‘I feel better, but suppressed!’ That is how a client described feeling after being on antidepressants for six weeks. Let me call the client Chris. Chris came to me suffering with deep, long-term anxiety, irritability, loss of confidence, and low mood. The GP had advised that Chris should continue with the antidepressants for a minimum of 4 months.
Now, if antidepressants are going to suppress deeply distressing reactivity - that is a benefit. But the real progress comes from developing new resourceful habits of thinking, being aware and taking action.
Typically, people suffering with any of these negative behaviours and a host of other negative behaviours that result from experiencing long-term anxiety, irritability, loss of confidence, and low mood are spending more time with their thoughts and rationalisations rolling around the inside of their own heads. They are not aware. Not aware of what is their every moment of objective reality. Their ‘life’ is not experienced but is instead created from the thoughts, judgements and justifications for what is wrong that is rolling around the inside of their heads.
Chris realised that learning to be aware, to look for what is good, to be aware of what is happening at any given moment, to be interested and aware of what he was eating or spending, to be actually choosing his life rather than merely being swept along, was what he wanted. These new resourceful and resilient habits of being would enrich his life, even transform it. Unfortunately being on antidepressants (when they supposedly work) do not facilitate such development. People need to be guided, supported and encouraged to develop this new useful habits.
If this makes sense to you, and you want assistance, book a free consultation.
