Antidepressant Treatment for Depression: Why are so many of us taking pills?

By Merely Me Monday, July 18, 2011

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If you do a search of the questions we receive on MyDepressionConnection you will find that the number one inquiry is about the topic of antidepressant medications. It is no wonder that this is such a popular topic as it is the most utilized treatment for depression. In fact, more Americans are using prescription drugs to treat their depression than talk therapy. A study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, reported that in 2005 approximately 10% of Americans or 27 million people were taking antidepressants. This rate was double the amount from 1996. Yet the percentage of antidepressant users who also received psychotherapy plummeted from 31.5% to less than 20%. In addition, a significant majority of patients (80%) are being prescribed antidepressants from doctors other than psychiatrists. The growing popularity of using prescription medication to treat depression leaves many questions. How did this trend happen? How are doctors and patients making this decision to use medication as the primary treatment for depression and in some cases the only treatment? In this post we are going to take a look at research to find our answers.

What is causing this dramatic increase in antidepressant usage?

One would hope that more people are being prescribed antidepressants because there are better diagnostic procedures to identify depression early on. Another optimistic view is that there is less stigma associated with having a mood disorder and patients are more willing to consider treatment. Yet these reasons probably play only a very small part in this growing trend. Here are some of the more plausible causes for the great increase in antidepressant use in the past decade:

• Pharmaceutical Advertising

This huge increase in the number of people taking antidepressants comes as no surprise when you understand how much time and money is invested in pharmaceutical advertising. In 1997 the US Food and Drug Administration released new guidelines which allowed for direct-to-consumer advertising. This is why you see all those antidepressant commercials on TV. Do these ads have any impact on patients and consumers? They sure do. According to a report published in The American Journal of Medicine a 2002 FDA survey found that 43% of respondents reacted to a drug advertisement by looking for more information about that drug. We are now, more than ever before, making specific medication requests from our doctors. And much of this is based upon advertising.

Here are some sobering statistics to bear in mind. This same report in The American Journal of Medicine states that: “Between 1996 and 2003, there was a 400% increase in spending on direct-to-consumer advertising from 791 million to $3.2 billion. In addition, a 2008 a study found a huge discrepancy between pharma reports of marketing expenditures and what independent analysis has found. The study authors found that pharmaceutical companies spend almost twice as much on promotion as they do on research and development. You can read the details of this study, “The Cost of Pushing Pills: A New Estimate of Pharmaceutical Promotion Expenditures in the United States" in the January 3, 2008 issue of PLoS Medicine, an online journal published by the Public Library of Science.

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Comments (34) | Add comment

Donna-1

7/18/11 4:14pm

Although I'm not sure what, if anything, should be done about it, I find alarming the fact that so many people who have not met the diagnostic criteria for depression or anxiety are still being prescribed antidepressants. Do doctors just feel pressured by patients, who in turn have been pressured by pharmaceutical companies who ambitiously advertise across a wide range of media? I took my first antidepressant (Tofranil) in 1974 or 75 and I was not aware of anyone else taking this class of meds at the time. Not long after, I remember it was scandalous when a neighbor of my aunt let her 5 yr old be put on Valium for a nervous condition. I know a friend recently who asked that her mother (who was in a nursing center) be put on antidepressants because she was crabby and hard to get along with. The doctor complied immediately. I know for a fact that her mother had always been hard to get along with, only now the daughter was in a position to commandeer her mother's medical care. Is that right?

Merely Me

7/18/11 5:18pm

Yes....yes and no to your questions.

This absolutely is happening. What I personally find alarming are the number of members who say they had done okay on a particular antidepressant and then the doctor wants to switch them to one of the new ones which are more costly and there is no generic version. Why is this happening? well....

As I did the research for this article I became more and more jaded.

Medication can be a life saver for so many. But...there is just something wrong with this whole process and nobody bats an eyelash anymore. I don't think people know.

Depression is being treated like the common cold...here take two of these and don't call me in the morning. Look at how many members ask medication questions. They aren't asking their doctor. Why? Because patients are not being talked to anymore...they are in and out. It is pretty much becoming a revolving door prescription mill.

