Hair loss. Fatigue. Increased thoughts of suicide. Tremors. Weight gain. These are some of the side effects you’ll read on pamphlets that come with antidepressants. It likely won’t make you feel good about taking them.

There are many proponents for antidepressants.  And there are some who believe that you can live with herbal supplements. Some depression sufferers succeed in overcoming the disorder without them. Then there are people who need to take antidepressants to live their life.

The truth is: Everyone is different.  Every case of depression is different. So, finding what works for you takes a lot of discovery, a lot of trial, and eventually the more you try the more you get close to finding out what works.

And that may mean, going through months of trying medications that don’t work and make you feel worse. It’s sadly part of the process. Until there is a research breakthrough that improves treatment for depression, this is the reality about the tools we have to deal with it.

Antidepressants: Should you take them?

It’s your choice. But consider these facts:

Taking antidepressants is your choice. Though, sometimes you need to make this choice even if you don’t want to.  If you are not improving on natural remedies and by taking what is considered “healthy actions” (see articles on health minimums) then you should probably opt to try an antidepressant.

Here are some points to consider:

1. You may only need them temporarily.If you go on an antidepressant you can always choose to go off. Even later in life, if you feel well, are under a doctor’s care, once you get stable in other areas, you can try to go without them.
2. Never mess with what the doctor prescribes.  Antidepressants target your brain and go off them suddenly, even if you are not finding them helpful, can make you worse.
3. They might be the only thing that helps you. You’ll know this if you are taking all the healthy actions and your mood isn’t improving.
4. One in 10 Americans take antidepressants. This means, that a lot of people find them useful and effective. It’s a large number so on the flip side, it’s been suggested by experts in the medical community that we are treated versus curing the issue.
5. When you have a cold you take cold medicine. Depression is the same. The issues arise in your brain, the difference is you can’t see depression.
6. Your brain could be missing a chemical it requires to function properly. So you are not putting something synthetic, you are giving your body what it requires.
7. Antidepressant medications can be expensive. They’ll need to be factored into your budget. Depending on your treatment plan and insurance options you’ll likely spend anywhere from $0 – $350 per month.