In the United States, it is estimated that over 25% of adults have a diagnosable mental disorder. Many people even struggle with multiple mental disorders at once. Improving mental health can be done by taking medications, but there may also be long-term effects.
Do you want to learn more about the benefits of depressants, depressant drug options, and the long-term effects of depressants? Keep reading to learn more!
Weight Gain
One major depressant side effect that you may notice, even with proper depressant use, is weight gain. Because depressants can interfere with your serotonin, they can affect your mood and appetite. This means that you may experience more cravings for food, especially those with a lot of carbohydrates.
When you eat a lot of this carbohydrate-rich food, you can quickly gain weight. While weight gain is a potential long-term side effect, not everyone experiences this with mental health disorder medications.
If you are worried about gaining weight while you are on a depressant medication, whether you have anxiety or depression disorders, you can talk with your doctor about other options. They can help you find a nutrition program to help you manage your weight while taking this medication.
Dependency
Another common effect of taking these kinds of medications is that people begin to feel dependent on them. When you regularly use any medication, you may feel like you cannot live without them.
Similarly, when you take medication every day, you may develop a tolerance for them. This means that you may need to take more of your medication to get the same help.
With any prescription medication, people worry about becoming too dependent on them. It may feel addictive when you rely on your depressants to help your everyday life. However, it can be comforting to know that antidepressants are not necessarily as addictive as other types of prescription drugs.
While you may need them to function normally, you will not experience cravings to take your medicine.
Sexual Problems
Many people who are taking antidepressant medication have a side effect that affects their sexual health. In fact, somewhere between 58-70 percent of the people who take these medications have sexual side effects.
The sexual side effects of antidepressants depend on several factors. These include gender, the type of medication you are taking, and more.
For example, women on antidepressants may not be able to lubricate or reach climax naturally. It may also cause a decreased libido. Men also experience decreased libido, may have difficulty getting or maintaining an erection, and may even experience a drop in sperm count.
If you are worried about these sexual side effects, you can talk with your doctor about other depressant drug options.
Emotional Numbness
People who are on antidepressants also often report feeling emotionally numb or simply not feeling like themselves.
There are many benefits of depressants, including the lessening of depression symptoms. However, other emotions may be blocked as well. You may feel unable to cry, share emotion, or even genuinely laugh.
Rather than feeling happy or sad, you feel nothing. This can be unnerving, especially if you are typically a happy person. However, it is a common side effect of taking these types of medications.
If you notice this side effect, one potential cause could be that your body doesn’t respond to the specific medication. By trying out other medications, you may be able to prevent these side effects.
Withdrawal
As was mentioned before, many people worry that they are becoming too dependent on antidepressants and may even feel addicted. When you are addicted to medication, you may also experience withdrawal.
This typically only occurs with people who suddenly stop taking their medication or significantly reduce their dosage.
You can prevent this side effect by reaching out to your doctor and getting support as you stop taking antidepressants. Rather than stopping cold turkey, you can begin to taper off your depressants until you no longer feel like you need them.
Chronic Fatigue
Many people who are on antidepressants may also experience chronic fatigue and sleep issues. These effects can happen when you are currently taking your antidepressants, but they may also come as withdrawal symptoms.
Some people who take prescription depressants experience insomnia. This may be because depressant drugs can help treat sleep disorders. When you stop taking the medication, you may find it difficult to sleep on your own.
Some of these symptoms include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or getting extremely tired throughout the day. While you may experience these issues while taking your antidepressant medication, not everyone has the same symptoms.
Again, if you are worried about having this long-term effect, make sure you consult with your doctor before starting any medication for your mental health disorder.
Learn More About Long-Term Effects of Depressants and Get Help Today
Having a mental health disorder can be frightening. While medication has many benefits and may help, it may also lead to other long-term problems. If you are looking for help with recovery, you may consider going to a mental health treatment center.
Are you looking for a center in southern California? Southern California Sunrise Recovery Center can help! We can help you treat any mental health disorder through therapy, system desensitization, and more. Contact our center today to learn more about our programs and see how we can help you with your mental health disorder!
