Hooked on antidepressants: Prescriptions burden patients

When Susan Mwathi started suffering from mental health issues in 2004, she started hopping from one specialist to another in the quest for elusive peace.

The journey to wholeness was a bumpy one as she would later find out when she started suffering from the side effects of the medication she had taken from different specialists. “I have been battling depression since 2004. I went from doctor to doctor , but the drugs would not work. I suffered from major side effects,” narrates Susan.

Her condition deteriorated, leading to her admission to hospital early this year, where she was once again put on a different set of drugs.
Much to her disappointment, her relief was short-lived. There was more bad news regarding her battle with mental illness, which took her back to the drawing board in her journey towards recovery. “I was diagnosed with bipolar mood disorder,” she says.

But, now she feels like she is back on track. She says the combination of the new set of drugs looks safe. “I am also looking for someone to walk this lonely journey with,” she tells HealthyNation.

Her tumultuous recovery journey, other than being a trial and error plan for more than 15 years, has also turned out be a very costly affair, which an exasperated Susan terms a total waste of time. “I was referred to a psychotherapist, who is extremely expensive. The one-hour therapy session was a waste of time. Half the time, the therapist was on phone, among other issues. I finished the session with regrets,” she recounts.

Damning diagnosis

Susan is one among many Kenyans who are desperately struggling with depression and other mental health challenges. Their efforts to find a lasting solution proving futile each day.

Perhaps the most disconcerting thing is the increase of fake medics, who add to the mental health victim’s misery by extorting them and wrongly diagnosing them.

Rose Keter knows this reality all too well after battling depression for several years. She visited different doctors who almost coerced her into resigning to the fate of taking antidepressants for life. “Doctor after doctor, they ruled that the depression was genetic and I would therefore be on antidepressants for life,” she narrates.

Luckily, the damning diagnosis did not stick. An unrelenting Rose, left without a choice, embarked on a soul-searching journey towards her recovery. “I was able to reverse the depression by addressing prenatal and postnatal factors,” she states.

She is now a mental health enthusiast and a personal development coach who uses her various social media platforms and blogs to help other people battling depression and other mental related illnesses. “I take others who are battling depression through the same process. I help them tackle the root cause of the depression,” she says.

Suicide and murder

Cases of mental health illness have been on the rise in Kenya in recent times, with Covid-19 only making things worse.

So bad is the situation that a new report released by the Taskforce on Mental Health has recommended that mental illness be declared a national emergency of epidemic proportions and be prioritised as a public health and socioeconomic agenda.

The report further revealed that one in every 10 people suffers from a common mental disorder.

According to the report, the number increases to one in every four people among patients attending routine outpatient services, where depression and anxiety disorders are the leading mental illnesses diagnosed in Kenya.

The latest developments can be attributed to an influx of unprofessional mental health practitioners who take advantage of the distressed patients.

The result is many unnecessary deaths which could have been easily prevented and diminished quality of life for hundreds of Kenyans.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-Kenya, describes mental illness as a physical brain disease which disturbs thinking, behaviour, energy and emotion, making it difficult to cope with ordinary daily demands of life.

According to Dr Margaret Njuguna, a Nairobi counselling psychologist and senior consultant at Esteem Counselling Services, mental health disorders cut across all ages from children to the elderly.

The preventive psychology enthusiast, blames stigma and misconstrued beliefs such as associating mental illnesses with the rich as the main reason many people avoid getting treatment. Dr Njuguna warns that mental illness can be detrimental.

“Mental illness can affect anyone. Unfortunately, only half of those affected receive treatment often because of the stigma attached to mental health,” she says.“If left untreated, mental illness can develop into chronic mental illness, which, apart from causing higher medical expenses, leads to poor performance at work or school. It can also be fatal through suicide and murder."

Quick fix

With the rise in cases of mental health disorders among the Kenyans, experts have raised an alarm on the upsurge of rogue specialists, who have flooded the field in the guise of offering treatment or counselling sessions.

Dr Mwihaki Kabuga, a counselling psychologist with over 12 years’ experience, expresses concern over the increasing number of patients who are beginning to be highly dependent on antidepressants, which are usually highly priced.

According to the medic, antidepressants should only be considered as the last option as opposed to being used as a quick fix. “If in distress, please seek psychological support and question the doctor prescribing antidepressants. I have seen many patients and clients developing dependency on these drugs and they are overly expensive,”  said Dr Kabuga. “Antidepressants are the last resort. Patients should always ensure they seek help from professionals.”