Antidepressants, Demystified - Part 4

What if the real power of antidepressants isn’t euphoria, but a clearer runway to heal? We close our four-part series by getting practical about how medication fits into a full recovery plan—and why stability, not shortcuts, is the win that unlocks change.

We dig into the biggest myths first: no, antidepressants don’t “change who you are,” and no, taking them isn’t a failure. They’re evidence-based tools that can reduce the intensity of depression so therapy, routines, and relationships can start working again. We walk through major classes—SSRIs, SNRIs, bupropion, and MAOIs—explain how they differ, and share how gene-guided testing can cut down the frustrating trial-and-error. Side effects like sexual issues and weight gain get honest airtime, along with practical counter-moves: consistent sleep, short daily movement, protein-forward meals, and small self-care anchors that keep you moving on low-energy days.

Safety stays front and center. We talk about black box warnings, what to watch during the first weeks, and how fast feedback between you, your prescriber, and your therapist prevents small problems from becoming big ones. From there, we zoom out: medication as a bridge to behavioral change, therapy as the engine that rewires habits and beliefs, and social support as the buffer against isolation. If your journey has felt cyclical—new pill, new drop-off, repeat—we offer a grounded framework for measuring progress, advocating for adjustments, and knowing when to taper or stay the course.

We also tee up what’s next: anxiety medications, including benzodiazepines and non-benzo options, and how they can complement or stand apart from antidepressants. Whether you’re weighing your first prescription or reassessing after a few misses, you’ll leave with clear steps, better language for your next appointment, and permission to treat depression like the medical condition it is. If this helped, follow, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show.

Recorded 2-23-26

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Change your thinking, change your life!
Laugh hard, run fast, be kind.  
David R. Wright MA, LPC, CHT
The Motor City Hypnotist

Transcript

Welcome Back And Setup

SPEAKER_03 0:00

In this episode of the Motor City Hypnotist Podcast, we are finishing up. I promise. Antidepressants. This is part four. Sometimes we get into a subject or content, and we just get buried in it sometimes, which is fine because we want to answer questions. We want you to have all the information, but it does get drawn out sometimes because, again, we want to be thorough. We want to give you everything that you need on that topic. So this is antidepressants part four. If you've not listened to parts one to three, you can jump back or just catch them afterwards. You'll get all the information either way. And hang around. We're giving away free stuff. We'll be right back.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

This sounds like something for the authorities in Detroit. The joke's on you. I'm living to 102 and then at the city of Detroit. Guys like this can't take over here out of Detroit.

SPEAKER_04 0:50

Spawn in the hellfire's the motem. Take him to Detroit.

SPEAKER_06 1:01

Stationed in Drambuy. It's worse than Detroit. We did not have as a unit the confidence that we felt like we needed to beat Detroit. Let's go to Detroit.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

Now you're talking, brother.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

I don't think so. He plays for Detroit now.

SPEAKER_05 1:17

Do they have many farms in Detroit?

SPEAKER_02 1:19

Detroit to Michigan.

SPEAKER_05 1:21

I go to school and know where Detroit is.

SPEAKER_06 1:23

Get ready for the motor city hypnotist David R. Wright, originating from the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. He has hypnotized thousands of people from all over the United States. David R. Wright has been featured on news outlets all across the country and is the clinical director of an outpatient mental health and hypnosis clinic located just south of Detroit, where he helps people daily using the power of hypnosis. David R. Wright.

SPEAKER_04 2:17

You better be.

SPEAKER_03 2:18

Yes, we are. That is Matt Fox, the other voice you hear. We're hanging out here in the palatial podcast Your Voice Southfield Studios. Thank you for that. Again, big shout out to Podcast Your Voice. If you guys out there, I know I know we do this every few episodes, but it's well worth doing because if you want to do a podcast, there's podcasts for everything right now. Any subject, any any topic, any interest, somebody out there wants to hear about it. What type of aglets do you have on your sneakers? I have what I have no idea what that is. Great Odin Raven. What the laces are you talking about?

SPEAKER_04 2:57

The end of your shoelaces? Yeah. Those are called aglets.

SPEAKER_03 3:01

Okay. I don't know. What is that? Plastic? It's plastic. Yeah, probably.

SPEAKER_04 3:06

Probably plastic. There are podcasts about shoes. Oh, yeah, for sneakers. Yeah. And sneakers.

SPEAKER_02 3:13

I'm listening to you no more.