I could go on...but this is making me feel depressed. So many people need help and they are not getting it. It is a crime.

Donna-1

7/19/11 8:37am

I go to my psychiatrist today and I feel afraid to tell him the truth -- that when he put me back on 15mg of Zyprexa for a month, I actually only took 7.5mg for 9 days. The side effects were so horrendous I just couldn't take it any more -- literally! But the experience was good in that it made me really, really grateful for the meds I take that DON'T have side effects...or they have positive side effects like giving me more time awake and more energy.

I'm not sure why I don't want to tell him the truth; it's like I'm "disobeying" when in fact it is more like "informed action" that I took. And it is my life, my body, my money. Just one month of Zyprexa is $1,192. Of course, my insurance pays for most of that, but isn't that horrible?

Merely Me

7/21/11 6:37pm

Hey Donna

Just checking up on you...so what happened with your doctor?

Suzie2World

7/22/11 7:52am

Donna,

Please don't be afraid to tell your doctor about the side effects. You pay him! It is his job and duty as a physician to give you the very best care. I had a great doctor in Florida and now I have a not so good one in Illinois thay is constantly trying to get me to switch to more expensive medications. One went from $4 a month to $78. The medication caused me to turn bright red and my face to swell! And I don't get a refund from the pharmacy if a medication doesn't work. I put my foot down and insisted he switch me back to what I was taking before.

even the very best of doctors can't possibly know everything about each drug, much less how it is going to affect every individual. You must take charge and let him or her know when something is not working. When you do, you put your doctor in a better position to help you.

If you hesitate to say something because he or she might be busy, tell the recptionist/nurse that you will need 10-15 minutes to discuss some thing with the doctor. Then write down exactly what side effects you are having and what your concerns are and bring that into the office with you so you don't forget to mention something that could be vital information. Make sure you document the tine you took the medication, what you eating, and what other medications (even over the counter medications) you had taken.

Your doctor will have much more respect for you because you have taken the time to prepare him for a discussion and that you have solid, exact information he can refer to. Make notes of anything he tells you in the office and rephrase his words back to him to make sure you are both on thr same page.

Doctors, like all humans want to be successful at what they are doing. Letting him know what is or isn't working gives him more opportunity to help you and be successful.

Donna-1

7/22/11 8:38am

Before I had to make a decision about crossing that boundary between truth and a lie, my doctor said, "I think this will work for you to just go back to the Zyprexa once every 6 months for a week or two till you get balanced again, don't you? And this is what I had already done. We didn't discuss halving the dose, which I had done on my own, so I didn't have to make the truth/lie decision that I dreaded.

He also suggested that I take a look at a new med that just came out toward the end of last year: Latuda. I was not familiar with it. He said the side effect profile is a little different -- more risks as far as raising lipid levels, but the advantage of decreasing the appetite. More risk of stomach upset, which I am already experiencing some on the Saphris, but a probable end to the constipation that has plagued me for over a year now. The two beneficial side effects are something I feel I might go for, but I would have to balance that against the fact that I am stable right now.

However, with continuing the Saphris, my sleep will doubtless continue to be poor (I awaken between 2 and 3am every morning and never go back to sleep.) That is a risk with the Latuda, too, but 23% of people on it slept better. There is some appetite increase with the Saphris, but I have managed to only gain about 4 lbs and it's not nearly the headache it had been on Zyprexa. And if the decrease of appetite on Latuda helped me to lose weight, it would counterbalance the lipid problem -- my PCP says if I lost weight I could likely get off of the high blood pressure and GERD meds and my cholesterol would probably decrease.

It is something to think about. Why mess with something that is working okay? I guess the grass is always greener on the other side.

Donna-1

7/22/11 8:39am

Thank you, Suzie. Your suggestions sound great!

