We’re Now More Reliant On Antidepressants: Are They Over-Prescribed? | Talking Point

[@sleepy_dobe]

I hope Tammy's love ones will persuade her to give counselling another try. Sometimes it takes a few attempts before you meet a counsellor who can "connect" with you and works for you. Just like how different anti-depressants work for different people who suffer from the same condition, you may find that different counsellors have different success rates with you. If you don't connect with the first one, ask for a change of counsellor. Don't worry, they won't take the request personally cos they know about this aspect of their work.

[@stylebuster82]

My heart breaks when I hear her describing her mental health challenges. In my darkest moments I have come close to experiencing some of what she describes and I can only hope and pray that she find her path through these challenges.

[@user47362]

The real question is what is Singapore doing to its young people

[@davechristian7543]

America is alot worse wit the variety of meds they pump into teher population #PMSL

[@yeepmeeep1735]

Being a toxic place. Less outlets to go to. So many normal people go overseas for holiday for a mental break.

[@margaretchong1450]

Singapore can help by being inclusive and de-stigmatising those who are different from us. Be kinder, encouraging and more compassionate towards each other.

[@52hz52hz]

4-5 months wait, that is how long it takes to visit a specialist/consultant in the government hospital despite having a referral from a polyclinic. Do you know where people go when they know/don’t know they have a condition or are not as fortunate as i am to seek proper treatment and medication while waiting for the government hospital appointment ? How about #cna pushing the immigration for a random compulsory urine / hair test on each and every returning singapore once annually ? Will like to see the REAL figure of people consuming. Why don’t #CNA go 大富豪， Taman Sentosa and the 4 floor of ktv or do Crown ktv on Dato tahir to see for yourself what it’s like in there ? Ever considered what prompt this economy in Johor Bahru, demands from singapore! Why ?

[@LonganLee]

Singapore cost of living crisis is unimaginable for the next 5 long years. I pitty the young

[@chillchillchill]

Thank you to all those that shared their experiences and stories. It's isn't easy but one day at a time ya! I rmb being placed on anti-depression for two week and it was very surreal. I couldn't feel my sadness nor any happiness but it helped me to get at least able to function on a daily basics. But after that two week, i asked to stop and went for therapy instead... It was a long 5 years, a lot of work (tears) but I'm able to communicate, feel grounded and connected these days.

[@yieldm232]

Tammy is so real for this ❤

[@Lala_lalacllll]

Finding a suitable therapist is so hard because having to repeat your “stories“ can be so painful & triggering. If the Dr. does not suit u, the triggers might push you to do the unthinkable before you have the time to find another Dr. But having gone through that process & found a great, patient, empathetic Dr. has made the whole process so worth it. Her name is Ms. Lauren Jonathan. These days sessions can be done via online. That's one of the best parts ❤

[@nkyoung1265]

Sending my love to Tammy. May she recover fully one day .❤

[@teppydiaz]

i was diagnosed with major depressive disorder with anxious distress after attempting suicide and being hospitalised for it.. the first month i took fluvoxamine, my suicidal thoughts became so much worse.. my family had to always look out for me even sleep with me cuz i told them i badly want to jump off the building.. my psychiatrist was honest enough to tell me the side effects so me and my parents knew of the risks so my family was able to monitor me closely..

[@jHo-c5z]

Thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences. I think psychotherapy is extremely important and drug therapy a complementary role. Unfortunately it is not easy to find good and experienced therapists and may not be affordable long term. May need to shop around to find someone you are comfortable with. I agree GPs should not START on long term antidepressants without at minimum in consultation with an existing psychologist or psychiatrist and should have advised psychotherapy. Perhaps in some cases patients refused to see a psychologist? As for parental consent for drug use (good idea ) but is only for those under legal age. perhaps something more can be done to raise the age to when at least guardians and family members can see them through recovery. It may be a long term problem with difficult issues that need time to be sorted out. Our society needs to be kinder and more empathetic.

