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Question:
I hate the idea of medication, especially when I read about its impact on peoples' lives - maybe it restores some of the balance, but at what cost? Not to mention the old rule of "What sort of life is it is you've got to take pills to cope?"
Answer:
Why not take medicine when ill? The practice is nearly universal. ADs are not addictive. They do not cause any lack of control or clouding of consciousness, like pot or alcohol. Side effects are almost always a mere irritation. I suggest this: find a doc who knows psych drugs and try them--if prescribed, of course. They will work or they will not. If they work, stay with them. If they do not, after a fair trial, stop taking them. ( The probability is quite high that they will work. That explains the fact that they are in such great use.) Medicate. I have a fun job, make lots of money, have a great wife and 3 year old and absolutely HATED life. SSRIs helped a lot. The smoking and drinking problem, addiction in general, can be an indication of low serotonin levels and of impetuous, unihibited, behaviour. If you doubt your doctor's diagnosis, I'd recommend trying some standard diagnostic test, e.g. the one in Burns 'Feeling Good Handbook' , to determine whether you are depressed. If you are then it is likely that it is a brain chemical problem rather than situational depression, and you might benefit from drug therapy.
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