Tarhan: 'There is a very serious increase in antidepressant use'

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan gave an interview to TV100 on the topic of 'Antidepressant Use and Harms'. Stating that the widespread use of antidepressants has become a global reality, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan drew attention to the fact that drugs are chemically a weapon. Tarhan said; 'Ultimately, drugs are chemical weapons. If used in the right place and at the right time, they are beneficial, but if used randomly and irregularly, like all weapons, they can hit the wrong target and lead to incorrect results.'

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan made evaluations on the topic of 'Antidepressant Use and Harms'.

'There is a very serious increase in antidepressant use'

Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan made evaluations on the topic of antidepressant use and harms. Drawing attention to the fact that drugs are chemical weapons, Tarhan stated that when antidepressants are used incorrectly and irregularly, they can lead to wrong results, just like all weapons. Tarhan said; 'The widespread use of antidepressants is a global reality. It has even become measurable in wastewater, especially in all major cities around the world. Humanity's material prosperity has increased, but psychological well-being has not risen in parallel, and people are not successful in coping with stress. They have to seek help from medication. Medications desensitize individuals to some problems and cause them to reduce some of their reactions, but ultimately, drugs are chemical weapons. If used in the right place and at the right time, they are beneficial, but if used randomly and irregularly, like all weapons, they can hit the wrong target and lead to incorrect results. For this reason, the widespread use of antidepressants, which is even said to have increased by over 57% in the last 10 years compared to the previous 10 years, shows a very serious increase. It seems it will increase even further in the next 10 years, but when antidepressants are used appropriately, they prevent many suicides worldwide and prevent people's functional impairment, because the biggest feature of depression is that it makes a person dysfunctional, with reduced energy, unable to work, and unproductive. With antidepressants, if a person is consciously treated, they can look at life more positively in such situations, but antidepressants alone never treat. Generally, the use of antidepressants together with therapy is much more important but we are experiencing a consequence of modernism. In other words, one of the complications brought by modernism is the excessive use of antidepressants, which is the emergence of a globally materialistic system and the prioritization of worldly pleasures over mental ones.' he said.

Most common side effect of antidepressants: Mania

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan provided information about the side effects of antidepressants, emphasizing that they should be used under expert supervision. Tarhan said; 'If antidepressants are used appropriately, on time, consciously, and under expert supervision, their side effects can be managed, even if they occur. The most common side effect of antidepressants is inducing mania. If an individual has a predisposition gene or if it runs in the family, these individuals, because they are using antidepressants, suddenly start talking a lot, spending a lot of money, falling in love with anyone who shows interest, and can do things that do not conform to their core values. We encounter many examples of this. This time, the state of mania is the exact opposite of depression. The person gains excessive confidence, takes excessive risks, and spends excessive money. They might do things they haven't done before. This is one of the risks we encounter. Another risk is their blood-thinning effect. For this reason, unconscious use of antidepressants causes many hemorrhages and internal bleedings. Another side effect also emerges with uncontrolled use. It can do things that negatively affect the person's quality of life. It can make a person indifferent, insensitive, and carefree. Individuals who avoid responsibilities can emerge. This is also one of the most common side effects.' he stated.

'Antidepressants must be used consciously'

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan touched upon the fact that the most important thing to reduce the random use of antidepressants is to inform the public about this issue. Tarhan said; 'For someone with depression, clinical depression, what we understand by depression here is important. A depressive mood lasting 3 days is not considered depression. If conditions such as depression, anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), thoughts of death, stagnation, joylessness, sleep-appetite disturbances last for more than 3 days, it should be taken seriously. After 15 days, it is called clinical depression. Expert help is absolutely necessary. In such situations, giving medication to a depressed person based on advice from friends or family is extremely dangerous. In fact, even aspirin, though an over-the-counter drug, causes many stomach bleedings. We encounter cases where heart rhythm is disturbed due to antidepressants. Therefore, in those who use high doses of antidepressants for a long time, we check the liver at certain intervals. If there is a disturbance in heart rhythm, we check if there are disturbances in certain rhythm intervals in the heart. If one uses them without these checks, they might suddenly say, 'they died of a heart attack while using antidepressants.' In fact, there are antidepressants with cardiotoxicity that affect the heart. There are also antidepressants that raise blood pressure if taken randomly. When you give this to a patient with high blood pressure, they suffer a brain hemorrhage due to high blood pressure. Due to such situations, antidepressants must be used consciously. They should not be used randomly, but their use has become very widespread. People also use them because they feel good. The most important precaution to be taken for this is to inform the public about this issue. After all, what makes a medicine a medicine is its dose. In some cases, the difference between poison and medicine is the dose. Therefore, using antidepressants at the correct dose, for the appropriate duration, and with the right method, as with every medication, will cause harm instead of benefit.' he stated.