SPEAKER_04 3:15

I'm not kidding. All right.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

Oh, like this in the background. What the fuck is it with you?

SPEAKER_04 3:24

To your point. Yes. Anyone could do a podcast about anything.

SPEAKER_03 3:28

And that's where podcasts your voice comes in. Absolutely. And podcast your voice is fantastic. You come in, you sit down, you do your stuff, you leave. They handle all the back end, all the technical stuff, all the uploading. You don't have to worry about any of that nonsense. Sit down, do your podcast, and leave. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 3:45

Aces. Ace. Thank you. Have you have you seen Tick in the past?

SPEAKER_03 3:53

Aces.

SPEAKER_06 3:56

Boy. That escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand because of Agolitz.

Studio Shoutouts And Podcasting Chat

SPEAKER_03 4:02

Yeah, for some Agletz. So let me tell you folks where you can find me. My website is motorcityhypnotist.com. Now is the time. Prom and grad season are upon us. People are booking every day now. So if you need entertainment, a hypnotist for your prom or grad night lock-ins, now's the time to book. Did you have an overnight party when you graduated?

SPEAKER_04 4:22

Well, we never had that back in the day. See, I did, and it was the senior after prom overnight party back in the 90s. All right, I'm gonna age myself. We had the overnight, yeah. We had the overnight party, yeah. And it was a blast. Yeah, we had it was a poker night. It was you have a hypnotist? We did. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 4:43

We actually did, and it was it was a blast. Was he or she good? Well, I know it's high school, it's it's hard, it's hard to decipher who's good and who's not when you're just watching. But I will plead the fifth because I wasn't there for it. I was doing something. Oh, okay, okay. Yeah, we we we won't we won't go anymore. So, anyway, if you need to book a hypnotist for your event, now's the time. Motorcity hypnotist.com slash shows. You can have a quote within minutes, you can book within minutes. My social media links, Facebook and YouTube, are both Motor City Hypnotist, and Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok are Motor City Hypno H Y P N O. And as we've done all the way back to episode number one, text the word hypnosis to 313-800-8510. Within a few moments, you'll get a text with a PDF download, a free hypnosis guide that I've written. And you'll also get a link to my Google page. If you could please leave a review, that would be greatly appreciated. Please. And wherever you're listening to the podcast, whether it be iTunes or Spotify, whatever platform you're on, leave a review there as well. Because that really helps us out. It helps us grow the podcast and get in front of more people and more people catch on. I really appreciate it. Please. So it is time, Matt. Here we go.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

That's how winning is done.

SPEAKER_04 6:09

All righty. I look across the table and I see a beautiful puppy with a gray face. You do with his tongue hanging out.

SPEAKER_03 6:16

Uh-huh. All right, bring it. Okay. This is it's it's a little sad story, but it's also cool. It's also good. Okay. The state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, recently passed a law in honor of a famous loyal dog that will allow residents to have their pets buried in their family cemetery plots. Finally. Bob, nicknamed Bob Gravedigger, was an orange dog who spent 10 years living next to the grave of his owner after attending his funeral at Sarah Cemetery.

SPEAKER_04 6:55

Okay, so the dog after the dog's owner died 10 years ago. Yep. And the dog spent 10 years at that city.

SPEAKER_03 7:02

At the grave. Yes. Wow. Brazilian media reported that even after several attempts by the deceased next of kin to take Bob home, he would find a way to slip out of his house and return to the resting place of his master. I love this dog. Bob Gravedigger eventually became a fixture of the cemetery, getting his own green dog house from which he would emerge to comfort mourners on funeral days. People who were saddened by burying their loved ones would manage a smile when the little dog who was crazy about balls tried to play, said local animal rights charity Patre in a statement. And inspired by the story of his truly undying loyalty, the San Say Paulo State Legislature passed the so-called Bob Covero Gravedigger Law.

SPEAKER_04 8:02

Could they have not come up with a better name? At least I'm so happy that this dog is trying to provide emotional support. Be like, hey, it's okay. I can still we we we can still play. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

Go on. That that's a that's the story. Oh that's it. So so the dog, his owner dies, and he he he spent 10 years at his grave.

SPEAKER_04 8:25

And within before he died, before he and within that 10 years, he would be at the graveyard. People are going through their emotions, they're losing a loved one, and this dog would come up and try to give him give them some emotional some emotional support.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

Yes, absolutely. That is a brilliant dog, and and just that is a purpose for just look just look look at look at him. Come on, he's a he's horns sad because he's deceased, yes. But but he again, that's that's the loyalty of a dog, yes. I mean, oh my gosh, my you're tugging at my heart straight. I know it it it is it's touching. It it it's it's a great story, but it's sad, but but it's also it's uh it's good, it's it's you know.

