxieties.What you need to understand is that no medical practitioner would continue to prescribe your medication if they believed it was not necessary.
So cut out any feelings of shame and as the saying goes' keep taking the tablets.' or in whatever form your medication is prescribed.

Please do not feel any shame ,you wouldn't feel ashamed for taking medication for any other medical condition, there is no difference. please be much kinder to yourself & rembember you are not alone, many many people are in a similar position.

Perhaps I'd think differently if I'd ever been unwell.

I don't think there's any perhaps about it, gabriella.

I have suffered for over 20 years from back pain, joint pain, exhaustion and many other symptoms which have recently been diagnosed as having fibromyalgia. I have been taking AD all these years because being unable to live a normal life is no life at all. Without my pain killers, AD and so many other drugs I wouldn't be able to use this tablet to tell my story. I feel no shame in taking tablets that make me feel better able to cope. Without them I would probably have lost the will to live, so I see my AD as friends who help me as much as the people who care for me. Maybe you need to try another AD. My GP changes mine every few years because over time the same tablets that used to work are not so effective. You might find that another type of tablet will help you to see more clearly how important they are

There's a condition called disthymia which is an underlying depression after trauma. I was seen by the psychologist at my local hospital who diagnosed this. I will probably take antidep' meds for the rest of my life or for as long as I need them. You see when I do get depressed it's like a double wammy. I don't feel shame at all.

GabriellaG is right to point out that taking ADs for years and years most likely indicates that they're not working! Why don't they work? Is the underlying reason for depression and anxiety still there, unaddressed just masked by meds. I'm still absolutely sure that you should not feel guilty about feeling so bad about needing help but am wondering if you're getting the right sort of help.

Does there need to be a reason? I had always believed there didn't need to be.

Nonnie - I mentioned that too upthread - feeling negative thoughts about oneself and feelings of shame and worthlessness are part of the problem.

GabriellaG - I take issue with your statement: I take on board what you say but, if anxiety/depression is a 'slight malfunction in the brain' as you say, then it cannot have, as a cause, any 'hurts from the past'. Any 'slight malfunction' must have been there from birth (and in the womb) as part of that person's genetic make-up. Your brain doesn't suddenly malfunction unless you have an injury, take mind altering drugs, prescribed or otherwise or imbibe alcohol to a level of impairment.

Bodily malfunctions are caused by many things: genetics and environment both play a part. If you think that depression cannot be triggered by life events, then you are really saying that things that happen to us do not influence our body chemistry, functioning and structure. Clearly things like smoking are damaging; but there is a great deal of evidence that stress and emotional trauma alter our bodily functions and can lead to structural changes, e.g. constant stress and high heart rate can alter the heart muscle. The brain is no different. There might be an underlying genetic disposition to depression that is triggered by "hurts from the past", and indeed present.

The school of thought that regards depression as purely emotional is part of the problem of misunderstanding around it, and the idea of "pulling oneself together." And it feeds the sense of shame that the OP is expressing about taking the treatment that works for her,

GGOf course the brain, like any other organ in the body, can develop a malfunction over time. You obviously do not understand how the systems work.

Serotonin is the 'Happy' hormone? (not sure it is a hormone but can't think what else to call it.

The happier you are the more serotonin you manufacture in your brain. When there is a distressing event or change in circumstances or even a series of small sadnesses, eg dreich days, lost purse, after effects of flu or other illnesses, less Serotonin is produced, therefore you feel less happy, therefore even less serotonin is produced - a vicious circle indeed. This is reactive depression and if it does not begin to lift as small happinesses - sunny days, problems solved, time spent with DGC - have their effect and more serotonin is produced, then a short term course of anti-Ds will kick start the return to equalibrium.

Clinical depression is a different kettle of fish entirely. The problem is not that Serotonin is not being produced - it is, but it must make an electric powered leap across a small gap to receptors which uptake the Serotonin for further processing in the brain. These receptors can be faulty or simply deteriorate with age. SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are designed to prevent the serotonin which has been produced, being reabsorbed and reprocessed = Reuptake, by keeping it in the gap beside the receptors, creating a serotonin enriched soup such that the receptors are bombarded and more likely to receive the signals. This leads to a greater sense of well being, which in turn leads to greater production of Serotonin and the cycle is reversed, but will surely deteriorate if the SSRIs are stopped.

I am aware that this a laywoman's explanation of what is going on the brain, but it is how it was explained to me by a Clinical Psychologist. I am sure that, if you are interested in the science behind it, you will find the explanation on line.

Check out the most up to date research re serotonin. Sadly it's not the problem it was once thought to be. The research into efficacy of SSRIs has shown this.
Really helping depression is very time consuming and doctors don't have the necessary time so just prescribe pills. Most reputable medics freely admit this.
There's much more to mental wellbeing than is currently given consideration.
I'm finding it helpful to look at what makes/keeps people feeling OK rather than just the firefighting with inadequate tools that current ADs are. Please note that I absolutely believe that people with anxiety and depression feel dreadful.