BETWEEN A PILL AND A HARD PLACE
Men's Health Australia|March 2020
New research reveals that long-term use of antidepressants may raise your risk of serious health problems. But getting off the medication poses its own set of risks
OLIVER BROUDY
BETWEEN A PILL AND A HARD PLACE

IT STARTED AROUND five years ago. My boys were two and four, my wife was a stranger, and my professional life felt like an avalanche of uncertainty and stress. In the morning, the air smelled like cinders; in the evening, the sun looked like blood. When people opened their mouths, I stared at them blankly. All I could hear was the howling of orcs.

More than half of guys who have symptoms of depression – and may benefit from antidepressants – don’t seek professional help. I’m not one of those guys. My primary-care doc handed out the candy: 150mg of bupropion, a starter dose. I whined, and she doubled it.

Life got less jagged. I discovered a newfound emotional resilience. Marital spats no longer led to isolation. A wind chime replaced the tolling of doom.

These days, life feels almost Brady Bunch normal. Every morning, I wake up humming like an idiot. Feed the kids, water the plants, pop the pill. Heck, I could do this forever. Many people do. According to the PBS, one in every eight Australians are using the drugs, including about 100,000 children.

A STAB IN THE DARKNESS

Thing is, there’s a lot we don’t know about antidepressants and how and why they interact with the brain, largely because we don’t understand most of the hows and whys of the brain itself. What we do know is that there is recent research that suggests that some antidepressants – including the class known as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) – may increase the risk of heart attacks, seizures and dementia, among other things. Granted, the data remain pretty squishy – more correlation than causation. And no one has conducted long-term research on antidepressants for anywhere close to the amount of time people have been on them – in some cases, 25 years.

Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Men's Health Australia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Men's Health Australia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA MEN'S HEALTH AUSTRALIASe alt
Good Guy, Bad Drinker
Men's Health Australia

Good Guy, Bad Drinker

When booze is involved, you might not be as charming as you think you are

time-read
6 mins  |
June 2020
How To Change Your Story
Men's Health Australia

How To Change Your Story

For a third of my life, I lived in an endless replay of the story of how I never measured up – a loop that kept me locked in a spiral of shame and meaningless hustling. Then I got the nudge to do some fact-checking

time-read
7 mins  |
June 2020
THE GOOD FIGHT
Men's Health Australia

THE GOOD FIGHT

When the going gets tough . . . the tough put others first. Here we salute some of the more selfless and courageous responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Why? Because hope and optimism are catchy. And in this time of crisis it’s worth remembering that the virus isn’t the only thing that spreads

time-read
10+ mins  |
June 2020
TAKE REMOTE CONTROL
Men's Health Australia

TAKE REMOTE CONTROL

Working from home using furniture that isn’t built-for-purpose could take a toll on your body. MH editor Scott Henderson went hunting for solutions

time-read
4 mins  |
June 2020
Morgan Mitchell
Men's Health Australia

Morgan Mitchell

The eye-catching star of the track has stopped running from a troubled past and is doing things her way. Get used to it

time-read
5 mins  |
June 2020
SNACK SIZED - WORKOUTS
Men's Health Australia

SNACK SIZED - WORKOUTS

Purpose-built for the busy man, micro workouts could make you stronger, fitter and more mobile. The best part? You can do them in self-isolation and integrate them into your working day

time-read
10+ mins  |
June 2020
ENTER THE BEAST
Men's Health Australia

ENTER THE BEAST

Big, fast and ultra high-performing, Mercedes’ latest offering could make a grown man cry

time-read
4 mins  |
June 2020
KUMAIL NANJIANI CAN DO ANYTHING
Men's Health Australia

KUMAIL NANJIANI CAN DO ANYTHING

TRANSFORM HIS WHOLE BODY. REIMAGINE A MARVEL HERO. REDEFINE THE ROLE OF LEADING MAN. AND (OF COURSE) MAKE US LAUGH

time-read
10+ mins  |
June 2020
HOW 25 YEARS OF THE GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL CHANGED HOW MEN COOK
Men's Health Australia

HOW 25 YEARS OF THE GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL CHANGED HOW MEN COOK

What happens when an ageing prizefighter, a quirky gadget and iconic ’90s marketing combine to take over the world?

time-read
8 mins  |
June 2020
BETTER MAN
Men's Health Australia

BETTER MAN

Pop superstar Robbie Williams got in fighting shape while beating his mental demons into submission. Here he reveals how he pulled off perhaps the biggest transformation of them all

time-read
10+ mins  |
June 2020