Question: If I am not depressed and I take an antidepressant what will happen to me? Will I be happier?

Shannon Freeman Says...:

I guess I am a little confused about why you would take an antidepressant if you were not depressed.  You would not be "happier" if you took one.  Antidepressants are used to balance brain chemistry.  So if your brain chemistry is already working properly, you will not get a benefit.  In fact, you could possibly have a reverse effect.  You could potentially feel depressed, sad, guilty or even suicidal.   You may also get some of the side effects of the medication such as feeling ill, dry mouth, weight increase/decrease, or sexual dysfunction.   It is not a good idea to "play" with medications, so only take them if they are prescribed by a physician.  

Question: Dear Shannon Rice, For the last few months I have been waking up at 3 or 4 in the morning most nights and I have a lot of trouble falling back asleep. I can usually manage to get back asleep just about as my alarm clock starts beeping, so that is stressful as well. The sleeping troubles are causing me to feel very fatigued during the day but I am also very worried because when I wake up in the night I always feel very down and hopeless and my mind races over all the things that I am doing that aren't good enough or how I am failing my children. Once I get up and start my day and get busy these types of thoughts generally disappear, but they always come back again late at night. From what I have read I see that this is a sign of depression but since I do not feel down during the day I do not think that this is what I am dealing with. I am tired of feeling like this in my bed every night but I do not know what I can do to make things better. I am 42 and in good general physical health. I work as a TV producer and I like my job and it is not overly stressful. I am happily married and have 2 elementary school aged children. Do you have any suggestions for me? Thank you.

Shannon Freeman Says...:

What you are experiencing is typical for people experiencing either a mild depression or anxiety that is often situational.   Part of the issue is likely that  you have not addressed the thoughts you have racing around and need strategies to do so.  During the day, you are distracted from those thoughts.  So, they come back at night when things have calmed down.   Some brief cognitive therapy could help you to develop strategies to address the thoughts that keep  you awake.  I would suggest you contact a cognitive therapist in your area and schedule an initial evaluation.  The therapist can assess to be sure there is nothing else going on, and then teach you some helpful ways to feel better.  Additionally, there are some things you can do to try to improve sleep.  See this article that I have written for some suggestions  http://ezinearticles.com/?Oh-No!-I-Cant-Fall-Asleep!&id=6831504  

Question: My fiancee has depression. She is on medication and she says it is helping her but all she ever wants to do is sleep all the time whenever she doesn't absolutely have to go to work. I am not sure if I should push her to do more or if I should leave her alone to 'heal' on her own terms.

Shannon Freeman Says...:

Many people actually get more fatigue when they are on an anti-depressant.  I would suggest that your fiance address her desire to sleep excessively with her medication provider.  Additionally, I would suggest that if you fiance is not in psychotherapy that she find a good CBT practitioner.  Many behavioral methods can help cope with symptoms of depression.  I understand that you are unsure of how to help your fiance.

You are in a difficult position.  If you push her, she may get angry or annoyed with you.  If you don't say/do anything, you may feel frustrated with her. Unfortunately, you have no control over the way your fiance copes with her symptoms.

Your best position is one of providing support and encouragement.  It may be helpful to encourage your fiance to be more active, but back-off if she indicates she will not do it.  You may also  look into getting info about depression from a book or even a support group.  It is helpful to be informed when you are supporting a loved one.  

Question: Is there any certain diet that helps people with depression? My husband is having a hard time right now and he has been diagnosed with depression. He is seeing a therapist and is taking medication but I want to do what I can to support him. I have heard that a diet high in processed grains and sugars can lead to depression. Is this true? Is there a particular diet strategy that helps people recover?

Shannon Freeman Says...:

To my knowledge there is not diet that can specifically improve depression.  However, what you eat and how you eat can affect or be affected by your mood.  Here is a link to an article that may be helpful 

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/diet-recovery