Antidepressants are not considered to be addictive drugs. However, those who take them for a long period of time can become dependent on them, which can potentially lead to severe withdrawal symptoms when one suddenly stops taking the drug.
This can be avoided with antidepressant detox, which is a safe and often necessary medical treatment program that arrives along with an antidepressant rehab. Keep reading to get the details on effective treatment for anti-depressant withdrawals and addiction!
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Antidepressants are a class of prescription medications that treat depression and anxiety disorders. There are two main types; norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. They are prescribed to people who have experienced clinical or severe depression, to help them cope with feelings of sadness, stress, and anxiety.
Clinical or severe depression is a mental disorder in which a person feels extremely sad or hopeless for an extended period of time and experiences symptoms such as fatigue, low energy, and difficulty concentrating. The person may also lose interest in things they used to enjoy or find it difficult to go about their normal daily routine. Depression is diagnosed when these feelings persist for several weeks or longer and cause significant distress or issues with social or work life.
A doctor will typically begin rendering medical advice to start a regimen of taking antidepressant medications after ruling out other medical causes for the patient’s symptoms and determining that depression or other mental health disorders are the cause of the patient’s issues. A doctor might test for thyroid problems, nutrient deficiencies, anemia, or other physical causes before prescribing medication.
A person who has experienced severe trauma in the past might also be prescribed antidepressants to decrease the likelihood of developing PTSD later on in life. Antidepressants are usually taken daily on an ongoing basis and should not be stopped without consulting medical professionals. Some of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants are Fluoxetine, Citalopram, Sertraline, Escitalopram, and Venlafaxine.
Is antidepressant medication addictive? It’s a fair question and one that needs exploring, especially if you’re considering seeking treatment to treat symptoms of mental illness with them.
While any substance can be addictive, the addictive effects of antidepressants are especially concerning. When people think of addiction, they might first think of drugs like cocaine or meth. However, the most widely used class of antidepressant medications is actually in a category of drugs that are more difficult to abuse. That category is called “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors” (SSRIs). Some examples of these drugs include Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that affects mood and happiness in humans. It also has some other functions in the body—one of which is to control how we digest food and absorb nutrients from it. One way we digest food is by secreting a hormone called “glucagon-like peptide 1” (GLP-1), which helps us feel full after eating so we don’t overeat. SSRIs block GLP-1’s action in the body, making it easier for people to feel hungry even when they’ve just eaten a meal. This effect has led some doctors to believe that SSRIs could cause weight gain and obesity in people who take them long-term.
In the United States, it’s estimated that between 10% and 20% of people with depression seek healing by antidepressant treatment. They are widely prescribed because they are believed to be effective in easing symptoms of depression and reducing the risk of suicide.
What many people don’t know is that the very drugs that have been shown to help those suffering from depression can also be highly addictive—and they can lead to some serious withdrawal symptoms when stopped suddenly after long-term use. Long-term use of a drug like Prozac can lead to changes in your brain chemistry, creating a sort of antidepressant dependence on the drug, or an addiction.
So, are antidepressants addictive? In short, yes. Caution and professional treatment advice should always be part of the equation when considering these medications.
Antidepressants are useful for treating depression, anxiety disorders, and other mood issues, but they can also be addictive. Abusing medications in this way isn’t just dangerous because you’re taking them when they’re not prescribed for you; it’s also dangerous because you don’t know how the medicine will affect your body when you take it without supervision from someone who knows what they’re doing. Abusing antidepressants can lead to serious side effects, including gastrointestinal problems, nervous system disorders, and even higher risks for suicide.
The following signs can help you recognize whether someone you know is abusing or addicted to antidepressants:
Sleep patterns can be altered by antidepressant abuse. Some people have trouble falling asleep after taking the medication and others have difficulty staying asleep once they have taken it. Abusers may report having vivid dreams while they are asleep as well as having trouble remembering their dreams when they wake up. They may also experience feelings of tiredness throughout the day, even when they sleep at night. Abusers can also experience physical changes including dry mouth, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, increased heart rate, and increased sweating.
Behavioral changes are another symptom of antidepressant abuse and include feeling restless or fidgety, having difficulty concentrating or focusing on tasks, feeling anxious, and having mood swings that range from being overly emotional to not feeling emotions at all. In addition to these behavioral changes, abusers can become paranoid or feel like they are losing touch with reality.
Talk about withdrawal symptoms is still taboo, even among close friends or family. But early detection and intervention can make a huge difference for addicts who want to get sober. That’s where this gets tricky—proper diagnosis is complicated by the overlap between depression, anxiety and addiction.
It can be especially difficult to diagnose a condition called antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS), which involves withdrawal symptoms that occur when people stop taking these medications abruptly or miss multiple doses. Because prescription drugs have become such an accepted part of modern life, many people don’t realize that they can also be dangerous and addictive—especially when they aren’t taken exactly as prescribed by a doctor or paired with other medications.
Not enough emphasis is put on the danger of suddenly going off antidepressants, especially if you have been on them for a long time. These drugs can make people who have depressive feelings and symptoms feel good and stable but feeling good for so long can sometimes cause these individuals to suddenly feel they no longer need the drug. As a result, they may stop taking it without tapering their use safely, which can lead to a host of withdrawal symptoms.