Winner Of The Week: Bob The Dog

SPEAKER_04 9:10

All right, so yeah, my partner, Holly. Yeah, her her service dog, Preston. Yeah, he was the and I know I've mentioned him a number of times on our show on the podcast. Yeah, he was the smartest human being I had ever met. The way he took care of Holly and the way that he was always there and he knew what was needed, not just for Holly, but for everybody in the household. This dog, yeah, Bob took it upon himself to reach out to everybody in humanity that was coming to that gravesite to mourn their loved ones. Yeah, I am in love with this puppy, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:53

Yeah, what what what a great creature, and and thank you for continuing his legacy through this process. Absolutely, just to kind of just just you know, it's a it's just a great story. And like I said, I know I know it's a bit it's a bit bittersweet and it's a bit sad, but but it's a great story. He's got a legacy, he has a legacy, you're right. Absolutely, definitely, definitely winner of the week. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

That's how winning it is done.

SPEAKER_03 10:26

Yes, it is. So back to it. All right, so we're here, folks, on part four of antidepressant medications. Now, I I know sometimes uh what starts out to be a two-episode subject might turn into three or four. That's fine because did you think it would go four episodes? I thought it, I thought it could because there's a lot of questions. Okay, so and that's Matt why why I appreciate you being here, who who I mean you're not in the mental health field per se. I'm not, and I'm a layman, and but that's okay because you would have the same questions a lot of my clients would have.

SPEAKER_04 11:02

And I'm here to represent the folks that would have those questions absolutely to the to the point where it's exhausting sometimes for you, and I'm not no, it's okay because the if we cover it here, then less people have to ask. But some of sometimes I think the questions that I ask are if folks are are questions that I'm like, would people really ask this? Do they are are they intelligent enough? Do they have the the emotional some people? Some people would okay, yeah, absolutely. But can you as a therapist drive people to ask those questions?

SPEAKER_03 11:35

Oh, absolutely. Okay, yeah, good. When whenever I talk about medication, I'm like, what questions do you have? What can I answer for? But you can can you drive them down a specific path? If if that's the best thing for them, okay, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 11:50

And and that's me, that's the layman in me. I'm like, okay, so I don't want to be so you know subdued into going down a path, I don't want to be talked into going down a path. I want to be taken down a questionnaire of where am I supposed to be with antidepressants?

Antidepressants Part Four: Why It Matters

SPEAKER_03 12:06

So so here's here's the way I approach it with clients. If a client comes in, they're severely depressed. Say they've say they're feeling suicidal. So let's take an extreme example. Somebody who's having thoughts of self-harm, I will say to them, listen, I said, your safety is my number one priority. And we're gonna talk about a lot of things and and and hopefully we'll make progress in therapy, helping you get to a better space. But my main concern is your immediate safety. So I think for now, one of the tools we can implement is medication just to get you stabilized. Because once that happens, we're able to more effectively work in therapy. But Mr. Therapist, I've done that already. It depends on what you've done. What medication were you on? How long were you on it? How did it work? I was on well butrin for blah, blah, blah. Okay. So there are many other different classes and types of medications that work differently than well butrin. So if that didn't work for you, there's something that could work for you that might work better. And to kind of eliminate possible side effects, we're gonna have you take a gene site test that will tell you physiologically what you're more likely to respond to than others.

SPEAKER_04 13:29

I'm sorry. Yeah, I smiled because I'm like, what about anal leakage? Because it's a thing. People don't like side effects. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 13:39

What in places are you talking about? I don't lift in the U.S.

SPEAKER_04 13:43

I know, I know it's coming on. I know, here you go. It's fine. Bring it. But people are really worried about side effects.

SPEAKER_03 13:51

Well, no, and and I get it. And and and that and especially with most a majority of antidepressants have side effects. Yes. Sexual side effects being the primary one that that people kind of and weight gain. That's the other one that people kind of balk at because they're like, I I don't I don't want to gain weight. I'm I'm I'm depressed already. And if I gain weight, it's gonna make it worse.

SPEAKER_04 14:17

So that's where the okay, let's find a routine where you can take five minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes of your day to walk up a couple of flights of stairs. Well, sure.

SPEAKER_03 14:28

I mean, we can always we can always put things in place to counteract whatever these side effects are, and that's where the do I want to put the and it comes to putting the work in.

