This morning, the results of a new study into the potential side effects of antidepressants were published. The study, which looked into the impact selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have on the emotions of those who take them, found that the drugs can cause “emotional blunting”, making those who take them less responsive to both positive and negative feedback.

For those of us who take antidepressants, the results of the study are hardly surprising, but not in the way you might think. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told someone I’m taking antidepressants only to be met with a story about how they turned a friend of a friend into an emotionless zombie – usually followed by a quick, “I’m glad they work for you, though!”

While I would never deny anyone the right to talk about their mental health experience – and I understand the importance of looking into the potential side effects of such a widely prescribed medication – the amount of attention paid to this particular side effect can be frustrating.

You see, while this latest study has found evidence that some people do experience emotional blunting after taking antidepressants, this isn’t a universal experience. And comments about antidepressants turning people into zombies aren’t just hurtful for those of us on antidepressants: they can also actively put people off from taking medication in the first place for fear of experiencing side effects that they may never experience. 

It’s true: some people do experience emotional blunting while on antidepressants and decide that taking medication isn’t the right option for them. But there are also plenty of people who either a) experience emotional blunting, but decide that the positive impact antidepressants have on their mental health outweighs the side effects or b) don’t experience any emotional blunting at all.

For others, the emotional blunting doesn’t necessarily feel like a bad thing. When, like in my case, OCD makes life feel like an overwhelming and all-consuming thing, having slightly less intense emotions feels like a positive thing.  

Of course, not everyone feels this way – and that’s exactly my point. So little is known about antidepressants and how they work, and I think it’s important that we don’t place too much emphasis on one potential side effect. 

Numerous pieces of anecdotal and scientific evidence have proven that these drugs can actively save lives – and while they may receive a bad rap from those who want to paint the rise in antidepressants prescriptions as some kind of moral or societal failure, they’ve made a real difference to my life and the lives of so many others.

Indeed, as the University of Oxford’s Professor Catherine Harmer told The Guardian: “It’s really useful to have an objective measure of what people are telling us is a side-effect. Once you have a measure you can look at how new treatments affect that.

“My worry is that people would see this and think the message is, don’t take the medication. This is exactly the sort of work we need, but this doesn’t affect everyone – everyone’s unique, and the treatments are still therapeutic.”

With this in mind, if you’re currently considering taking antidepressants, I’d urge you to think carefully about how much attention you pay to the potential side effects compared to the potential reward.  No one should be scared or shamed out of taking medication that could really help them – and while it’s OK to take the potential side effects into consideration, it’s important to remember that everyone’s experience is different.  

Frame Of Mind is Stylist’s home for all things mental health and the mind. From expert advice on the small changes you can make to improve your wellbeing to first-person essays and features on topics ranging from autism to antidepressants, we’ll be exploring mental health in all its forms. You can check out the series home page to get started.

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