The story of one addiction

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Life is stressful. And today, more and more girls, without thinking about the consequences, choose antidepressants as a simple solution to problems. Our heroine has forgotten how to regulate her emotions and mood without pills.

He broke my heart. This is what they usually say when all hopes for a wonderful life collapse overnight. We dated for 3 years, and then he fell in love with someone. It was almost a year ago. Since then, I have not started a permanent relationship with anyone, although there were good options. Since I run the marketing department at a large company, I have the opportunity to meet men. But after that story, my self-esteem suffered significantly, there was a fear of "starting over." It became empty, boring and depressing, nothing pleased. Constant weakness and fatigue were felt. Usually they advise to forget about work, but it also did not give satisfaction.

I stopped leaving the office and stared at the computer, drinking 10 cups of coffee a day. She also abandoned her hobby: how can you paint when there is no positive attitude and inspiration?

Life turned into a film noir: the colors were thickening, anxiety was growing, it seemed that around the next corner something bad was about to happen. Irritability and anxiety made it difficult to sleep soundly, in the morning I felt as if the day had already passed. Sometimes it was difficult to force myself to do simple things. I performed them uncontrollably, automatically - because it was necessary. I expected everything to change by itself. And when I got tired of waiting, I went to the pharmacy and asked for some mild sedative to get an elementary sound sleep.

"False" mood

I started taking an herbal sedative. One drug invigorated in the morning, and the other in the evening acted as a sleeping pill. Once at lunch I got into a conversation with a colleague. We are the same age, both energetic and businesslike, but never before have I seen her in a bad mood, even if the chef harassed her project in front of everyone. A colleague with a sly smile took out a box of capsules from her purse.

“Antidepressant pills, save with any stress and, moreover, suppress appetite. You eat less and don't get fat,”she advertised.

It is impossible to buy such life-saving pills without a prescription; a familiar nurse prescribes a prescription for a colleague. I ordered for myself.

With the pills, I gradually felt better. A mood appeared, work activity increased, I became more sociable and no longer avoided the company of men. However, I did not always realize that at the slightest excitement I reach for my purse for medicine. First, I took the pills strictly according to the instructions, and then as needed. I didn't want to feel the growing anxiety that might take over me again. I decided to completely protect myself from any worries.

Anti-stress therapy?

In the summer I was going on vacation. I thought, why do I need pills, there is the sea! There was a great reason to quit antidepressants, because I began to feel that it was because of them that bowel problems had recently appeared. I convinced myself that I no longer need the pills that control my mood, in life everything is working out.

I left the packaging on the bedside table and flew to the sea. On the plane, I came across a snoring neighbor, then I spilled coffee on myself. Feeling annoyed, I went out of habit for a pill, and I was seized with a feeling of panic: the packaging is on the nightstand in the bedroom! I tried to pull myself together, but further events showed that throwing an artificial mood regulator is not so easy.

After five months of taking antidepressants, severe withdrawal symptoms began. I had a psychological breakdown, I felt even worse than it was before I started taking the pills.

My head was spinning, my stomach ached, my legs became "cottony", my heart rate increased. It was very bad. The vacation turned into sheer anguish. Annoyed by any little things. I counted the days until I left. I had to urgently go to the doctor's appointment, because such a reaction of the body really scared me.

Irina Shlemina, candidate of medical sciences, researcher at the Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, psychotherapist:

- Overcoming the crisis, we become stronger. Problems are a necessary part of our development, not the collapse of our whole life. Seizing on antidepressants in any case, a person deprives himself of the opportunity to feel his inner strength and reliance on his self. Often times, you just need to go through it. In some cases, it is difficult to overcome stress without the support of antidepressants, but these cases are determined by the doctor.

When a psychiatrist works with a patient, it is not important what is said, but, as they say, with what expression and intonation. Sometimes a person's problem turns out to be not a cause, but a consequence of another problem, which must be solved.

Maybe one competent conversation with our patient would be enough, or maybe a series of sessions, as an option, with the use of anti-stress drugs. But what is definitely not contraindicated is the psychological support of loved ones.

Rescue of a drowning man …

I expected the doctor to say about antidepressant addiction. But the psychotherapist took my story calmly, did not rush to intimidate me. She said there was no physical addiction to antidepressants. And initially, I only needed a little effort to cope with the problems myself, and so they only dulled for a while.

The psychiatrist prescribed lighter sedatives to me, and then ruled it out altogether and advised me to go in for sports as an antidepressant. In the gym, I learned to control my emotions and focus on myself.

And it's true, bad thoughts went away by themselves, and instead a cheerful mood appeared. I felt stronger not only physically, but also spiritually. So I got out of a protracted crisis.

Viktor Khanykov, psychiatrist of the highest category, Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry:

- In our everyday life, antidepressants began to be called drugs of completely different groups. This word is fashionable and easily understood today - against a bad mood. Therefore, the attitude to antidepressants as a sedative. Unfortunately, most often they are resorted to during ordinary life adversities, with which the body can cope on its own. There is no true dependence on antidepressants. It's just that the body adapts to any long-term physiological state (even abnormal), and its change in any direction is accompanied by temporary painful phenomena. So the abolition of antidepressants with their prolonged use gives discomfort. The crutch factor disappears, there is a fear of returning to the situation that caused depression.

But an antidepressant will not solve problems, but a person will forget how to experience stress on his own.

All these difficulties of "cancellation" are surmountable with the correct selection of the duration and adequacy of therapy. Moreover, the antidepressant, antipsychotic or tranquilizer itself, if used incorrectly, can cause depression or provoke its exacerbation. This is written in the instructions. It happens worse: they can cause hormonal disorders, changes in blood counts, visual disturbances, etc. OTC sedatives with herbs (mint, St. John's wort, chamomile) are acceptable. For two or three days, you can use any tranquilizer, but then see a specialist. There is a group of anti-stress drugs, that is, not soothing, but as if increasing immunity to stress, as well as mood stabilizers. But they are prescribed by a doctor, since a long course of use is required.

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