SPEAKER_04 14:38

And that's the well, a big antidepressant.

SPEAKER_03 14:40

And again, I and I've said this during this series in particular on antidepressants. I've said this probably 10 at least 10 times, but it's it it it uh the the effect of the antidepressant, it's it's to make you feel better. Now, there may be side effects and there may some be some other things that that aren't ideal, but it's better that you're alive. Now, uh clients may sometimes not feel that way, right?

SPEAKER_04 15:11

Again, it's kind of that that because okay, so you're with antidepressants, it's affecting one's brain chemistry. It's they're weaning off one to go on another, but you need to throw some other chemicals into the brain to help them feel better when it comes to weight gain. Okay, endorphins are a great thing to bring somebody's mental stability up. Yep, when it comes to endorphins, it's going to the gym, it's working out, it's doing a couple of sit-ups in the freaking morning, right?

SPEAKER_03 15:42

Self-care. I talk about self-care all the time at this is it with every client. I'm like, what are you doing for self-care? And sometimes people be like, What is that? And and that's it, that's which is fine, which is great, but they're asking something you do that makes yourself feel better, and it could be something as simple as reading a book or watching a movie. It doesn't have to be complicated, it's just something that you enjoy. And that's why I'm really when I work with clients, I always kind of say, What hobbies do you have? What do you do in your free time? What do you enjoy? Sure. I mean, it could be maybe you play an instrument, maybe you play video games, whatever it is, you have to have an outlet for some something that just kind of brings you joy. Cooking for God cooking, it could be that, it could be anything, anything anything that you enjoy doing. It's important that you have that. And and and you're you're doing that consistently and regularly in your life.

Safety First: When Medication Is Urgent

SPEAKER_04 16:43

So, yeah, the the you need to fire different chemicals in the brain that that also react positively to the antidepressants that they're taking. So go on.

Side Effects, Self‑Care, And Routines

SPEAKER_03 16:57

So we ended last episode. We were talking about some missing myths and misconceptions. So we got a couple of more that we want us we want to cover on those because we talked about changes your personality and we kind of talked about that. We also talked about uh the fact that antidepressants are not physiologically addictive. The other myth that people come to me on, it's like, well, I don't want to take an antidepressant because I'll have to take it the rest of my life. Well, that goes with any medication that you're on. Well, depending, you know. I I again let's talk about something that's very measurable and very physical, which would be like diabetes. I've tried. I know, I know. That's just uh there's a spot on the table. I was scratching. I'm like, I don't know what that is, but it's gonna be gone in a minute. Uh so diabetes. Diabetes. So yes, you may need medication, but you can do things on your own to help improve the symptoms of that. Yeah, you can eat honey nut Cheerios. I mean, I mean, you can reduce again, you can reduce your sugar intake, your A1C. Yeah, right. So so there are other things you can do, and and the big thing with antidepressants, it's it's not it's not a cure, it's not an answer, it's something that you do to stabilize you so that now you can better address the issues that are causing your depression. Right, that is the important thing. I don't and and some doctors do this, believe me. Okay, they just throw pills at people. Here, there you go. It's it's I'll see you in six months. That in itself, that in itself is an epidemic, yes. Uh absolutely, and and there have been tons of of I'm I mean, the there's a great documentary on Netflix. I don't know if you've seen it, it's called The Pharmacist. Uh no, I have not. Okay, so very quickly, I don't want it, it doesn't matter if I ruin it or not, because because they set it up up front exactly the way I'm telling it. But so this this guy, he's a pharmacist, he has a teenage son. His teenage son got into drugs, opioids to be specific, and ended up getting murdered on a drug deal. So this pharmacist became obsessed with finding out what is this, what was he looking for? And he traced it back to a doctor. It it when you watch this, Matt, it's it's it's crazy. It's it's like like uh the fact that it's real is scary. It's called the pharmacist. The pharmacist. Okay. So this doctor would open her office at like 10 p.m. and go into like 5 a.m. And there'd be lines of people outside the door. They would walk in, get their script, and leave. Hundreds of people every day. I wonder if they were targeting their uh audience, you know. So this guy whose son died, he made it his mission to shut this doctor down. So he started taking videos and and pictures and documenting everything and taking it to authorities. But the problem is the authorities were already onto this doctor, okay, and he was kind of in a way, he was sabotaging them, not knowing it. He just wanted justice for his son, because he kept going back to the FBI and to the law enforcement, saying, uh, here's a video, here's a thing, and they said, just let us deal with it. But anyway, long story short, the doctor got busted, okay, good and got sent to jail. But but this happens a lot. There, there are a lot of of doctors who push pills. So, so long story short, just getting medication is not the answer. You have to do something along with it, which is therapy and making changes.