Antidepressants are one of the most commonly prescribed medications in the US, with over 2 million people taking them every day. In fact, they are the second most prescribed type of medication, topped only by cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Many people take antidepressants to deal with mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, but sometimes the drugs can create a dependency. When those medications are suddenly removed from the body, the body may go into withdrawal and want to continue taking the drug in order to avoid feeling these unpleasant side effects. The physical effects of this withdrawal can be as bad as those of drug addiction, making it hard for users to stop taking their medication.
While it’s proven that antidepressants can help many people, it’s also known that there are some negative consequences of using antidepressants for a long time. Some of the side effects include serotonin syndrome, insomnia, and nausea. In addition, many antidepressants have been shown to be addictive.
Even though they are not considered as addictive as other drugs such as heroin or cocaine, they do cause physical dependence in some people. When someone stops taking their medication suddenly, they may experience withdrawal symptoms that could lead them back to drug use. These withdrawal symptoms are often mistaken for other conditions and lead people to self-medicate with more illicit drugs.
Harvard Medical School states that going off antidepressants can cause “a range of symptoms,” including:
When these side effects occur, people don’t always know why they are happening. It can be frightening and even hazardous to the individual’s health just like other types of unmanaged withdrawal.
When you stop taking an antidepressant, your brain may react in the same way as when someone who is addicted to drugs stops using them. It may feel like your brain is in withdrawal because it’s used to having the drug there.
You may feel pain and mood swings as well. These feelings could lead to psychological dependence on the drug or physical dependence on the drug, which can cause serious physical problems if you stop taking it suddenly. All of these risks go double if you’re someone legitimately dealing with an addiction.
While most people who have been on antidepressants for a long time find the prospect of going off them terrifying, many people who are new to using antidepressants are surprised to learn just how much of a physical addiction they can become. While it’s not as potent a drug as heroin and doesn’t produce the same high, withdrawing from antidepressants can cause a wide range of withdrawal symptoms that can be just as difficult to deal with.
These symptoms are often much, much worse than the original symptoms that led patients to begin taking antidepressants in the first place, which is why so many people get trapped in a cycle of starting and stopping antidepressants that never really solve their problem.
Antidepressants work by changing the way that your brain perceives serotonin, an important chemical associated with feelings of happiness and well-being. When you stop taking these drugs, your body has to adjust to dealing with normal levels of serotonin, which can result in some very uncomfortable side effects.
You may experience insomnia or oversleeping, you may start feeling anxious or depressed, or you may even have trouble controlling your emotions or your appetite. Some patients have reported feelings of agitation, confusion, or paranoia. The bottom line is that when you take antidepressants every day for an extended period of time, your body actually stops producing its own supply of hormones and chemicals that regulate mood and motivation.
It was briefly discussed prior, but the biggest dangers associated with antidepressant withdrawal are usually the psychological and emotional effects. Individuals who suddenly stop taking antidepressants after coming to rely on them can experience intense depression very suddenly.
This can include suicidal ideation, and many individuals are unequipped to deal with these symptoms, mainly because they will not have been experiencing them for a long time while on the drug.
As with other types of withdrawal, feeling uncoordinated, confused, etc. can be dangerous. People going through these effects might be in danger of harming themselves while out in public or while driving.
For these reasons, it is necessary that these symptoms be managed. According to the National Library of Medicine, doctors insist that patients stop taking these medications gradually and that patients must continue taking them even if they feel better. If these are not options—or if you or someone you love needs additional help—a detox treatment center and addiction treatment services might be the answer.
The topic of rehabilitation centers is a complex one. There are many different types of rehab centers, and the specific services they offer vary widely. That said, they all tend to share some common features in their approach to treatment. The overarching goal of any rehabilitation center is to help addicts to recover from their addictions and return to productive, happy lives as soon as possible.
Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome relief is available in a treatment facility like those that offer care for drug addiction and dependence. After all, a person who becomes dependent on these drugs will still require time, help, and a safe place to recover from this antidepressant addiction. Many people do not realize how dangerous antidepressant addiction and withdrawal can be, however, which is why these treatment centers are necessary. Addiction should always be considered a medical emergency.
Clients can be treated for this syndrome in inpatient rehab centers. In most cases, this is a more effective option because these individuals are dealing with mental health disorders in addition to drug dependency (also known as dual diagnosis). People with dual diagnoses often fare better in inpatient treatment centers as opposed to outpatient treatment as these facilities offer round-the-clock care.
Rehab centers offer a safe and supportive environment for those who need help overcoming their addiction. The accredited staffs of these rehabilitation facilities are qualified to provide the best possible programs and services that will help anyone with their specific needs. They give the patients a chance to focus on themselves and their recovery without worrying about anything else. This is why the success rate for rehabilitation centers is higher than that of outpatient treatment centers.
Seeking addiction treatment from an addiction treatment provider will also be able to help you consider the severity of other disorders from which you may be suffering, such as drug abuse. According to a 2014 study published in the medical journal Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, people do sometimes abuse antidepressants similarly to other prescription-based drugs.
