Antidepressant Evaluations
Traci Marando, APRN-BC
As a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner, I work with many individuals who seek to feel like their true empowered self rather than a dulled version of themselves.
For some, taking antidepressants has been an essential component to managing their mood for years. However, it can be very common for patients to complain of feeling “numb” or “disconnected” when taking these medications.
There are many reasons that patients consider starting antidepressants to manage their symptoms.
There may be underlying factors that may be contributing to their fatigue, apathy, sadness, and low motivation/enjoyment in activities.
Some factors that may contribute to the symptoms which present as depression:
- Hormonal Imbalances
- Nutritional Deficiencies
- Lyme Disease
- Celiac Disease
- Thyroid Dysfunction
Due to underlying factors that may be affecting your ability to overcome these symptoms, it is important to take all of these variables into consideration before masking them with medication. Many patients report that they’re able to reduce (and for some, fully discontinue) their antidepressant medications after addressing their underlying imbalances and utilizing psychodynamic and cognitive behavior therapy to enhance their coping skills.