Should Seasonal Sufferers of Depression be Given Potentially-harmful Antidepressants?

By December 27, 2010July 9th, 2019Uncategorized

While it is common for many people to want to celebrate the holidays and be surrounded by cheer and joy, it is also well known that for a lot of people this just doesn’t happen. Doctors call this Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Seasonal Affective Disorder is what doctors diagnose when someone gets depressed over the holiday season or throughout the winter. For some it is because of money problems and for others it may be caused by problems within the family, job loss or even lack of adequate sunshine. There are many reasons why sufferers will feel sad during the holidays, and some doctors or patients may be tempted to try antidepressants such as Effexor or Paxil to help them cope. And while this may help to ease the symptoms of depression or anxiety during this time, some people wonder if this is a good idea.

Statistically, 10-20 percent of the American population will suffer from SAD; of those, 5 percent will experience the more severe effects of it such as suicidal behavior, according to the National Mental Health Disorders Association. It is well known that suicide rates go up during the holidays. For some people, a little bit of medication might help; however, with all of the harmful side effects that go along with taking SSRIs like Paxil and Effexor, most people are likely better off without it.

Both Paxil and Effexor have been reported to be highly addictive and coming off of those drugs can make a person feel even worse than they did before they started taking the drugs in the first place. There are plenty of examples of patients that were suffering from depression and anxiety who took Paxil or Effexor, only to have the drugs be eventually blamed for the patients’ committing suicide or murder. It is for this reason that someone that is diagnosed with SAD should think twice before agreeing to take Paxil or Effexor. In this case, the cure might be worse than the disorder.