A reputable Antidepressant addiction treatment provider can offer you time to be weaned off your medication or other treatments that will minimize your withdrawal symptoms. After you are stabilized, you can return to your day-to-day life.
In some cases, treatment can often start and end with detox. However, for many other individuals, further care will be necessary, so make sure you discuss your needs thoroughly with your treatment provider and that you seek the options that will be most suited to your safe recovery.
There are some risks associated with addiction treatments, such as relapsing into old habits or developing new ones while undergoing therapy. However, the benefits typically far outweigh any negative aspects of the treatment process.
Working together with an addiction treatment center can help you regain control of your life and achieve long-term sobriety. If you or someone you know suffers from an addiction, it’s important that you choose the right treatment center for your needs. Every facility is unique in its own way, so it’s important that you take note of each one’s strengths and weaknesses before making your decision.
It’s understandable that choosing the right rehab facility is difficult; however, if you approach the process with an open mind then it will be easier to identify which one would work best for your situation.
Addiction treatment is a private and convenient solution to helping those who are struggling to kick the habit of substance abuse. Antidepressant treatment options are plentiful and really do address the entire spectrum of the experience of being addicted.
Treatment programs can vary from treatment provider to treatment provider but, in general, there are a few commonalities that should be present when working with a high-quality certified addiction professional.
Residential treatment programs are the most intensive, in which patients live at the facility for an extended period of time (usually 30 days or longer) while receiving treatment. This allows patients to focus on their recovery without the distraction of their everyday lives. If needed, psychologists and counselors can easily provide services 24 hours a day; this is especially beneficial during detoxification when patients are at high risk for relapsing due to cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Outpatient clinics do not require that patients move into the clinic itself; instead, they come in during the day when they are off of work or school and then go home each night. Patients still benefit from the same counseling and medical care as those in residential centers—they just need to be able to afford transportation to and from appointments.
When you begin looking at treatment options, it’s important to note that all rehab facilities are not created equally. A high-quality facility should offer a variety of treatment options based on what they’ve found most effective in dealing with addiction. Below, we will examine some of the treatment options you should keep your eye open for at rehab centers that can be of great benefit for substance abuse treatment.
As far as treatment practices go, this is perhaps ground zero for addiction treatment, no matter the type of addiction. Antidepressant withdrawal and detox are typically where the healing process begins.
The more severe withdrawal symptoms are commonly what prevent people from sticking to rehab. This treatment program usually features medical supervision and is where the average treatment process begins.
Once detox has occurred, a high quality behavioral healthcare center will usually, as part of the treatment plan, have a medical provider or a team of professionals who administer therapeutic treatment. Typically, this may be inpatient or outpatient treatment. There are various types of therapy used to help patients at treatment centers.
One such therapy is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapy teaches patients to change their behaviors and thought processes by addressing the relationship between stimuli and responses. When a person is addicted to a substance or behavior, their brain and body become dependent on the substance—in essence, the body rejects the lack of use of the substance, creating withdrawal symptoms that may be harmful or painful.
CBT helps people identify these triggers and find healthier ways to react to them. While it can be used for other psychological issues, it is most commonly associated with addiction.
Another form of therapy that has been found effective is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). This therapy works by stimulating specific areas of the brain to relieve symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and pain. It can be done by physically moving a patient’s eyes back and forth while they think about a traumatic experience in order to assimilate that event into their memory more effectively.
Some individuals need up to six weeks to recover from antidepressant dependence, but certain facilities may only provide treatment for three to four weeks. In the case of lingering withdrawal symptoms, treatment may last longer, or patients may be taught specific skills or given certain medications to help them cope with their post-acute withdrawal syndrome.
Treatment length depends on your individual circumstances, such as how long you’ve been abusing antidepressants, how many other substances you’re addicted to, and whether you’re working full-time or not. In general, longer addiction therapy programs are best for people who want a higher chance of overcoming their addiction with fewer relapses. If you’re interested in having a more detailed conversation about how long antidepressant addiction therapy programs typically last, feel free to contact us for more information.
Addiction is a disease that affects the entire person—body, mind, and spirit. It’s important to remember that there is healing from addiction. The first step is getting treatment, which means finding a good counselor or rehab center in your area.
Treatment works. The many persons who have recovered from addiction and now live sober lives, as well as the evidence and studies around this topic, prove the benefits of rehabilitation beyond a doubt. If you find the right program and participate in it fully, there is a good chance you will get clean and sober and stay that way. Also, recovery from addiction is a process, which means you will have ups and downs. You will face many challenges and obstacles along the way, but with support, proper treatment, and persistence you will be able to overcome them and stay sober for life.
If you’re struggling with a drug or alcohol problem, treatment will provide the tools you need to overcome addiction and start living life sober—and in some cases (such as certain types of drug use), your insurance coverage may even pay for it!
We are available 24/7 to speak on our hotline at (877) 633-0053. Just call to find out more about the treatment options available near you as well as to learn more about recovery programs for yourself or someone you love.
