Should I stop taking anti-depressants?

Doctor's Answers 3

What you've been told by your doctors is correct - Stress can often be a trigger for depression: they are not mutually exclusive phenomena. The fact that "things have gotten worst" after you stopped therapy supports this.

Antidepressants generally don't aid sleep, but there are some eg Mirtazapine which are known for their effects to make patients a little drowsy. There are other sleep adjuncts like Valium (diazepam), which can be prescribed as a short term measure to bridge a very difficult period for your insomnia.

Seeing as how you've been jumping between many different hospitals and psychiatrists, my advice would be to continue with your medical treatment (as you mentioned, things have clearly got worse since you stopped the medications), and stick to one psychiatrist who you are able to establish the best rapport with - ie someone you find the most sympathetic and understanding of your condition, and who takes the time to explain to you more about your condition, and why it's important to continue with therapy.

All the best

Thank you for sharing your story with us. It appears to me you may have eating disorder with co-morbid depression. Both conditions can be aggravated by stress and both need to be treated.

It will be good if you can carefully recall all the treatments that you have received over the years and write down all down. If you have been admitted to hospital, you can also refer to the discharge summaries that you have received from the hospital. You can create two columns, 1 for the type of treatment (including medication) and the other for the response that you have following that treatment modality. Your response can be in the form of gaining control over eating and/or improvement in mood or sleep.

You may also try to recall amongst the psychiatrists that you have received treatment from, do you have good rapport with any of them? If you can identify a particular psychiatrist whom you are comfortable with, it will be a good idea to arrange for an appointment with him or her and discuss your case records. Very often after taking such a chronological history, the psychiatrist will have a better idea of what works and what will not work in your case. The psychiatrist will also try to figure out the perpetuating factors for your condition and what cause the conditions to relapse.

You may also consider the use of talk therapy like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which works for both depression and eating disorder. There is evidence that CBT may prevent relapses in depression and eating disorder.

Cheers! Take good care of your mood, sleep and food intake!

Sorry to hear that you’re going through such a tough time. Individuals struggling with eating disorders often experience low mood, and these symptoms are very frequently associated with stress.

It appears to me that you’re actively seeking help, which is a good sign. However, as what has been pointed out, it may be good to stick to one psychiatrist and/ or psychologist whom you feel comfortable confiding in, for treatment. Treatment for depression and eating disorders can take years, and recovery can be and will be a difficult journey. Having multiple therapists may confuse you further as they may have different approaches to your problems.

I would also like to explore why your mum isn’t keen on medications/ therapy, even though they have definitely helped you. Is she concerned about potential addiction to the pills, or long term side effects? Perhaps you can raise these issues with your mum/ therapist and engage in dialogue to address her concerns. Family support can speed up your recovery!

Lastly, I hope you’ve turned 21. Happy birthday! With your newfound adulthood, you can make treatment decisions for yourself too. Please go forth and seek the treatment you think benefits you the most.

Good luck!

Similar Questions

Are there any alternatives to anti-depressants for severe depression and anxiety?

Thanks for your question, and I’m very sorry to hear that you are going through such a horrible time. I can only imagine how tough it must be. Before I answer further, I’m going to give the caveat that it’s next to impossible to offer advice about any psychiatric problem without seeing you face to face, or at the very least, having all the salient information about mood, sleep, suicidal ideation etc. I’m going to assume off the bat that the diagnosis of depression has been established by the doctors you’ve seen.

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Answered By

Dr Shi Hui Poon

Psychiatrist

Are there any alternatives like psychotherapy that are able to completely replace medication for anxiety and depression?

Thank you for asking this question for the benefit of everyone. It sounds that you are having a tough time, and its double whammy when the treatment gives you unbearable side effects. Unfortunately in medicine, it is often times a zero sum game. Everything seems to have its "costs" and "benefits". Fortunately for you, there are alternatives, like psychotherapy or more commonly known as talk therapy. The good side is that if it works for you, the effect is equivalent to medications, and the effects lasts way longer than medications.

Photo of Dr Paul Ang

Answered By

Dr Paul Ang

General Practitioner

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