Friday Q&A: on antidepressants; inattention; social anxiety; & “am I taking too many meds?”
You ask the best questions!
It’s Friday Q&A time!
This week is all about mental health. Next week is about how humor can (positively) impact our health.
Check out this week’s newsletter: Can Therapy Be Bad For You?
Tune in to this week’s podcast episode with psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman! We talk about cultivating resilience and finding strength within stress.
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The first question today (about antidepressants) is for all subscribers. The remaining questions (about calming a wandering mind, managing social anxiety, and fears about taking prescription meds) are for paid subscribers.
Click here to submit your questions (about anything) for future Q&A posts!
Let’s dive in!
QUESTION #1
I’ve been managing a bout of depression for many months now through therapy, exercise and keeping myself busy. But I don’t really feel like my symptoms are improving. I am hesitant to take medication because I worry about being dependent on it. But do you think it’s worth a try?
-EG from Boston
Dear EG,
I applaud your efforts to manage your depression symptoms with exercise, therapy, and keeping your mind active. It's also important to recognize that sometimes these interventions may not be enough to fully alleviate depression symptoms.
When prescribed appropriately, medications such as Prozac, Lexapro, and Zoloft (i.e., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) can significantly improve patients’ quality of life. These medications have been shown to help alleviate depression symptoms, particularly when paired with behavioral changes, social supports and/or therapy as appropriate.
Of course there’s no pill for insight, no elixir for behavioral modification, no quick fix for facing uncomfortable parts of lives. But when part of a holistic plan to manage a patient’s mental health, medication can make all the difference.
Adding medication to the “kit” of tools to manage depression isn’t a sign of failure. It means meeting the patient’s biological, genetic, and behavioral reality where it is. You should discuss with your physician the potential benefits and risks of antidepressant medication. You should also understand that dependence is generally not an issue as long as the medication is taken as prescribed and under appropriate medical supervision.
On this week’s podcast, psychiatrist Samantha Boardman MD and I discuss medication as another “tool in the tool box” to treat mood disorders. I hope it’s helpful, and I hope you are feeling better soon.
If you find this helpful, hit the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover my writing on Substack! 🙏
QUESTION #2
How can I stop my mind from wandering? Recently, I have often found myself going down an anxious spiral and am having trouble focusing. Do you have any tips for how I can recenter myself and avoid getting lost inside my own head?
- Can’t Stay Centered!
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