The New York Times: Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit

Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot Quit

Long-term use of antidepressants is surging in the United States, according to a new analysis of federal data by The New York Times. Some 15.5 million Americans have been taking the medications for at least five years. The rate has almost doubled since 2010, and more than tripled since 2000.

Nearly 25 million adults, like Ms. Toline, have been on antidepressants for at least two years, a 60 percent increase since 2010.

Some scientists long ago anticipated that a few patients might experience withdrawal symptoms if they tried to stop — they called it “discontinuation syndrome.” Yet withdrawal has never been a focus of drug makers or government regulators, who felt antidepressants could not be addictive and did far more good than harm. The drugs initially were approved for short-term use, following studies typically lasting about two months. Even today, there is little data about their effects on people taking them for years, although there are now millions of such users.

Yet the medical profession has no good answer for people struggling to stop taking the drugs — no scientifically backed guidelines, no means to determine who’s at highest risk, no way to tailor appropriate strategies to individuals.

Drug makers had little incentive to mount costly studies of how best to quit their products, and federal funding has not filled the research gap.

 

Ugh the New York Times is better used as bath tissue...

 

I'm considering taking escitalopram to recover my HPA axis, can I take antiserotonin drugs to block the serotonin effets of it or would this be against it's purpose? I couldn't find any information that it's the serotonergic activity that restores hPA axis.

 

escitalopram is a ssri. someone told me they want suicidal with it.

 

I actually think this article points to a real concern and one I have personally seen with clients/friends trying to come off of ssri’s. Do not be led astray simply because of not liking the NYT.

 

I have to say this : I do recall reading why taking antidepressants rather than not during a real depressive episode has disadvantages in the long run. Basically, your giving the brain a crutch, and it doesn’t learn the natural healing process on its own. Also, taking antidepressants creates changes in the brain, and stopping them creates a state where it takes too long to just let homeostasis occur. So people suffer, and go back on them. Often times, discontinuation syndromes are mistaken by dumb doctors as a return of the original depression. Then you go right back on, assuming that drug hasn’t caused poop out, or resistance. Then starts the cycle of switching drugs, trial and error ya da ya da. In the end, you could’ve taken your chances and allow the brain to create resilience on its own.

 

+1 Well said.

 

This can all be read about through Dr. Peter Breggin's websites/information.