Survivor

7/18/11 4:32pm

I think the issue of primary care doctors doing the prescribing is a serious problem. I don't believe they have a protocol for screening patients who really need to see a psychiatrist for diagnosis. I spent a year in hell because this happened to me. When you feel really bad, you're in no state to argue with a doctor who basically says, "Trust me. I'm a doctor." A little humility would go a long way in the medical profession.

Merely Me

7/18/11 5:26pm

You will have to tell us your story survivor. I would like to hear it.

I agree. It is frightening. And we wonder why so many people are not getting the appropriate care they need.

Nowadays...your primary care physician can do your annual skin check for skin cancer (a dermatologist is supposed to do this) or do a PAP smear (a gynecologist is supposed to do this) and you can also ask for antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. Are they trained to do all this? There are reasons why there are specialists. We are a culture who wants a one-stop-shop for everything. The mom and pop stores are gone...no individuality...we all go to Target or Wallmart....right? Same for medical care. To cut costs and be more convenient...they try to make it so that you see one doctor for everything.

I don't think the system is working very well. But who am I to judge. I am just a patient.

Thanks so much for your comment.

pamela

7/18/11 4:59pm

What do you believe are the primary reasons for the great increase in the use of antidepressants to treat depression? Maybe it's the economy? People are losing their houses, and jobs. Most people don't have the insurance and they can't afford to pay for therapists.. Maybe it's society and the way things have developed or the changing world and that everyone needing "INSTANT GRATIFICATION"

Do you think that a change in the way we deliver mental health treatment is necessary? Yes, in which I would like to explain - when I was going to psychotherapy every week and group therapy every week I felt my best and it helped me with my confidence and depression. I was married and my ex husband was working at Kodak so we had good insurance.

Now I have no job and I go to a clinic every other week and talk with a young counselor. I mean she could be my daughter.. The last appointment I didn't get anythng out of that I didn't already know. I mean I like her but I wish I had someone who has more wisdom.

Things need to change. It's like it's all about money. It's scarey really.

Merely Me

7/18/11 5:42pm

I am afraid you are right. It is all about the money.

When members ask about getting help I feel guilty for recommending seeing a therapist. Who can afford it? I have insurance and a job and I find it unaffordable. Then we have members who can no longer afford their medications. The question becomes...why were they put onto a medication that they cannot afford?

I have Multiple Sclerosis. Do you know that the disease modifying drugs for my disease...cost more than my mortgage each month...and most only have a 30% efficacy rate? And that my insurance would only cover one of these drugs...and that is with huge deductibles? But then when you find that they spend....twice as much money on marketing as they do on research and development...it hurts.

Why search for a cure when...lots of money can be made selling medications that may...or may not work? When you think about it...it makes you wonder.

And here is where I need to put the disclaimer: These comments are my personal opinions only.

I hear you about the therapy. It is a shame that you cannot continue with it.

Thanks so much for sharing here. It is much appreciated.

Judy

7/18/11 6:53pm

I got so angry when I read this post that I had to leave it sit for a while before I could respond. In my opinion, the reasons so many people are on antidepressants and not in therapy are because of the pharmaceutical companies advertising constantly and because it is cheaper and "easier" to just give somebody a pill to shut them up because of economics, basically.

The treatment that I have received over the years has been excellent, for the most part. My experience has been that when you see a psychiatrist for the first time, you have at least an hour or more to go over your history, etc. I see mine now every three months and I get a half hour because he doesn't believe you can do much in 15 minutes. My son, who goes to a subsidized clinic because he's been on Medicare (but now also has private insurance) gets 15 minutes every 4 months because they are so understaffed. That is unacceptable and even though I think his doctor is good, we will be looking for somebody in private practice. I've also been fortunate that my insurance has covered my therapy for all these years, but I also have a good therapist who has made a good case for me each year.

I take medication and have for years, yet I look at it as helping relieve the worst symptoms so that I can do the work necessary in therapy. I think there are a lot of people who are content with taking medication so they don't HAVE to do the work of therapy, as well as those who have no choice because they don't have adequate coverage for it. It's a real shame. I don't even believe CBT is the best answer for a lot of depression, especially when it is part of PTSD and I know I'm not alone in that.