SPEAKER_04 20:46

And I've said this already, you have to put the work in. Yes, if you want results, you have to meet the therapist, the doctor, yeah, halfway. And you have to, yes, I mean, you have to do something, you have to, yeah, because you're gonna change the fit the physiological persona of yourself. If you're if you're willing to take the medication, you need to be able to put the work in, yep, and not just sit back and whatever. It's like weight loss, right? Yeah, I want to take a pill, absolutely, right?

SPEAKER_03 21:16

Yeah, I I mean again, that's why these weight loss drugs are so huge right now, with GOVI and and uh GLP1s, yes, yes. It's just it's and and I do feel like they are that they they they they serve a purpose, but you also have to make lifestyle changes, yes. So back to the original point when I said once you start, you're on them forever. Not necessarily, no. I always say to people the antidepressant is to get you in a state of mind where we can make changes so you don't need the antidepressants later. That is kind of the idea. So a lot of people may need them the rest of their lives, but that's not that's not everyone, and and everyone is individual, and that's the big thing to realize is that just because Because somebody else may need it the rest of their life doesn't mean you do. So here's the other thing, too. And and and and this is kind of just a general across the board black box warning, I guess if you want to call it for antidepressants. Because sometimes with certain antidepressants, you may have an increase in suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Is that a side effect? It's a side effect. So it doesn't mean that the medication causes this, but but it's um that but it's important that we monitor that when you first start a medication. Okay. So that we can keep track of that. So as I said, medication is a tool, it's not a it's not an answer. It's it's it's not a it's it's not a fix-all. It it's not that. So the best approach is medication with therapy. If you're taking anti antidepressants, even if you're taking anti-anxiety medication, uh you should be doing therapy.

SPEAKER_04 23:08

So it does it take a psychotherapist to get back to the root of why one is having said suicidal ideations. Is that a psychotherapist?

SPEAKER_03 23:18

I I mean it could be. And and and the terms are kind of interchangeable because here's the thing, and in just just to kind of give everybody kind of an overview of therapists, because therapists can be very different. Yeah, there are so many different approaches to therapy. So say, for example, psychoanalysis was coined by Sigmund Freud. Yeah, psychoanalysis, let me tell you how that works. I've we've covered this before. Hey, Dave. Do you have any sexual issues?

SPEAKER_04 23:55

Because that's that that's Freud.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

Is it with you?

SPEAKER_03 24:00

Everybody, but I know, but but but Freud was very, very focused on the developmental stages, sure, and having, yeah, and and again, a lot of it was the Oedipus complex, and a lot of it was sexual in nature, because he thought that that's driving a lot of the dysfunction as far as behaviors go.

SPEAKER_04 24:18

And it's not to be poo-pooed upon, right?

Myths: Forever Meds And Personality Changes

SPEAKER_03 24:22

No, but but again, so psychoanalysis is an approach. Now, I don't know anybody that's doing that today because psychoanalysis, the therapist sits, doesn't talk to the client. The client just talks. It's like stream of consciousness. The psychoanalysis writes down all of the all of the things that they're saying, and then they they interpret what this person was saying, right? With the idea that the stream of consciousness, there are connections and they're underlying their there these these unconscious thoughts and feelings that need to be addressed.

SPEAKER_04 24:54

So from Freud to where we are now, with the with the amount of technology that we have, with the amount of progress that we have made, and I'm not gonna take that away from anybody in any way, shape, or form, the amount of progress that we've made with the type of medications that are out there, there are multiple hundreds of type of medications that someone can take if they are depressed, right? And when it comes to the antidepressants, there are so many options. So, how does a therapist, how does a hypnotist for in that matter, knowing what their therapist is doing, what their psychologist is doing, what their psychoanalyst is doing, there's so many things involved. Yep, how does that all come together to treat that one person?

SPEAKER_03 25:40

So let me just give you a generic example, please. Joe comes in to see me. Okay, hi Joe. He's been feeling depressed, he's been feeling sad, he's had thoughts of self-harm, he's had thoughts of suicide. Are we talking worst case scenario? Are we talking he's just at the beginning? Like, like, like, like he's he's never he's never attempted anything, but these thoughts, these intrusive thoughts, keep coming up, and he just doesn't feel happy. He's not happy with his family, he's not happy with his job. He's just in a general sense of malaise and just not caring and not just blah.

