Antidepressants are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the U.S., with up more than 250 million prescriptions written each year. Of these, more than 10% of women older than 18 take them, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).But treating depression is more complicated than just swallowing a little pill every day. Mistakes and misuse of antidepressants can hamper recovery for people with depression.To find out the top blunders to avoid, we spoke with mood-disorder expert Michael Banov, MD, a triple-board-certified, Harvard-educated psychiatrist and author of Taking Antidepressants: Your Comprehensive Guide to Starting, Staying On, and Safely Quitting(Sunrise River Press). Dr. Banov is also director of Northwest Behavioral Medicine and Northwest Behavioral Research Center in Atlanta, GA, which tests new drugs to treat psychiatric disorders, including depression. In this exclusive Lifescript interview, Dr. Banov discusses how to make the most of your antidepressant. Read on for his advice. Do other illnesses mimic depression?Yes, another mistake people make is not checking for other medical reasons [for their blues]. Anyone diagnosed with depression should have a thorough physical examination to rule out viruses, thyroid disorders, diabetes, infections, autoimmune diseases, and stroke. All can have depression-like symptoms.Your doctor also should review prescription medicines you’re taking, as well as over-the-counter drugs and herbal products, because some can [mimic] depression. The length of time someone needs to stay on antidepressants varies widely by person. The generally recommended time for antidepressant treatment for a single depression episode is 9-12 months. Getting on antidepressants isn’t a life sentence, but if you have chronic depression – repeated episodes – you may need to stay on maintenance medication indefinitely, often at lowered doses. Three good reasons to discontinue medication are:
You no longer need antidepressants to stay well.The side effects outweigh the benefits.The drug never really helped you get better.