[@yeepmeeep1735]

"You are putting a bandage on these wounds. But are we addressing the root causes of what makes people happy and what makes people thrive in society". Honestly, root causes are deeply embedded in Singapore's society. It doesn't appear suddenly but you can say over generations (or two). The idea of meritocracy which work for reward, reward for work and the 5Cs has made a generation that chased upon and set their purpose on these concepts. However, it is very well known that the 5Cs and workaholic (hustle culture) isn't sustainable and honestly a lie. Companies have come and exploited this idea and all they did is to let go of Singaporeans when times are tough. Even worse is the culture of sinkie pwn sinkie which is learned and well practised during the early stages of a Singaporean's life, such as secondary school, tertiary and university. Produced to one up another made Singaporeans unable to work with Singaporeans and only created toxic environments when Singaporeans collaborate with each other. Depression doesn't come inwards, it comes from outside factors that make one unable to cope and upon realising what the future really holds, the pain is thought to be so great that ending it all becomes an idea to look at.

[@GoddessOfWhine]

I do agree that societal pressures are one of the factors that causes depression, however I also believe that depression does come from inward. If societal pressures that are only cause than why don't ALL Singaporeans suffer from depression? You can chose not to be affected and buckle to this. Knowing who you are, what your values are, building mental fortitude that are differentiating factors. I think you need to educate yourself on psychology more to understand depression.

[@yeepmeeep1735]

@@GoddessOfWhine in what ways does depression emerge from within? Could you enlighten me?

[@leftbehind7468]

Throwaway account for obvious reasons. And I have vested interest obviously. But I have to say this is an extremely biased piece by someone who clearly has little to no understanding of what mental illness is, or what it feels like to those who suffer from it. Simply demonizing antidepressants and suggesting it is not tightly regulated enough in Singapore is a huge step back in our nation's efforts to make mental health aid more accessible to those who need it. Instead, Shrey appears to be merely creating a sensational piece from from his own insulated point of view, bringing in his own biases against antidepressants which he has clearly developed from have somehow taken antidepressants at some point in his past despite not having an mental illness serious enough to truly warrant it. This is really subpar reporting by CNA, if the personal agenda of it's reports so clearly bleeds into the piece. Please look into some quality control please @CNA. Please do not stigmatize something you don't understand. You are part of the problem.

[@leftbehind7468]

Not to mention, he clearly doesn't understand what he is talking about when speaking about the blackbox warning. As mentioned by the professionals in this video, there is increasing evidence that perhaps the blackbox warning are not what they were made out to be initially. Only marginal percentage of people have any risk at all of experiencing them, and fear mongering only put even greater barriers to those who actually need them. Yet Shrey would still repeatedly capitalize on this blackbox warnings, and attempt to sensationalize it, going about questioning people who are actually experts in the field on *why they didn't bold it, and put it in a "black box" on page one*. Not sure if his agenda here is demonizing antidepressants, or if his real agenda is just to be sensational in itself and utilize other people's vulnerabilities to generate clicks for himself.

[@OM-pq4lb]

Why is there a need to make a throwaway. This isn’t Reddit and no one cares enough about your main account anyways

[@ShreyBhargava7]

Hello! Shrey here :) firstly, thank you for your comment. I'd just like to point out a few things that may perhaps help you see things a tad differently. 1. We have no intention of demonising Antidepressants. In fact we state very clearly in this episode that Antidepressants have a role to play and that rather - what role they do play will necessarily depend on a case by case basis for each patient. The key takeaway is that they shouldn't be seen as an overnight cure or a long term solution without therapy (unless otherwise guided by a medical professional) 2. My experience with OCD and Depression were very real and I did suffer from suicidal ideation which was a terrifying experience and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I'm sorry that after watching this episode that you feel that I may not have experienced anything strong enough to have warranted Antidepressants. That's not true. I do in fact state in the episode that Antidepressants played a key role in getting me to a place where I was able to begin therapy properly. In my decision to taper off medications - I took that because I was doing alot better and didn't want to depend on medication any longer after those 2 years ( the worst 2 years of my life). It's not easy to share these things, but I've always been open about it and advocated for mental health and recovery. So I'm sad that you feel the way you do, and I'm sorry. 3. In episodes of Talking Point, we as hosts investigate these questions without any bias. The producer works too piece the investigation together and we add our points of view as we go along. I did not come into this with any agenda, except wanting to share my experience and discover what has or has not worked for others, while making it very clear that Antidepressants ought not to be demonised, but rather seen as one part of a larger holistic approach to mental health. I sincerely hope you see these reflected in this episode. If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please do know that I certainly am on your side and deeply want to see you or those you know make a full recovery. And I wish you nothing but the best 🙏🏽❤️