SPEAKER_04 26:15

Okay, so hear me. Let's talk worst case. All right, so they've already tried to commit suicide, they've already been there. Okay, so they've already self-harmed in some way, and now they want to get better, right? So they've tried three different types of medications, and now those they feel they are not working, correct. As you as a as a therapist, as a as a practitioner, what do you do in that scenario?

SPEAKER_03 26:44

Well, we say, okay, what were these medications on? What class, what where do they fall in in going back to episodes one and two? Are they SSRIs? Are they SNRIs? Are they MAIO inhibitors? So we we we need to kind of decipher what class of medication you were taking, and maybe that's not the effective one. Okay. Let's say that Joe says, Well, yeah, I was taking this and this and this, and they were all M Ao I's. I'm like, well, maybe we should try an SNRI just to see. So so here, but but here's the frustrating thing, and I know clients hate this, but but I'm honest with them because I it's important as a therapist, you got to be honest. I tell them though, a lot of times psychotropic medication is kind of like a crapshoot. You you try things until something works. That's not the best approach, but now we have we do have something, and I've mentioned it in this series. Yes. There are a couple of things that we can look at to kind of narrow down what we're looking at as far as medication goes.

SPEAKER_05 27:44

Okay.

Pill Mills, The Pharmacist, And Doing The Work

SPEAKER_03 27:44

And I've mentioned gene site testing. This is a blood test that is done that kind of gives you an idea of what class of medication you that that that you might have more side effects from than others. So let's say you did a gene site testing and that in the category of SSRIs comes back red. Uh-huh. Okay, we want to avoid that class. Let's go to the SNRIs or the MAOIs and try those. So there are ways of kind of narrowing down what might be effective and what might not. But but I do have plenty of clients, and I want to be totally honest. I've had a lot of clients who said, I've been on this, I've been on this, I've been on this, I've been on this, and they list four or five different antidepressant medications. Sure. I also want to explore when were you on these, what was going on during that time, because a lot of times they've taken a medication for a couple of weeks and stopped. I didn't feel good, it made me feel different, whatever. And I said, okay. So so whenever I talk about medication, I always say we want to give it an honest try. Because it's a tool, it's a tool, absolutely, and and and again, it's a tool that we use in conjunction with therapy, which is kind of the the thing that we're probably focusing on. So here's the thing you come into me, Joe comes in, he's suicidal, he's unhappy, he has no motivation, he sleeps, you know, 16 hours a day. Uh he is he's not functioning right now well at all. No, so we talk about medication, he sees a psychiatrist, he starts maybe starts taking an antidepressant, but in the meantime, we're also working in therapy with nailing down sleep patterns, exercise, nutrition, social connections. These things have to be in place to get better along with the medication.

SPEAKER_04 29:47

And I have to ask the question. You do you ask about their what they have socially? Who do they have that they can depend on? Who who who are your go-to's as far as social support?

SPEAKER_03 30:01

Yeah or or what's your support, emotional support, yeah, mental support. Yeah, what's your support network? Yeah, like absolutely. When that we cover that, absolutely, and again, I go I go back to self-care. What are you doing for for self-care? You know, somebody who comes to me and says, I I have a client again, please, very general, no, no discerning information, of course. But she goes sometimes a month at a time without showering that because it's just so it just seems like such a big project, just to shower.

SPEAKER_04 30:41

Okay, so as a layman, as a hygienically clean person, right? That's a problem. Yeah, it is a problem. That should be a daily, every other day activity that one does in this day in this society that we live in. You don't want to walk into an office smelling like well, green corn.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

This person doesn't work. I don't care. I but but you know what I'm saying. It but but here's this is this is an extreme example of how depression can just uh sabotage your day-to-day routines.

SPEAKER_04 31:20

As an individual who has experienced one who has gone through these things, there were a a number of days where there was no hygiene, you know, hygienically things happening four or five days in a row. And um, it's just it's very discerning to me that that we're at a month now. Yeah. That that that that breaks my heart.

SPEAKER_03 31:46

Yeah, it really does. It's it's it's it's sad and it's difficult, but but these these are the kind of scenarios that come up somebody with debilitating depression. It's it breaks my heart. So here's the thing we've taught the last four episodes about antidepressant medication.

SPEAKER_04 32:01

This is this is the fourth. Yes, this is the fourth.

