Why is there so much stigma around antidepressants?
Most of the stigma surrounding antidepressants is due to the misconceptions about this medication. Many choose to focus on the negative side effects of antidepressants rather than treating depression itself.
Why is there a stigma around medication?
Stigma around mental health still exists, which is part of the reason why stigma surrounding medication is still pervasive. Like all drugs, different antidepressants can have side-effects, but these may improve over time as the body gets used to the medication.
Where does stigma of mental illness come from?
Stigma against mental illness can come from several sources, such as personal, social, and family beliefs, and from the mental health condition itself, which may cause a person to act outside what is considered the social or cultural norm.
What is the biggest cause of stigma?
Several studies show that stigma usually arises from lack of awareness, lack of education, lack of perception, and the nature and complications of the mental illness, for example odd behaviours and violence (Arboleda-Florez, 2002[5]).
What is the stigma associated with depression?
The stigma of depression is different from that of other mental illnesses and largely due to the negative nature of the illness that makes depressives seem unattractive and unreliable. Self stigmatisation makes patients shameful and secretive and can prevent proper treatment. It may also cause somatisation.
Are antidepressants meant to be long term?
Antidepressants are meant to be taken for nine months for a first episode of depression and for a maximum of two years for those experiencing further episodes. But increasingly more of us are staying on them for longer. NHS figures show that antidepressant prescriptions in England doubled in the last decade.
When did the stigma of mental illness begin?
Research on stigmatization involves a specialized discipline of social science that broadly overlaps with attitude research in social psychology. A scientific concept on the stigma of mental disorders was first developed in the middle of the 20th century, first theoretically and eventually empirically in the 1970s.
What stigmas are associated with mental health?
Some of the harmful effects of stigma can include:
- Reluctance to seek help or treatment.
- Lack of understanding by family, friends, co-workers or others.
- Fewer opportunities for work, school or social activities or trouble finding housing.
- Bullying, physical violence or harassment.
What is the biggest cause of stigma in mental health?
Recent studies have demonstrated that stigma against people with mental illnesses has increased over the past half century and is still increasing. Multiple studies have also shown that the major cause of this stigma is the perception that some individuals with mental illnesses are dangerous.
What are the types of stigma associated with mental illness?
Two main types of stigma occur with mental health problems, social stigma and self-stigma. Social stigma, also called public stigma, refers to negative stereotypes of those with a mental health problem. These stereotypes come to define the person, mark them out as different and prevent them being seen as an individual.
Does your brain go back to normal after antidepressants?
The process of healing the brain takes quite a bit longer than recovery from the acute symptoms. In fact, our best estimates are that it takes 6 to 9 months after you are no longer symptomatically depressed for your brain to entirely recover cognitive function and resilience.
What is the truth about antidepressants?
A new study says some antidepressants are mostly ineffective, but many previous studies show the opposite. A controversial new study suggests the widely prescribed antidepressants Prozac, Paxil, and Effexor work no better than placebo for most patients who take them, and many depression experts now cry foul.