The Pros And Cons Of Antidepressants

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Even with all these studies, most doctors and psychiatrists still prescribe antidepressants. Many argue that patients often get frustrated because it takes time for the medicine to work. It is about six to nine months before the medicine will truly work for a patient. They say that many people give up on the medicine before they can see real results (Scheller). While this could be true, doctors do not take into account the severity of side effects and that a depressed person may not have all that time to wait. Six months to someone who is that sad is too long especially if the side effects are making the symptoms worse and because there is a large chance of the antidepressant not working at all. Others argue that benefits far outweigh the risks …show more content…
One may not get any benefits from it at all and taking that chance is very risky. Some also claim that severe side effects are extremely rare since the release of Prozac. Supposedly, they have all helped countless people cure their depression. Sally Satel, a lecturer at the Yale University of Medicine and a psychiatrist, voices these claims and argues that people that commit suicide while taking the antidepressants are rare and do so because they did not take the medication for long enough to help themselves (Satel). What is interesting, is she happens to be a lecturer at the same university that is doing most of the research on the ineffectiveness of antidepressants. Part of this is due to the fact that most research on antidepressants is relatively new and it is incredibly hard to conduct a useful study on how antidepressants work so it is easier in labs equip for it. Because it is so hard to conduct a study, many different factors play into a study and, “simply enrolling in a trial helps patients, says Charney. No matter what's in the capsules they take-home: you come in, you haven't gotten any help, and now you're seeing somebody who cares about you, who is asking about your