We are so backwards, still, in our treatment of illnesses like depression and I believe a large part of that is due to the stigma that still prevails. I've heard people say that if you see a therapist and aren't better in X number of months, there's something wrong with your therapist. That is so freakin' ignorant I can't believe it. And many of us with depression contribute to the stigma because we don't feel we can talk about it. And the truth is, can we, really? Our families don't want to hear about it, our bosses and co-workers don't want to hear about it, so what the h___ are we supposed to do? We don't want to lose our jobs, we don't want to listen to the stupid comments we get from families so it's better to just shut up. And what really burns me is that these same families that don't want to hear about it are often the cause of it in the first place. Isn't that rich? I am betting that most cases of depression have their roots in childhood trauma and I'm not saying that it's all due to bad parenting, but sometimes things happen that are interpreted by children in a traumatic way and if the parent isn't aware of it, it's never addressed.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant, but our health care system is so screwed up. Our general practice doctors are not equipped to treat mental illness. I can't tell you how many times I've filled out their little questionnaires when I've gone in for physicals and they ask about depression and I answer it honestly - and not once have I been asked about it by a family practice doctor or any doctor who isn't a psychiatrist. And if they know I have a psychiatrist, they're even less likely to ask, plus then they can write off a lot of somatic complaints as being related to depression.

It's my belief that if we actually paid attention to people's emotional health as much as we do their physical health, we'd be healthier, overall. Both areas are interdependent and we can't keep isolating one from the other. As humans, we are composed of body and soul, physical symptoms and emotions. In time, I think the mental health parity law will help, but it's taking time to get implemented. Suffering isn't limited to our physical bodies. Sometimes it feels like we're still in the Dark Ages when it comes to understanding our emotions and how they affect us.

Merely Me

7/18/11 9:29pm

You go girl!

Rant away...seriously...I feel everything you are feeling and more.

We should be getting angry over this.

To my physician's credit...he will not prescribe antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications. He refers patients on to the proper specialists.

And therapy...20 sessions is what a lot of people get. This is not enough for many people. And too...I agree...CBT is not the end all therapy. It may be good for some types of issues but certainly not all. I am a person who believes in the benefits of psychotherapy. But who can afford it these days?

Our mental health system has been in trouble for quite awhile. But the money isn't there. Yet some portions of our society are making a whole lot of money in this broken system. It is very troubling. It is shameful really.

I think some people should spend some time in a mental hospital and see the very real human beings who are affected by mental illness. Some people are so far removed that they have no clue.

Thing is...this article only scratches the surface. There is some very ugly stuff going on.

Thanks for your comment Judy.

pamela

7/18/11 9:53pm

WOW!!!!!! You are so right!!!!!!

When I was first in therapy and first diagnosed by my therapist I was diagnosed with PTSD, and depression. At that time in my life I was terrified of archways, especially at nightime. My first therapist was absolutely awesome. She focused totally on me for an hour.

My family doesn't want to hear about it, they espcially don't want to talk about it. I'm the only one in my family who is seeing a therapist, as far as I know. And it's because of my family I'm in therapy, just like you said in your post,, it's so true!!!!!

My ex husband was/is one of the many I'm sure, to believe that "if you're not better after so many times after seeing a therapist then it's not working",, because he was paying for it.. I can still hear him saying this.

I couldn't talk to him about anything. I changed with therapy he never went, he never changed.. I know he wasn't strong enough to deal with it - his dsyfunctional family/abusive childhood...

I'm from a dsyfunctional family , my parents were from one, their parents were from one... My parents would argue and fight in front of me..

This is one of the reasons why I have PTSD and depression.

And now you've made me think about something I've never thought of before. If my parents fought, and their parents fought and their parents and so on, why or how or what started it all? Where did it all come from or start??

Am I crazy to ask this??

