Chemical Imbalance ??

Many people only take meds short term then come off them.   I don't know of anyone who has been told they will be on them for life unless they have schzophrenia or something which is different.   I would see how it goes in the future.  Have you had counselling?   That might help too.  Take care.  x

Yes I have been told the same thing.

The theory behind it doesn't have a great deal of evidence to back the idea up, as hypercat said, I'm not sure how one would measure a chemical imbalance.

Anyway it's been described to me as endogenous depression, which from what I understand means a depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain (ie not producing enough serotonin) as opposed to a reactionary depression at stressful life events.

My doctor told me this after looking at my family tree as on my mother's side we can go back generations and generations of severe mental health problems, so her feeling in relation to me, was that there was some genetic flaw that was being passed down, rather than "just" depressed parents raising their kids in stressful situations and that being how the mental health problems were passed on.

I hope this makes some sense.

She said the type of depression you seem to be experiencing and certainly what I am experiencing is like being a diabetic who doesn't produce enough insulin, so has to make up for this with medication.

You may just not be producing enough of the serotonin and this is why your dr has said you'll likely need meds forever.

It is not something to get yourself worried about. It is just a theory as far as I can understand.

Also, if you do need to take meds long term then that's ok, you don't need to feel worried or ashamed about that.

I think your dr was probably trying to reassure you and/or prepare you for a longer time on medication.

Try not to worry about it.

Best wishes xxx

But I agree with hypercat, unless you've undergone some pretty invasive surgery (cranium removed, slices of brain tissue sliced away, etc.) – and, really, not even then – can any measurements of your "brain chemistry" be measured. Unless you have some sort of significant bond with this doctor, I would seek another opinion.

Having said that, I have been on anti-anxiety medication since 1987 and antidepressants since 1988 and will be, no doubt, for the remainder of my life. I was hospitalized from 1999-2002 and only became communicable after a series of ECT sessions.

But no one doctor that I have ever had has used the words "chemical imbalance" around me and no doctor in my first ten years, or longer, ever mentioned that I might need to be on drugs for the remainder of my life. That's just the way that things turned out – FOR ME.

Since 1999 I have been diagnosed with different severities of Major Depressive Disorder (there's a new name for it in the DSM-5), different types of psychoses and anxiety/panic disorders. I take three different meds for each; some 5 times daily, one 4 times a day and another 3 times daily.

Does that make me an addict? It depends on your definition. I don't abuse drugs (take more than prescribed, sell them, etc.) but I am dependent on them.

You doctor was out of line in telling you that you had a chemical imbalance and in telling you that you would have to be on medications for the remainder of your life. He or she has no way to predict the future. If you trust the doctor in all other respects, confront them and ask them how they discovered these chemicals.

Or get the opinion of another doctor.

Oh, is this doctor a psychiatrist or a GP or have a specialty?