Can depression be a permanent brain chemistry issue?

Question

I have been "depressed" for many years now and have been through many counselors, psychiatrists and even a mental health home.

Now, I consider myself to be in the best situation of my life and, following the guidance of my doctor, am coming off my medication (Citalopram). Thing is, I am doing really odd things. I am not depressed, I am not in need of counselling and I have put withdrawel out of the equation as I have been on my current lowered dosage for a month now.

My doctor is really keen to get me off my medication as I have been on Citalopram for over 2 years now and have been on two other medications before that. Seeing as I have been stable it was thought to be a good idea to come off them now for the summer break from university. She said, not quite in as many words, that I really should come off medication full stop and that they would stop prescribing eventually.

In short, can depression be down to dodgy brain chemistry that can never be permanently fixed or is it just a state of mind?

Answer 1

Depression just like any other mental health diagnosis there is the i can't remember exactly what its called but, the fact there approximately

1/3 of people get better

1/3 go back and forth

1/3 are permanently this way or get worse.

In other words 1/3 o the people who are diagnosed with depression and are able to successfully get off medication for good it was a few year "thing" and 1/3 have to be treated for a few years...then they "get better" for a while, then they start going down again and it becomes a cycle (me) and 1/3 Never get better they are in a constant need of help or possibly even with help they still spiral down hill.

No one knows why this is the truth and no one can tell you exactly if you are going to be in the first 1/3 or the second its the "wait and see" game. As psychology is not an exact science and everyone is vastly different no one can answer how YOU are going to be...but yes your symptoms could return after being off medication and you might have to go back on them....or you could be perfectly fine....no one can predict it everyone is different.

Answer 2

Julie W mentioned the rule of thirds. And yes, that's a fairly accurate assessment. Sometimes, for whatever reason there's just something wrong in the genes, and unmedicated it just goes on indefinitely. Fortunately the permanent stuff usually responds pretty well to depression.

Don't let trying three meds get you down. I know a one person who tried over twenty different meds before finding one that worked, and when it did, he said it was like a light when on in his head and his brain finally started working for the first time in years.