[@stylebuster82]

​@ShreyBhargava7 Perhaps one of the questions in your documentary needed further exploration - why don't more people use therapy alongside antidepressants? From personal experience with both over a decade, it's likely the cost. Therapy in a private setting in Singapore (and it's similar in Hong Kong or Dubai) costs about 200-300 SGD per session and it takes a good 8-10 sessions before you see any progress. Not many people have access to that kind of financial resources.

[@stylebuster82]

​@@ShreyBhargava7 I liked your piece for the informational content, though in my opinion the focus was wrong. Antidepressants themselves are not the issue, depression is. What can we do as a society to better improve mental wellbeing for our people and our youth? is the educational system the main cause of this anxiety and depression or is it something else? What about people who don't access Antidepressants - how are they doing? In my opinion rather than overuse of Antidepressants (which is certainly a problem) the bigger issue is of people not seeking help for mental health issues and simply chalking their struggles to lack of will power.

[@margaretchong1450]

Anti depressants are used to control many types of mental health issues, not just depression. Not taking the meds can sometimes worsen a person's condition. The balance is to weigh risks against benefits. Take as prescribed by psychiatrist. Those around should help monitor changes.

[@huiyingtanyayap]

Currently I am taking Mirtazapine . One of the Dr. Prescribed this . The dr. Should warn the side effect which is extreme weight gain ! No joke man

[@Cordycep1]

it causes water rention so it bad for kidnet and heart longterm

[@iamchynhuei]

Exercise and going out for a walk in the park helps. *for those who are able to*

[@olivialau5229]

Yes totally! Go into your body. At least in nature , thoughts are quieten down.

[@RadicalPerspectives]

Kevin here. Thanks for the opportunity to share. Glad that this docu showed a balanced perspective on this. I’m running a podcast now on my channel exploring such “taboo” topics and deeper perspectives. Feel free to have a look 🙏

[@bakerkawesa]

They save lives. I'd be a goner without them.

[@JL-jm7]

The intent of this episode is good but I dunno if it will suddenly open up the alternative of getting depression medication without prescription from jb leading to more misuse..

[@boybrushedbloo]

11:55 had me rolling hahahahaha

[@johnmichaeltorres8039]

Waiting for part 2.. This is how new generation kids think on happy thoughts get more overdose.. be careful mom and dad😮

[@joleneng8905]

Insightful episode 🙏🏼

[@MrNamesNoMore]

Therapy is for the rich, have you seen how much it cost per hour for a session? I would rather spend that money on steak that make my tummy and body happy.

[@lynnetteleow3217]

There is this thing called subsidised therapy u might wanna check it out before putting any assumptions!

[@pikopiko18]

@@lynnetteleow3217more info? I just think that they maybe dun know how to help u other than jst listening

[@yeepmeeep1735]

eating helps with releasing dopamine and endorphins. Great as a place holder for antidepressants!

[@GohBen-g8n]

Money talks if they are broke is a whole new scenario

[@bobafett5757]

Really pity and concern about Tammy she should seek help from IMH to treat her condition before it gets worse

[@smw2896]

On average, 1,284 FDA approved drugs are recalled every year by FDA themselves and yet we blindly follow their guidelines

[@polarspirit]

The real crime is the cost to get these meds in singapore

[@Grewalpremium]

msia 28:05

[@pizzamechman8380]

Weak of mind.Weak on productivity. GO HAPPY PILL GO🔥🔥🔥

[@dd-dd2co]

It boils down to diet and the lack of essential nutrients and no one is talking about it.