Gene Testing And Finding The Right Class

SPEAKER_03 32:05

So I want to drive home uh uh some things, and uh, and this is what I want you to take away from this because it the the the there's this underlying there's this underlying stigma stigma to antidepressant medication, any psychotropic medication.

SPEAKER_04 32:22

And I'm being positive, nope, but at the same time, I'm being a layman. No, I'm not just like, what's the stigma?

SPEAKER_03 32:29

So here's the thing depression is a medical condition, it is not something that's your fault. It's people people will often say, I shouldn't feel this way, I don't know why I feel this way, and and and they self-blame and they they think that there's some some kind of there's something inherently wrong with them. And yes, that there's a challenge there, but but it's a medical condition. And if you take antidepressant medications, it's not a moral failure, it's not you saying, Oh, I'm a failure, so I need this. That's not that at all. Here's the other thing antidepressants that are not a shortcut, they're not a weakness, it's an evidence-based option in a larger treatment plan, if that makes sense. Can you repeat that? It's an evidence-based option in a larger treatment plan. That's so we know antidepressants work, they wouldn't exist if they didn't work. Fair in general. Now there are exceptions to that, again, different classes and all of that. But as part of a larger treatment plan, which means therapy, self-care activities, you know, you know, self-help activities such as journaling and and you know there are things that one can do to bring them back to reality.

SPEAKER_04 33:56

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 33:56

Okay, yeah, absolutely. So here's the thing: you need to advocate for yourself if you if you're having these symptoms, don't here's the thing. A lot of people will just retreat and isolate because that's the easiest thing to do when you're depressed. Did you just say give up? Yes, okay, retreat and isolate. That that most people with depression will have periods where that happens. So, what brings them out of that? Well, it depends. It can come from internally, or it can come from sometimes with a partner or family member or friend, interventions, interventions that happens sometimes, and that sometimes that is necessary. I get that.

SPEAKER_04 34:39

I go on.

SPEAKER_03 34:42

No, I'm just gonna say the big thing is that that you take action if you're feeling this way, there is help, and I know because if you're depressed, it feels hopeless, so there's no motivation to do anything. It's easy just to lock yourself away and just pine, you know, lay in bed for 20 hours a day. That's the easy thing to do. You went from 16 to 20. I know within two weeks. Because that can happen. Yeah, that that it's it's so the important thing is that you take action. And and the best thing you do is see seek out help from a qualified professional with therapy, then that can direct you to medication, it can direct you to other activities or other sources or resources that you may use to help yourself. But the important thing is that that you take action. And I don't, even if it's talking to your partner or your best friend and say, This is what I'm feeling, at least so that you can get some feedback or some encouragement or some direction to kind of put you into a place where you can work on this and and become better.

SPEAKER_04 35:49

Have any patients that you've heard of helped felt like they're in a cyclical just that that's it's over and over again.

SPEAKER_03 36:00

Medication, different medication, different yes, yes, and and and that does happen, yes.

SPEAKER_04 36:04

And they just feel like they're not winning, right?

SPEAKER_03 36:07

For a lot of people, like we're just redoing, yeah. But and again, there's a caveat here, and I and again, I want to be very careful. This is not placing blame on anybody, but sometimes sometimes people have their mind made up before they take the medication that it's not going to work, and there lies the problem, exactly, and that's why you want to team or pair medication with therapy, because we have to address those issues too.

SPEAKER_04 36:34

And I I've never met Dr. Singh, and I'm sure they do a wonderful job. And they and they treat every single uh patient, every single person the same exact way. What's gonna get them to the next step of getting feeling better, not getting better, feeling yeah, better, feeling better. Is that the goal? Is get to someone to that next step of feeling better?

SPEAKER_03 36:57

I yes, yes. In general, it's it's to get somebody to a point where they they they value themselves as an individual. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 37:05

That that really is the key. That's the goal, yeah. Is get them to the next step to feeling they they are themselves, they're back to that person they were when they felt they were the best you, and and they like themselves, they like where they're at, sure.

SPEAKER_03 37:21

That that they're they're they're they find joy in life, and and and if you can do if if you can have that, you're you're I'm telling you, you're probably ahead of half of the population out there. Sure. Just saying. So it the big thing is find a met find find a mental health professional. That is the key thing. Thank you. And talk about medication. Again, it doesn't, I know a lot of people are medication resistant, but hopefully what I've talked about in the last four episodes will make you more open to this because again, it's not a failure, it's not a it's not a weakness, it's you using resources to help yourself get better. That is the key.

