Should you take an antidepressant?

Many of my clients ask me if they should take antidepressants. Although I’m not a doctor and cannot prescribe or recommend the use of medication, in general I’m against the use of antidepressants for mild or situational depression.  If a person is so depressed they can’t get out of bed or maintain a minimal level of functioning, then I’m all for medication to help them get through a rough patch.  In these cases, medication is a must.  But the idea is to make this a temporary solution, not a permanent one.  The downside of taking an antidepressant alone to treat depression is that you never learn to deal with the problems that are leading to the depression in the first place.  By taking a medication, you’re treating the symptoms, not the real problem, which is equivalent to putting a bandaid on a deep wound.  It might stop the bleeding, but the second you take it off the bleeding starts again. 

I came across a great article that discusses the use of antidepressants from a holistic point of view. Go here to learn more.  Note that this article is mainly geared towards women, but much of the content applies to men as well.