Antidepressants are prescribed to people that struggle with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. However, this doesn’t mean that people want to take them all the time. In fact, a lot of them stop taking them because of several reasons.
The first one is feeling like they won’t make much of a difference. The second reason is not being able to cope with the side-effects. Antidepressants are chemically-engineered pills that often come with adverse side-effects. Some people just don’t want to deal with them anymore.
The third reason is that they don’t feel the need to take them because they claim they don’t experience any depressive symptoms. While not recommended, without or against medical advice, some individuals may reduce or abruptly stop taking their meds. This can easily result in a depression relapse because the patient decides to act the way they want. Click on the link to learn more about the topic https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/withdrawal-from-antidepressants#1.
But this is where an even bigger issue can occur. People that stop taking the pills will begin experiencing symptoms of antidepressant withdrawal. This can also lead to new symptoms that weren’t there when the pills were being taken regularly. Here are some of those symptoms:
Flu-like symptoms
You might find this strange, but antidepressant withdrawal can lead to a person experiencing flu-like symptoms. More precisely, they might start to experience fatigue, headache, achiness, sweating, lethargy, etc.
This can be a complete nightmare because you won’t be helping your case. If you are feeling depressed, you should know that deciding to stop taking the pills will only make matters worse. Suppose you start to experience any of the symptoms mentioned above. In that case, it is best to contact a medical professional to advise you on what to do next.
Insomnia
Some individuals have started to experience insomnia as well. Even if they eventually fall asleep, it won’t be a deep sleep, but rather one with vivid dreams and nightmares. This is not the way to go through life. Every person needs a good night’s sleep. If you are struggling with insomnia, you won’t have the energy to be functional in the morning. You will only feel more detached, passive, and moody.
How will you be able to take care of responsibilities around the house, work, or school? This can also affect your social skills because you wouldn’t want to get out of bed to hang out with other people. Click here for more.
Nausea
Not being able to process food and drinks is probably the worst feeling in the world. This doesn’t have to do with any stomach bug. If you have stopped taking antidepressant pills, there’s a high chance that you will experience a new symptom, and that is nausea often followed by vomiting.
If this happens daily, it can weaken your body to the point of anemia. You would have to be taken to the hospital for an infusion of fluids. You should seek medical help if the withdrawal symptoms don’t stop at all.
Imbalance
Another common symptom that you might experience because of antidepressant withdrawal is an imbalance. In other words, you will have a hard time feeling focused. You will constantly feel light-headed and dizzy, which is not something you want to happen to you every single day.
This can also put a strain on your everyday life. You won’t have the energy nor the willingness to finish chores, homework, visit friends and family, and so much more. If the symptoms don’t disappear within a month, then you could be facing a depression relapse. If this happens, you should talk to a medical expert. Don’t try to self-medicate because you might only make matters worse.
Hyperarousal
The antidepressant withdrawal symptoms can also make you feel irritable, anxious, and agitated. As you can see, it won’t do you good if you stop taking the prescribed pills. It will only make things worse for you. Some of the worse symptoms include aggression and mania. If this doesn’t stop, you will have to deal with depression once more.
Plenty of people don’t realize this can happen to them when they decide to stop taking the pills. They think they will get better.