Medication for low mood and depression
It is common to feel down about the way pain affects you and your life. Share your concerns around your mood difficulties or feeling low about your pain with your GP or other healthcare professional.
This can change for the better. There are different options available including self-management skills, anti-depressant medication to talking therapies.
Remember that old saying ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. Well, it really does help to talk - share your feelings of loss, sadness and anger and explore real, hopeful possibilities for the future. This will help you to find a different and more positive way to live better with pain.
Anti-depressants can help improve low moods, motivation, sleep and can reduce negative thinking patterns.
They are not addictive and do not cause dependence. The medication can take four to eight weeks to start to work and needs to be taken as a six to 12 month course. This is to make sure the mood benefits for depression and anxiety last. Taking these medications for shorter times can mean more relapses.
More information on medications for depression can be found here
More information on local services can be found here