Judy

7/18/11 11:17pm

I don't think it's a crazy question at all. I think this has been going on for generations. My dad's family has the same history. I think years ago, children were seen as possessions and people thought nothing of physically and/or emotionally abusing them. Now, we supposedly know better but the problem is, each generation of children that is abused often goes on to abuse the next one unless something happens to make them aware of what they're doing and you often don't become aware until something goes terribly wrong in your life and you realize something has to change. If you're not an abuser, you usually end up playing the victim role, stuck feeling helpless, which often results in depression - that's all part of PTSD. That's why it's so important that we heal ourselves and stop the cycle, keep from passing it on to our children. I think this is why depression usually can't be eradicated by medication - it goes deeper than that.

Donna-1

7/19/11 8:51am

Judy, you commented that CBT is not the end-all for therapy. How true. I believe there are many different kinds of therapies that benefit many different types of people. Therapists are usually educated in a multitude of different modes, and my best therapist picked and chose what was best from among them. She had no "guru" whom she followed like a true believer -- she was a skeptic and went with what worked for the individual she was helping.

Also, CBT bugs me because these therapists often try to move you along too quickly. At my recent first-time evaluation with a CBTist, she not only evaluated but gave me a laundry list of what she thought were all of my character faults and personality quirks. I can honestly say it pissed me off so much that I could barely sleep for 2 weeks and ended up making an emergency appt with my psychiatrist! Yes, I went back a couple of times, but more to dispute what she had told me the first time than to really put to use her suggestions. I guess this is the "resistance" therapists talk about.

patsyg

7/19/11 2:22pm

I think it should be against the law or at least FDA regulations for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their drugs. Their sales persons have been known to misrepresent to doctors what their drugs can be used for and have been it trouble for that, but the public can be fooled also by the plethora of advertisements.

A primary care physician once told me that I knew as much as psychiatrists about psychotropic meds, but I did not. I have chosen to see psychiatrists, who are specialists in mental health conditions, for the drugs used to treat those conditions I have. I also have participated in and still go to therapy. I have no idea how much I have spent over the years in copays for therapy, medications, and other treatments, even though for most of those years the benefits to my depression varied from none to limited.

I am thankful to finally have Medicare and insurance, which together pay the costs of therapy. My insurance along with copays funds the medications I take. I have been better for a period of months. I don't know what all to attribute my improvement, but I am thankful for it. Progress in therapy is much easier now that I do not have such bad depression and anxiety. I doubt that I will ever be "normal," but I have never been. Being this much better is so good.

I wish politics did not enter so much into mental health benefits. We've had a couple of presidents who've tried to improve health and mental health benefits, but have been limited by Congress. It's sad that the majority of congressmen don't realize how many of us need better benefits with lower costs.

Merely Me

7/19/11 4:24pm

Hi Patsy

It is very difficult to find and pay for mental health treatment. How many people are being underserved and untreated for mood disorders or other mental health issues? I think the numbers would be alarming.

I am not sure what the answer is...but the way things are right now...isn't working very well.

Thanks so much for your comment.

Suzie2World

7/22/11 7:26am

I agree with your comment about advertising in many ways. One doctor I visited in West Palm Beach was inudated with phamecutical representatives. He has been in practice for about 40 years and seems to be one of the few doctors remaining that really care more about the patients than the money. He had CLOSETS full of prescription samples the reps would leave him. He only charged $30-$35 a visit and treated many people who would not have been able to see a doctor otherwise. He had so many samples that he would give medication to people who could not otherwise afford it.

Pam Flores, Health Guide

7/20/11 2:57pm

Hi Merely Me, it is a shame that doctors with no training in mental health are prescribing meds for this, but I wonder what those with HMO's are going to do. I know that with this type of insurance, you may have to wait quite a while to get a referral to a mental health doc, so should they go without help (meds) while waiting for maybe a long while?

Our insurance problem is catastrophic with the number of uninsured and underinsured and those with policies that require referrals.

I don't know what the answer is to this, but we need more access to these types of treatment.

