Should I take anti-depressants?

First off, I want to commend you for asking this question because it’s not always an easy one.

There can be a lot of confusion and complicated feelings when it comes to figuring out if anti-depressants or other mental health medications are right for you, and it’s all understandable; despite the progress that is being made there is still some stigma associated with “needing” medication to help you feel your best.

Taking medication doesn’t mean you’re giving up.

So just in case you need a reminder: choosing to take anti-depressants doesn’t mean you are lazy, broken, a failure, not trying hard enough, not exercising enough, or not taking enough supplements. It may just mean that you need a break, you need extra support, or you’ve got a number of factors working against your ability to have a balanced mood right now, and all of those are normal, valid human experiences. Choosing to take medication doesn’t mean you are giving up on ever feeling healthy and well again, or being able to manage your anxiety or depression on your own. In fact, very often medication can help resource you so that you are much more able to feel healthy and well, and/or give you the temporary support you need to be able to manage without medication down the road.

Are anti-depressants right for you?

In my practice, I help people make the decision about if anti-depressants are right for them all the time, based on a few simple questions.

1.Do you have the spoons/time/energy/capacity to keep doing what you are doing, or try an alternative method for regulating your mood?

If the answer is no, then medication is likely the best choice for you, for right now. Taking care of yourself and helping your mind or body to heal takes work, effort and time, and sometimes you just literally don’t have the capacity to keep going as you have been, or take on more, and that’s okay. That’s actually the perfect time to consider letting anti-depressants give you a break from having to work so hard to keep your head above water.

In cases like this, my recommendation usually is to give yourself permission to take a break and accept help, and speak with your doctor about which medication would be best for you. Once you feel some improvement, that’s the right time to take a look at what else you can be doing to support your mood and mental health, either to help the medication work better, or with the ultimate goal of being able to safely and easily come off the medication down the road.

2. How much are you struggling, and how much is it affecting the rest of your life?

Is your anxiety or depression negatively impacting your ability to sleep, eat, take care of yourself? What about your job, your creative pursuits, your hobbies or your ability to connect with friends? While life is never going to be easy or joyful all of the time, you deserve to be able to access those feelings some of the time. If what you are doing to manage your mental health either isn’t working or is no longer working, give yourself permission to consider trying something new.

Often when we have been struggling for a long time, it can feel like we are “handling it”, even though we are getting worse, more exhausted or sicker as time goes on. Do your best to answer this question for yourself as objectively as possible and know that even if it isn’t getting worse or you are doing a decent job of handling it, it is okay (and good!) for you to want to stop having to “handle it” all of the time.

If anxiety or depression is significantly reducing your ability to enjoy your life, then it’s worthwhile to look at some new ways of getting help. This might mean medication to stabilize your mood, and/or taking a holistic assessment of your health and working on some of the root causes of your mood or mental health challenges.

3. What have you tried, or are you currently doing to help support your mental health?

There are a number of simple (but not necessarily easy) things that you can do in your day to day that will improve your brain’s ability to regulate your mood and produce adequate neurotransmitters. If you have the capacity to take a more active role in your health, then there may be some things you can do to help stabilize your anxiety or depression without the use of medication. If, however, you don’t feel like you have the ability to work on your overall health right now (see question #1), or you feel like you’ve tried everyything and you still aren’t getting the improvement you want, then medication may be the solution you need.

And, as I discussed in question #1, very often medication can give you the relief, space or energy you need to be able to put more of your efforts into improving your health, if that’s what you desire.

Medication isn’t bad, but it also doesn’t have to be forever.

Deciding to go on medication to support your mood doesn’t have to be a permanent decision if you don’t want it to be, even if it is the best decision for you right now. Mental health-focused naturopathic doctors can help you decide if it’s the right decision for you, and can help you address some of the root causes of your mental health challenges, optimize your mental health with diet, lifestyle and counselling, and help you safely taper off the medication when the time is right for you.

Still not sure if medication is the right choice for you?

Want some help making these decisions or building a holistic treatment plan to improve your mental health? 

I am accepting patients both in-person at my clinic in Vancouver (Mount Pleasant) and virtually (for anyone in British Columbia).

Book yourself in for a 15-minute complementary consult to ask any questions and see if we'd be a good fit. You don't have to to do this alone.

Book in now, or contact me to get in touch.