Real “clinical” depression is difficult to watch. I knew someone who had it, and he would lie in bed for a month at a time...barely eat, didn’t wash much either. when asked about how he felt, he would say, “I have grief in my head”, or “I have the blues”. This was back in the days before SSRI’s.
Amitriptyline helped him. Low dose and he never got depressed again.
But yes, antidepressant, if necessary, should be prescribed in appropriate doses and adjusted or stopped if ANY side effects noted.
The explanation for the suicides was that before the antidepressants were given, the patient had suicidal thoughts but was too depressed to do anything. Once they felt less depressed, they had enough gumption to carry out their suicidal desires.
All well and good.
But, what is more important is the drug commercial where everyone is walking away from their jobs, their hobbies, their families and walking as a large mob down a street with no traffic.
Two questions, where the Hell are they going and why?
I should have qualified my post and apologize. There are some folks who have severe life threatening depression that must be medicated and monitored. I have had moderate depression along with anxiety from time to time, my doc prescribed Lexapro, took it five days and began having electrical shocks in my head. Said no way and quit it immediately. Then I decided to see a psychologist, went for a month or so and finally he asked if I had a thyroid problem and I was on synthroid for years. He recommended an endocrinologist who ran tons of bloodwork, who said you are not depressed you have a rare thyroid condition. He immediately took me off the thyroid medication and within ten days my depression and anxiety resolved.