I got a question over at OsteoporosisConnection.com that really threw me. The member wanted to know what she should do first, because she didn't have insurance. Should she pay her rent, utilities, food or get a rx filled for Actonel (95,00 a month) for osteoporosis. I was surprised by the question, but this seems to be the case in all areas of health care now with the numbers of uninsured and underinsured. Until we can fix this I'm not sure what to tell people other than you do need to pay your monthly bills first or you could be looking at homelessness.

Thanks for writing a great article and I hope things can change, in all respects, in mental health care and all other health disorders.

Merely Me

7/21/11 6:47pm

Hi Pamela!

Good to see you. For our members here...Pamela is the community leader over on our osteoporosis site.

You make a good point about the waiting. But I guess I worry that many primary care physicians are not as qualified to make that decision as to whether or not a patient needs psychotropic medications. Is more harm done to give medication when it is not warranted or to have a patient who does need medication to wait to see a psychiatrist? Not sure what the solution is but the way things are now is not working for a lot of people.

It is astounding that so many people are not able to get the care they need as you clearly illustrate with the example of one of the members having to choose between food or medication. Unfortunately I don't think this is an isolated case.

Thanks so much for stopping by and for your comment. It is much appreciated.

Lost

7/21/11 5:43am

Funny you should write about the money spent on advertizing when just to the right of your article is an ad for Abilify. Sad!

Merely Me

7/21/11 6:52pm

Yes this irony was not lost on me.

The thing is...for a lot of people these medications are life savers. They can help. But the problem is that for so many people who do suffer from depression or other psychiatric problems...they are not getting the help that they need. There are many people who cannot afford medication or therapy.

Thanks so much for your comment.

aginst adverts

7/22/11 12:03am

This situation does not surprise me. People are getting the wrong idea and think that they know more than an MD/specialist in any field that these meds are for. One must learn to trust their doctor and allow them to make the appropriate decisions about ones treatment. Don't rely on advertisments or non-pirofessionals 'advice'. These can lead you down the wrong road and prolong your health-care needs. Just always keep this in mind!

slickrock

7/21/11 2:57pm

it is the mental health agency-not the consumer-my boyfriend was just told by our state hospital he could not go outside unless he had drugs-i was told by Act Corporation in Daytona a few years back that i could get meds but no therapy unless i had been hospitalized so much-i have a personality disorder where the protocol is therapy first-we are pushed into drugs-even though i tried to tell my current (arnp) that i wanted to stop the meds becuase i was having reactions possibly due to trauma to my brain and/or pituatary gland, i spent at least 3/4 of the conversation saying no to all the drugs she was suggesting-i finally had to get the head psychiatrist on the phone who agreed but said he had no knowledge of pituatary gland problems which is the gland that is involved with norepinephrine and dopamine-i was on the phone today trying to get another provider other than north key who is the state's mental health provider in our area-i have no medicaid though so i am bound by my medicare in who i see-my boyfriend also had brain injury and he tried to tell everyone he could not take the meds because most of them have caused paradoxical effects-they are still pushing the meds in the current program he has recently moved to and he has environment caused paranoia that would be best addressed by therapy but they have not even mentioned that

Merely Me

7/21/11 6:57pm

Hi there

I am so sorry you are going through all of this. You will have to tell us what happens. I would think that you have the right to choose the type of treatment appropriate for you. We don't know all the details of your situation though, so it is difficult to give any suggestions.

keep us updated...

And thank you for your comment.

Registered Nurse

7/21/11 6:05pm

As a psychyatric nurse and suffer from depression and anxiety disorder,Reading this so called artical that responds to so-called advertising and the use of meds,is so disheartening and disregard for human suffering related to the disease of Depression. One needs to be assessed by an MD or psychiatrist which is not so difficult in these united states now. If one doesn't meet the criteria for meds they are not prescribed. Also the next step is psycotherapy(talk therapy) as you call it. Please do not lead your readers astray with your 'pop therapy' and unknown info regarding one's mental health, which is so delicate.

Merely Me

7/21/11 8:00pm

Hello Registered Nurse

Let me try to decipher your comment.