SPEAKER_04 38:01

Yeah, re the the resources are there. A friend of ours just here, we're talking about veterans, yes, right? Yeah, and they're like, if you're a veteran, there are resources that are programs, tons of them. If you are an individual that is suffering and need mental stability, not mental health, mental stability. Let me let me say that. Yeah, there are resources, absolutely, and you need to seek them out. Yep, and you need to find somebody that is going to help you find set resources, yeah. They're not going to get you exactly what you want at that point in time. No, no one person is going to fix you, no, they're there to help you, they're there to guide you along your journey. And I think that's the most important statement of these last four episodes. You need someone that's going to help you get to that next step. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 38:58

So, man, this is no, it's it's a lot. Now, I'm I'm I'm I'm gonna throw this out there because because again, what so next time what we may do is we we may dive into the anxiety portion of medication, and there's a next step, it's a totally different thing.

SPEAKER_04 39:15

It's a it's a next step. It's yes, you have accepted, yeah. You have you you have taken on the responsibility of knowing that you have depression, you are taking medication, and there's going to be influences that are going to come at you. And how do you deal with going out in public?

Building A Plan: Sleep, Exercise, Support

SPEAKER_03 39:36

Or let me put it a different way. Maybe you've never been depressed, maybe, maybe you've always been fine, you never felt sad, okay. But but you've always been anxious. Oh, you're your heart. You've always been worried, you've always been just resistant to talk to people or go out in public, or you know, agoraphobia. I mean, phobia is our anxiety, OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder is anxiety. I don't know what you're talking about. There's so many different branches and anxiety. Um all my stuff is lined up over here. I don't know what you're talking about. No, I know. Yeah, this OCD, yeah, right. But but here's the thing OCD doesn't have to be physical things, it can be in your it can be a mental OCD. That is, yeah, and that's the one that's more debilitating. So man, so what we're gonna do, we are gonna I I'm I'll commit to it now since we're here, but we're gonna do what we're gonna do our next series on anxiety medications and how and why they work and whether or not you need those on top of the antidepressants or or separate, but no, I'm gonna say if you're on antidepressants and now you're taking a a medication for you could you could take anxiety medication with an antidepressant, that's not uncommon. And I'm trying to build on yeah what you have going on here, but it could be a standalone too, and anxiety medication, right? Cover both, yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, we'll talk about and and most anxiety medications without getting too deep into it because we're almost done now, but they're in a class called benzodiazepines. Okay, so we're gonna do a series, at least an episode or two, benzos. Okay, bring it. So before we go, who's who needs a home?

SPEAKER_04 41:21

Somebody needs a home. Is there cocoa? Oh, damn it. You said it. I was gonna say, can I say their name? Because that's my oh, you didn't see the name. I saw the name. Oh, you did, and that's my favorite. That's my favorite uh dessert. That's my favorite drink. Cocoa. Yep. Let me move my fingers. They look like a cocoa, cocoa. Look at look at those eyes. No, the ears look like a little bit of pity in there.

SPEAKER_03 41:48

Yeah, shepherd pit bull mix. Uh huh. Is that called it? Yep. Female, uh, estimated size 50 to 60 pounds, full grown, dog friendly, yes, cat friendly, yes, kid friendly, yes. Did you say cat friendly? Yes, everything's a yes. I love dog, cat, kid friendly. Bring it, activity levels high, just beware. All right, fine. But she's a puppy, she's born in in October of this year, yeah. 25. 25. Yep.

SPEAKER_04 42:16

So she's only three months old, four months old. We're in February, they're five months old. Yeah, okay. Yep. That is Coco. That needs a home.

SPEAKER_03 42:26

That is an adorable puppy. Isn't she? She's beautiful. Come on. All right, Detroit Dog Rescue.com slash adopt. That is our episode for today, folks. Join us for the next episode. I'm just throwing it out there. We're gonna be talking about anti-anxiety medications on our next episode. There's a top 10 in there somewhere. We'll do a top 10 at some point. We haven't done one in a while. No, what's we'll we'll we'll need some subject matter. We'll we'll think about that. I'm gonna come up with some a top 10.

SPEAKER_04 42:56

Okay, I'll I'll think about it.

SPEAKER_03 42:58

Yeah, think about it. We'll talk about it. All right. Alrighty, folks, that is our show for today. Change your thinking, change your life, laugh hard, run fast, be kind. We'll see you next time.