4 ms·
Antidepressants motivate people to improve their lives. One obvious way to do this is suicide. If your every moment of existence is painful, suicide is an imme
by forensic 16y ago
Antidepressants motivate people to improve their lives.
One obvious way to do this is suicide. If your every moment of existence is painful, suicide is an immediate improvement.
It's the motivational aspect that seems to increase suicide - motivation turns people's lethargic depression into a more active form of depression where they find the will to carry out their desires.
A common desire among the depressed is the desire for death. Your typical depressed person however is too depressed to even exert the energy or thinking necessary to end his life.
- srean 16y agoAh! it makes more sense now. Thanks
- joe_the_user 16y agoThis may be one explanation of the phenomena but there are others. For example, some anti-depressants disrupt REM sleep, creating a phenomena akin to a waking dream and thus making individuals less sensitive to finality of their actions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidepressant#REM_Sleep http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidepressant#REM_Sleep Also, the most dangerous time for suicide for a person on anti-depressant is when they suddenly stop taking them - as happened to a good friend of mine. It is hardly the motivational quality that gets people going at that point. Edit: suicidal AND homicidal feelings are "rare" but all-too-common responses to anti-depressants and especially to withdrawal from anti-depressants. I've had friends who had both responses in fashions that are at least very unexpected. Anyone with loved-ones taking such drugs, be on your guard.
- ZoFreX 16y agoSeconding the sentiments on withdrawal. I went off Citalopram cold turkey due to an incompetent doctor (who incidentally had not informed me that it was a dependency forming drug). I have never, ever felt that shit in my entire life, and hope I never do again. If you ever launch into a profanity-laden tirade at the top of your lungs in public because a car was inching forwards at a red light, you might also be going through withdrawal. Tip for those who want to avoid this: Fluoxetine. Switch to it before quitting, it has a really long half-life so you can just stop taking it, and the levels in your body slowly tail off. Much nicer.