Do you mean to say that you are a psychiatric nurse? And you advocate the use of psychotherapy? And you have read my article and feel that I am leading people astray with "pop therapy"? Is this accurate?

I always like to understand a comment before I respond. In this case I do apologize that I am not able to comprehend what you are trying to communicate.

Thank you for your response!

Marcia Purse, Health Guide

7/22/11 12:51pm

For me, with bipolar II disorder, medications are a necessity. I also have a sleep disorder and many of my psych medications do double duty to help me sleep.

That said, what struck me hardest out of your article is the fact that while antidepressants are being prescribed more and more, people with serious mental illnesses are NOT getting treatment as they should. I'd be interested in the demographics. I suspect these numbers reflect striking differences in availability of mental health care for those who do and do not have adequate health insurance - especially those who depend on public assistance for all their healthcare. As the feds and the states cut mental health care funding from their budgets, cut Medicaid eligibility, etc., etc., more and more of those who really NEED treatment can't get it. For example, I have a friend whose wife has severe bipolar I disorder. They are on Medicaid, and the ONLY drug she could get for some time was generic Prozac - because it's cheap. Problem was, Prozac made her psychotic mania much worse. Talk therapy was, of course, nonexistent.

I guess I'd rather see too many people medicated than not enough - but when both things are happening in certain groups, it's just one more example of health care in the US being shot to hell. The reform bill was and remains a step in the right direction, but I suspect it will be at least two decades before they work the bugs out.

Merely Me

7/22/11 5:08pm

Hi Marcia!

Absolutely...so many people do need medications...I have said this before and I will say it again that medication saves lives...and this includes antidepressants. But what about those people...as you describe...who are not insured and cannot afford either therapy or medication? There are so many people in this country who are falling through the cracks.

I do think there is a danger in prescribing medications which are not needed. According to the National Institutes of Health, 20 percent of people in the United States have used prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons. Prescription drug abuse is a huge problem in the states and in some cases it kills. Some people overdose or mix these medications with other drugs and they die.

The types of prescription drugs most often abused include:

* Narcotic painkillers
* Sedatives and tranquilizers
* Stimulants

Again...I don't know what the answer is but I do think this is something we all need to be aware of.

Thank you so much for stopping by to comment.

For our members... Marcia Purse is one of our writers on our Bipolar site. She just wrote an intriguing post asking, Do You Have Bipolar Disorder? Be sure to check it out.

Donna-1

7/22/11 7:28pm

I can say I am grateful for a primary care doctor who listened when I was 16 and recognized that I was depressed, and was savvy enough to prescribe something for me that I didn't even know I needed. I don't question that there is a lot of depression going on out there in a lot of people's lives; in fact, I think it probably happens to everyone at some point. And who better qualified to know when someone actually needs an antidepressant than the person involved and his or her doctor. I certainly won't try to second-guess either one of them and say that treatment is not necessary. When you are depressed, after all, you feel pretty damn bad -- and I CAN testify to that!

Sabrina Jo

1/26/12 1:12pm

i guess the reason so many people want help with depression and accept pills is that there are millions of people who are depressed and anxious over the life that we have come into. There are problems problems everywhere, and people get tired of dealing with it and feeling bad all the time.

I still think that most pills are ineffective to treat depression and the only thing that i have found that helps are painkillers (opiates) and unfort. they refuse to give this to you because it is "addictive" Who cares about addiction if it helps u and u can feel better. You're going to be stuck taking something all the time anyway, i really wish they could develop a pill that had the opiate effect to it. It would bring a lot of relief to a lot of suffering hopeless people. I pray an answer is found for better working antidepressants. Maybe that's why God put the poppy plant on earth for people to use because he knew it would make them feel better!

confused

6/ 7/12 5:57pm

Wat is the difference bewteen depression and a mood disorder?

Judy

6/ 7/12 8:16pm

A mood disorder can include other things besides depression, such as Bipolar, anxiety, etc. It's just a general term that includes depression. Hope that helps.

Antidepressant Treatment for Depression: Why are so many of us taking pills?

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