Prozac is 25 years old this year. When it first arrived on the scene it was regarded as a wonder drug for the treatment of depression, but increasingly opinions about relying solely on medication to treat such a complex illness are changing towards a more holistic approach.
Maybe this is partly due to the fact that 25 years later the number of depressed people has been increasing rather than decreasing, suggesting that it’s not all chemical, but psychological too.
Some people remain on medication for years without any improvements but they still take it just in case they get worse. We must be missing something if people are not getting better with medication alone. Should we then look for a complimentary approach addressing the mind in the same way we are already addressing the chemical imbalance?
Talking therapies make for an effective complimentary treatment which can help establish if the medication is still performing effectively and address the problem of dependency. Because although not addictive, even if a drug isn’t working any more people become psychologically reliant on it and won’t feel confident about changing over to another treatment.
Minimising any side effects of medication can also be important. For example, in some people, taking antidepressants can cause weight gain which may prove distressing but talking this over and advising they see a GP about an adjustment of dosage can reduce this effect and make a big difference to that person’s wellbeing.
www.birminghamhypnotherapyclinic.com
Maybe this is partly due to the fact that 25 years later the number of depressed people has been increasing rather than decreasing, suggesting that it’s not all chemical, but psychological too.
Some people remain on medication for years without any improvements but they still take it just in case they get worse. We must be missing something if people are not getting better with medication alone. Should we then look for a complimentary approach addressing the mind in the same way we are already addressing the chemical imbalance?
Talking therapies make for an effective complimentary treatment which can help establish if the medication is still performing effectively and address the problem of dependency. Because although not addictive, even if a drug isn’t working any more people become psychologically reliant on it and won’t feel confident about changing over to another treatment.
Minimising any side effects of medication can also be important. For example, in some people, taking antidepressants can cause weight gain which may prove distressing but talking this over and advising they see a GP about an adjustment of dosage can reduce this effect and make a big difference to that person’s wellbeing.
www.birminghamhypnotherapyclinic.com
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