Discussion Are you pro medication or against it?

[Golden Langur Xll]

If someone is already struggling with severe depression, why would they refuse medication that could potentially help them feel better?

IMO its more of a "what do you have to lose?" kinda situation. Curious about yall opinions on it!

 

[Forveleth]

I am also of the opinion "what do you have to lose? " If it makes your life better than great! If it does not, at least you tried. Two caveats to this though. The first is acknowledging some people suffer permanent side effects from medications and there are those that understandably do not want to risk that. The second is the attitude that pills solve everything. While medication can help provide a healthier mindset for facing life's challenges, it dies not make them go away. Some people are in situations where their circumstances outweigh any benefits provided by medication (my case). I feel the same about therapy.

The decision though is ultimately up to each person and I respect people's choices without judgement.

 

[hardcoretechno]

medication is definitely worth trying

 

[desiderium]

I'm personally of the opinion that people should try it at least once. It's important to explore options that have the potential to make your situation a little better, in my book.

I do not believe in forcing people to take medication, however. I don't think forcefully pushing medication in inpatient/other programs does any good- it needs to be a choice that is made with individual autonomy.

There are a lot of reasons someone may not want to try medication, and it's important to keep those in mind. Cost and side effects (why I had to stop taking mine) are some of the more common ones. If an individual is uninsured or underinsured, it may not be realistic to pay for mental health medications, let alone the resources to properly manage dosage (psychiatrists, doctors, etc). I could hardly afford my medications alone when I was in college, let alone the upkeep when I needed to adjust something or switch meds.

Side effects are also very real. Nausea, worse suicidal thoughts, weight gain, migraines, and a ton of other potential side effects can greatly affect a person's decision to try or stay on medication. I was constantly ill on mine, and they didn't help me a ton.

For me, the cons outweighed the pros. If I was still depressed and experiencing psychotic episodes on medications, then the constant migraines, nausea, and weight gain just wasn't worth it for me.

I think everyone should give them a try, if they haven't! I've had plenty of friends who have turned their lives around because of them. Like any mental health treatment, however, they don't work for everyone, and aren't easily accessible for everyone either.

 

[westernromanpatriot]

I'm like this, I just don't see the point, I don't want to feel better anymore, I'm just mentally checked out.

Self-improvement and all that is just "problems", ain't no one has energy for allat

 

[valar_morghulis21]

If someone is already struggling with severe depression, why would they refuse medication that could potentially help them feel better?

IMO its more of a "what do you have to lose?" kinda situation. Curious about yall opinions on it!

I'm pro whatever it is to keep people sane. If you feel like you need medication / drugs / booze / za to survive till next Friday go for it. If you feel like you need to quit all of them to survive till next Friday, also go for it. I myself have tried all and quit all.