Dr Julie Holland argues that antidepressants have far-reaching consequences in terms of empathy, relationships, focus and sleep.

A must see in this medicated nation
https://youtu.be/-EMg12QBUx4

That may be true.

I've found that 10 mg of Prozac is about as much as I can handle without being lethargic. I have a hard time getting off the bed. I'm just in a fog. Some of them made me suicidal. Effexor made me have brain shocks or something like that. I couldn't look at a computer screen (which is what I do for my job) because it made me sick. I had to just lie on the bed with my eyes closed.

So I go on as little as possible nowadays and only when I need them really bad like when I lose a dog.

I'm on 10 mg right now and it is time to get off it.

Actually, my therapist feels that medical marijuana is the answer for mental health issues. He is not happy with the cocktails of drugs that doctors hand out now.

That may be true to a degree.

But then, depression is worse in terms of the destructive effect that can have on the psyche if left untreated.

There are many anti-depressants on the market today. If one doesn't work or is counter productive, good doctors will work with patients to find one that does.

again. that may be true to a degree.

It is a gift, to remain in place, and sort successes in life attempt to succeed at attaining and maintaining employment, taking care of ones own food, shopping, bills, basics of independence and taking care of oneself.

I have noted through the years successful friends and colleagues that were prescribed anti depressents and faithfully took them through life's challenging processes after the big event typically (in one case, a friend's car accident ) (in another case a friend's spouses death and subsequent son's industrial accident) (in multiple cases depressed teen agers sent into foster care after incarceration or arrest for various drug addiction related crimes)

It may well be true there are side effects. I only wish a simple anti depressant would have solved my situation and impacts on me but was told that wasn't available and wouldn't apply. Life has side effects. These anti depressents may very well have side effects, but in the adult friends I watched who told me they were going for help after or during a tragedy that it was just too much so they were going to see a doctor, all of them told me it would take time, but they were going to fill a prescription. And each of them kept working. Each of them kept their employment, each of them kept parenting either their old parents or their little kids.

So taking anti depressants may very well have side effects but it appears to be like a bicycle getting a new tube for a flat tire so it stays on the road and you continue your commute or your errands. without that new tube or tube anti leak that bike may not stay on the road. The bike, albeit like you, is on a road, on a chosen path, in a course of employment you already trained for, in a set of relationships you were either born into or committed to or are responsible for as a parent. So getting the tube additive or the anti depressant, which may not be without side effects to either the bike or you, at least it gets on it roll and keeps rolling along, which is your life, staying on the course your choose or woke up to.

it may be you would like a new paint job instead on your bike, or to change the gearing, add a new shift mechanism or temporarily change the steering acuity before you add a pedal drive- electric motor on the side. That would be therapy. Making additional changes to your bike as your ride is probably a role for you and the therapist.

The anti depressant, albeit with assorted side effects, impact, is you getting your bike gear lubed or tube leak proofed as you keep rolling along.

I think they have different rolls roles I do. and I respect that nike feet covered bike rider taking the challenge on the long tours, while others race up tri athalons and yet others brave traffic in Paris. Way to go! bike riders Ride on!

I have taken anti-depressants for many years and have not had any suppression of sex drive or problems with sleep. On the other hand, before I took an anti-depressant when I first suffered depression, I had zero sex drive and great difficulty with sleeping. There are definitely other side effects that I experienced at first and that took time to disappear, but they did disappear. So, for me at least, anti-depressants gave me back my sex drive and my ability to sleep, for which I am grateful.

Side effects are the main reason many people quit.

But the real point of this thread is to ask whether they are affecting wider society with unintended consequences.

The USA is heavily medicated, especially the Mormon corridor. It helps keep society running.

What if they are making people more remote from each other?

Zoloft cleared my brain enough to help me escape Mormonism.

Those conditions are actually listed as potential side effects on several antidepressants. Reactions tend to vary from one person to the next.