Last month, UCL scientists claimed that there was little evidence to suggest that depression is caused by an imbalance of serotonin levels in the brain – the chemical that many antidepressants target. Given that they are currently prescribed to 8.3 million adults in the UK, and that the NHS has reported a rise in the numbers taking them this year, that’s pretty huge news.

But just because serotonin may not be linked to depression in the way previously believed, doesn’t mean that antidepressants don’t work. Despite living with mild-to-moderate anxiety and depression for most of my adult life, it never crossed my mind I could benefit from medication. Had that UCL study come out two years ago, I might never have tried it at all. But after taking Venlafaxine every day for over 18 months, I know just how powerful antidepressants can be. 

Psychotherapist Helen Villiers agrees that they’ve saved the lives of her clients: “I think they’re vital to emotional health and suicidal ideation survival.” Whatever the lab might have found, I’m just one of millions of people for whom meds have given a life-altering outlook.

The common misconception about people with depression and anxiety is that we’re often battling against tears and the inability to get out of bed. That’s simply not the case; most of us exist somewhere on a spectrum, and it’s because of those teary stereotypes that many feel theirs isn’t a serious enough case to warrant meds.

But just as the way anxiety and depression presents can vary, so too can the reasons why these conditions flare up. Indeed, aside from the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory challenged by the scientists at UCL, Stephen Buckley, head of information at mental health charity Mind, says there are multiple factors that that can contribute: “We know that childhood experiences, difficult life events, societal inequalities and other physical and mental health problems can all be potential causes of depression”. 

In light of the UCL study, he cautions: “It’s really important that doctors take a ‘whole person’ approach to treatment”, adding that “antidepressants can be effective for some of us in helping to ease the symptoms of depression”.

Thankfully, I know this to be true. In 2020, within six months I’d lost my job, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, my best friend went through a traumatic divorce. And of course, that was against the backdrop of a pandemic. I struggled, feeling panicked, numb and helpless.

In a bid to feel better, I tried mindfulness, talking therapies and CBT. Nothing seemed to work, and so, my GP prescribed antidepressants. After a few weeks, I started to feel differently. Everything seemed more balanced, like suddenly simple things weren’t quite so hard anymore. 

When I checked in with friends, I found that this was a common experience. Lizzie, 31 says that after just six weeks on Sertraline, she realised that she didn’t feel as anxious day-to-day. “I wasn’t feeling those intense feelings and I didn’t feel like things were holding me back. It was so refreshing”.

Of course, medication isn’t for everyone. Some people don’t experience the same results Lizzie and I experienced after taking antidepressants for the first time, and those with mental health problems should always be able to access a range of different support options on the NHS, “such as talking therapy, self-help programmes or physical activity classes” says Buckley.

There are also physical factors to consider. Villiers warns that anyone planning to get pregnant or breastfeed, or who is taking other kinds of meds, should explore their options. But she also stresses that it can be vital to take antidepressants “if you need extra support, or can’t access therapy right away”.

Up until the moment I was prescribed antidepressants, I’d spent all my energy on these other options; I’d given precisely zero consideration to the extra support I now know I needed. If I’d been more open to antidepressants, I could have felt a lot better, sooner. So what was the massive issue?

Why did it take me so long to feel comfortable taking medication? And is the taboo surrounding antidepressants getting any better?

Among my friends, medication has become a much more open topic of conversation since lockdown. We share more because we know we’ve all been through a lot. Despite that breakthrough, however, I don’t have the confidence to chat about my mental health beyond those friendship walls. One of my mates, Faith, says that she hasn’t told her workplace that she is on antidepressants “because people would look at you differently or there would be a sense that you’re unreliable.” Faith also hasn’t told her parents: “You think that your parents are going to panic and think you’re really ill. Maybe that’s a generational thing.”

You don’t have to waltz into the office and declare that you’re dosed up on SSLRs to be medication-positive, and despite all the potential pitfalls, it does feel like a shift in attitudes is happening more widely. This could simply be because more of us are using antidepressants than ever before. 

Despite the jolly PSAs on Instagram that warn Sertraline Girls of staying hydrated in heatwaves, and various influencers being open about their own prescriptions, it’s a fact that mental health medication is still an embarrassing topic for many people. Villiers adds that it can unintentionally invite others in to a very intimate space: “Often, if you share you’re on medication, people inevitably ask ‘why’ – which is essentially asking to hear all your trauma. That’s obviously a very personal thing.”

In a poll conducted by Dr Alex George last year on Instagram, 75% of respondents said they had experienced medication stigma. We’re worried that needing meds might force others to see as being weak or unstable. And with good reason: online mental health company Minded found that 30% of adults would feel uncomfortable about someone looking after their children if that person was on mental health medication. 

The hashtag #postyourpill went viral in 2021, with images of pill packets and glasses of water flooding feeds. The trend was quickly  followed by Em Beihold’s viral song about antidepressants, Numb Little Bug. Released in January 2022, by late February, it had been used in over 60,000 TikTok videos.

Of course, there is still some way to go. “There’s certainly a louder conversation online about it with parasocial relationships, but I suspect people in personal contact with each other are a lot quieter about taking medication because there is still some stigma,” says Villiers.

Feeling comfortable talking about mental health medication with friends and family is one thing. Posting to social media (or writing about it) is another. When talking to Lizzie, she says that despite feeling more confident about her decision to take meds, she still hasn’t posted anything about it on social media. “I’m just not ready to be so public about it”. 

Again, posting a tell-all caption on the ‘gram is hardly necessary for everyone. Being OK with taking meds doesn’t necessarily mean having to want to talk about it with all and sundry. But we do need to challenge the idea that taking mental health medication is necessarily a sign of having an incredibly serious condition. In fact, Villiers believes that “depression is often a very healthy response to events you’ve experienced”.

I used to believe that you had to be chronically ill to get help, and that having a prescription would mean I was the kind of person other people wouldn’t want to employ or befriend. Looking back, I wish I’d had the knowledge and confidence to challenge those ideas. I could have saved myself years of anxiety and anguish.

The latest science might lead some to conclude that antidepressants do very little for depression. But it’s important for all of us to recognise that the UCL study merely affirms that there is no correlation between serotonin levels and depression. This doesn’t mean that antidepressants don’t help with depression – we just don’t definitively know how they do so.

All I can say is that, from my perspective, taking them over the past 18 months has been a total game changer – whatever the reason. That’s more than enough for now.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with their mental health, you can find support and resources on the mental health charity Mind’s website and NHS Every Mind Matters or access the NHS’ list of mental health helplines and organisations here.

Additionally, you can ask your GP for a referral to NHS Talking Therapies, or you can self-refer.

For confidential support, you can also call the Samaritans in the UK on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

Images: Getty