[@Jon-bf2rs]

Thanks to govt immigration policy now 6 million population crowded and stress so more people need happy pills another avenue to make more money which is what the govt wants

[@pyschannel30]

Eh, idk lei. I feel we as a generation seek for instant-gratification. What i realise is that whenever we feel even a inch of sadness we go straight to the meds. Maybe its prime time to teach our generation to recognised these emotions and to know how to process it? Perhaps it's okay to not be okay. Its okay to seek help. Its okay to rant. Its okay to stay silent. Its okay to cry. Its okay to take years to heal. Personally for me, i had really bad anxiety, went through depression and its been 8 years. But i refused to go to the psychiatrist/psychologist. Cause i know if anything, this battle is mine and I have to fight it myself. I'm quite fortunate to have friends and very good social support. With very caring parents that were there for me, so it did definitely help. I cried, i ranted, i even went through multiple sleepness night and skip many meals. Just my 2 cents. Not Professional Advise so please, if you or your love one is facing something similar. Always seek professional medical help.

[@ChengBoonTan-c4t]

either the happy pills or marijuana, people have to get away from drugs and leads a meaning life instead.

[@ctnorth__6480]

good this was brought to attention same as antibiotics... the unethical doc who care for money than life is problem in capitalism.

[@123samanthastar]

Nothing wrong with happy pills

[@afandidarmanegara609]

I don't know whether that lady has ever been herself? Or it is the anti-depressant talking?

[@shin4655]

For a moment I thought happy pill was viagra…

[@FireFoxGaming56]

“I take Wellbutrin about twice a day” 😂😂 she think what? Taking candy ah 😂😂

[@FireFoxGaming56]

What a bimbo 😂😂😂😂😂

[@sharontham11116]

Legal drug use..

[@jamieatelier]

Every med might have side effect isn’t that common sense

[@lingeats]

Actually its very easy to improve : set a strict sleeping timing(at least 7-8h) no later then 11pm..and wake up 7-8am no over then this. DO NOT nap in between nomatter how tired you are. continue this and see significant results and youre mood will improve. most people get depression because they lack of sleep and sleeping only 2-3-4am and wakews up very late in the noon.. of course some came from other factors that cause them mentally sick. in a human body ,sleep and stress free is the key to everything to health, Ived been working in IMH and they are heavily promoting to sleep at least 8h. try it. Medicine is not to cure you its just to control you and in long run,it will destroy you. As a sufferer myself for years , i dont go back for follow ups anymore. i rather heed the natural way, even a small laughs in daily life makes me happy

[@ackphilchi6880]

Not everyone needs 8 hours sleep. As well people who are prone to depression and anxiety have trouble sleeping so the anxiety needs to be depressed. counseling and talk theraphy can help

[@bogang5119]

But some people are trapped in a cycle, because depression also causes insomnia. You can try fixing your sleep schedule but if you don’t fix depression with these ‘happy pills’, the sleep issues will persist too.

[@TyroneBeiron]

Plus dopamine and ashwaganda 😂

[@joshuang3968]

Tammy got uncensored videos one.

[@poorpotato7623]

She’s THE Tammy?

[@joshuang3968]

@poorpotato7623 nope. Have not watched THE tammy video. That one before my time. But this tammy got collab with a few hard-core actors.

[@ohissitzai]

Informative video. Just curious, there isn’t a trigger warning at the beginning of the video?

[@yohanawu7347]

Singaporean become American

[@j13270]

Decaf green tea help despression

[@missing22]

Wtf….

[@JohnnyJohnJon83]

This generation is mentally weak .

[@WongWeiEnWayneHougangss-wb3gx]

No thanks to everything going on in the world

[@JohnnyJohnJon83]

@@WongWeiEnWayneHougangss-wb3gx look at world war 2. If this generation had that happen now they would be crying and hiding . “hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times"

[@yeepmeeep1735]

Because your generation made singapore a toxic place 😂

[@yeepmeeep1735]

People of your generation made Singapore a toxic place and the younger gens are paying the price

[@JohnnyJohnJon83]

@@WongWeiEnWayneHougangss-wb3gx “hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times"

[@geralddorasamy-gt6yn]

Do some grass man,bro you 'll be fine!

[@noobmaster006]

Laughs in middle east and south asia 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 the concept doesn't even exist here