Antidepressants Are Not Addictive: A Psychologist Explains
22 January 15:39
YOUTUBE
Antidepressants are not addictive, yet there is still a widespread fear in society about taking these medications. The reason is a lack of understanding of how they work and confusion with psychoactive substances, which can indeed be addictive. Psychologist and cognitive-behavioral therapist Vadym Melnyk discussed this in an interview with the YouTube channel "Komersant Ukrainian".
The psychologist emphasizes: antidepressants are not psychoactive substances and therefore do not have the mechanism of action that triggers addiction.
“Addiction is caused only by substances whose psychoactive effects are capable of disrupting the areas of the brain responsible for the reward system and behavioral control,” he explains.
That is precisely why, Melnik explains, it is a fundamental mistake to compare antidepressants to alcohol or drugs. However, unlike drugs or alcohol, which are directly aimed at obtaining pleasure, antidepressants do not trigger the reward mechanism—they reduce the intensity of internal tension, the specialist emphasizes.
“Depending on the class of substance, drugs usually lead to euphoric states. In other words, the goal of using drugs or alcohol is always to obtain pleasure.
An antidepressant, on the other hand, tends to slightly alleviate tension, but it does not lead to euphoria,” he adds.
That is precisely why, Vadym Melnyk concludes, these medications do not lead to addiction, unlike alcohol or narcotic substances.
