Antidepressants ‘rob people of ability to cope’
Normal coping mechanisms in the event of stressful and traumatic events were being eroded by excessive use of medication, said Prof Patricia Casey, of the Department of Psychiatry at the Mater Hospital and UCD.
In many cases of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, innate coping skills were very often sufficient to enable people to recover, she said.
Medicines like tranquillisers and antidepressants had a role to play in certain cases, but increasing dependence on medicalisation was cause for great concern, she said.
Last night, Ms Casey was at UCC where she took part in the Last Lecture series. She said she estimated twice as many people as required were being prescribed antidepressants.
People could experience very stressful periods in their lives, like bereavement and divorce, and might even display symptoms of depression, like weight loss and sleeplessness, but this did not always mean they were suffering from clinical depression. Recovery can often be achieved through natural coping mechanisms rather than through medication and therapies, she said.
