Antidepressants related FAQs

Use of Antidepressants Introduction

In this section we answer FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) about the use of antidepressants in Dubai.

CHMC is a German Psychiatric Clinic in Dubai. We are specialized on treatment of distinct psychiatric disorders. Usually, a question is not precise enough to give you a satisfying answer. In general, any diagnosis in the medical field, among them in the psychiatry, is an effect of a personal contact with the patient and an in-depth assessment to verify your diagnosis.

I don’t want to use antidepressants…

Question:

I have been diagnosed with depression but I’m scared to take antidepressants. Do you think I can overcome the depression with counselling.  Where I can get help in Dubai?

Answer:

I understand your worries. Internet is full of negative reviews about antidepressants. One of the frequently heard complains is that they have several side effects; the second that you can get addicted to it. The antidepressants are the cornerstones of the psychiatric treatment of depression and anxiety disorders. The biggest advantage of them is that they are not addictive. In the hand of an experienced pychiatrist the side effects can be fully avoided.

I’m not able to answer your question, if the counselling would be enough for sufficient treatment of your depression. If the symptoms are very mild this could be the case. In moderate and severe depression impacting massively you live it’s unlikely that you will recover in a foreseeable time form depression. In genera: the antidepressants are fast and they shorten the period of treatment of depression. Nevertheless, you would need in parallel the counselling as the antidepressants are not a remedy for your life problems. They supress the symptoms giving you time and a “clear head” to implemented the changes.

I’m moving to Dubai. Currently I’m taking an antidepressant. Can I get it in Dubai?

Question:

I’m living in the UK and I’m taking an atidepressnt. Are the antidepressants legal in Dubai? Where I can get them?

Answer:

Antidepressants are legal in Dubai. In order to continue the treatment you should contact a psychiatrist in Dubai to continue your treatment.

I work in IT sector in Dubai. Becouse of my growing fatique I’ve been told to take antidepressants….

Question:

I work for 6 years in an IT company in Dubai getting increasingly more stressed out, and tired. The symptoms apperd gradually around 1,5 years ago. I do psychotherapy but it helped only a little. My psychologist recomended to visit a psychiatrist and take antidepressants. However, I’m scared to become a zombee. How the antidepressants work? Should I have concerns to use them?

Answer:

The common misconception about antidepressants is that they create an artificial state of mind and feelings. Properly applied antidepressants can lift mood and energy to a normal level and regulate sleep. With more serious depression counselling/psychotherapy wouldn’t be possible without controlling the symptoms of depression with medication. The antidepressants create a kind of protective umbrella, allowing the patient to keep the day-to-day routine giving him time to implement the changes ideally supported by psychotherapy. After gradual removal of the antidepressants the patient shouldn’t feel any difference compared to his feeling under the pharmacotherapy. An antidepressant used by someone who is not depressed will not have any effect.

Are pills the best way to get out of depression?

Medications can suppress the symptoms of depression and keep you functional, but it will not solve your problems. If you rely only on tablets without getting the insight of your problem, the symptoms will appear again even by keeping the same dosage of medication. It’s not only our personal experience that in cases of moderate and severe depression the combination of medication and counselling is much more effective than one of the methods applied alone.

Are antidepressants necessary for every depression?

For mild depression, a comprehensive treatment startegies such as use of psychotherapy, sport exercises and mediation should be tried first. Patients with moderate and severe depression require a combination of antidepressants and psychotherapy. Those patients also benefit from integrative treatment methods such as meditation, art and music therapy or acupuncture.

Do antidepressants create side effects?

Prescribed by an experienced psychiatrist, using the proper antidepressant, and titrating slowly the dosage, the side effects can be avoided. Starting with a high dosage or wrong antidepressants the symptoms can be aggravated. We are aware of the worries and prejudices about the use of psychiatric medication. Our aim is to remove the symptoms without creating side effects.

Do people feel numb taking antidepressants?

This is a very frequent misconception related to the effect of antidepressants. A proper antidepressant in a proper dosage shouldn’t create any feeling of numbness.

Are antidepressants addictive?

Antidepressants are not addictive. The effect of an antidepressant appears gradually over weeks. In consequences there is no causal connection between the intake and the effect.

I gained weight under Escitalopram…

Question:

I’m living 6 years in Dubai; for 2 years I’m taking Escitalopram but I gained weigt. Should I stop it?

Answer:

In deed. Some antidepressants, especially SSRIs to which belogs Escitalopram can cause weight gain as a side effect. Stoping the medication on your own, especially stopping it abruptly, is not a good idea. You will get unpleasent discontinuation symptoms such as drauziness, headche, or nausea. Howeber, if you reduce the medication gradually you will avid such discontinuation symptoms. The other problem is that few qwwks later you can dipp again into depression. Any changes of medicationshould happen under supervision of your psychiatrist.

But there is a good news: not all antidepressants have such effect on weight. You should discuss with your psychiatrist the use of an alternative antidepressant, if you still need one.