Antidepressants

I was about twenty-six years old when I met a man in my church that greatly influenced my life. He was not only the leader of the congregation I attended, but he became a close friend. For most of his life he lived with diabetes, so he was able to relate to many of the things I experienced with Sickle Cell better than most.
He and I talked at length many, many, many times about the need for antidepressants. He saw their usefulness, whereas I wasn’t open to the idea. This was ironic because I was studying psychology in college. In time, he helped me understand there was no shame in admitting I had a problem with depression and a need to take antidepressants.

“But I should be able to control my own thoughts and emotions,” I argued.
“Jon,” he said tenderly, “you have a disease that affects your heart, your liver, your blood, and every part of your body. Who’s to say that it doesn’t also affect your brain or your brain chemistry too?” I couldn’t argue with that.

By age twenty-seven, depression was upsetting my life and relationships with other people so severely that—after eight years of struggle—I finally decided to talk with my doctors about it. My life profoundly changed for the better when I was prescribed an antidepressant.

For the first time in nearly eight years I felt like the Jon Monk I knew I truly was. My natural optimism returned, I laughed like I used to, and sincerely began enjoying life as I once did. The hopelessness I awoke with each morning left me. Most importantly, my daily struggle to control my suicidal thoughts was removed. I was Jon again! I can’t begin to describe how wonderful a feeling it was/is to not think about killing myself every single day; to not to have to struggle with a negativity that was as strong as my natural optimism. The absence of those thoughts was like a turbulent stormy ocean that had suddenly become calm and clear.

Don’t misunderstand, antidepressants are not happiness in a pill that will magically turn that frown upside down. Fighting depression also means doing everything necessary to maintain your mental, emotional and physical well-being. Serving others, eating healthy, exercising when able, getting out in the sun, proper sleep, and all the other things I’ve discussed helps the medication do its job to combat depression.

Antidepressants work by targeting and stabilizing the chemicals in the brain that control mood and emotion. If you begin taking antidepressants, it's important to know it can take six to eight weeks for your body to absorb the medicine. It takes time to receive and feel the full benefits of these kinds of prescriptions. Follow your doctor’s instructions, be patient and give it a chance to work.

It might also help to know, though you may have a current need for antidepressants, it doesn’t mean you always will. The source and type of your depression are factors that determine how long you stay on antidepressants. In addition, sometimes it’s a matter of trial and error to find the right medication, or combination of medications, to treat your depression. So do your best to not try your doctor’s patience by being an impatient patient by giving up too quickly.

One final note about antidepressants, make sure you talk with your doctor about the medication’s timeline. Some antidepressants are meant to be taken for only a couple of years. It may or may not be necessary to rotate your current prescription with a different antidepressant. Your doctor will be able to tell you if any of your prescriptions require special attention to the length of time taken.