Have you started antidepressants since becoming a nurse?

Nurses Stress 101

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Heard there is a higher incidence of depression and anxiety amongst nurses (and doctors, lawyers, and others). Obviously the job is stressful. Since you've started working as a nurse, have you found that you need new, different, or more medication just to make it through?

FYI: I have a history of complicated depression and anxiety, but am not on meds.

I personally have not started anti depressants but I know a lot of nurses especially ones I work with that do take an assortment of antidepressants. Almost everyone I work with has a prn anxiety med they go to except for me. I will not lie, there are a lot of days where I feel I could use something to calm my nerves when things get crazy or people do not pull their fair share of weight. However I deal with my stress differently. I like to workout or run and I eat differently than my co-workers. I will admit that lately my personal life has darken a darker tole on my mental health but it isn't work. In fact I often pick up extra shifts because my I live in an area that I hate and my love life is depressing and none of my friends live anywhere near me. Since I've been a nurse I've been in and out of therapy especially after some situations I was in right out of nursing school that I was not prepared for. But I try other routes before medicating myself

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Specializes in ICU.

I've decided to

go to the doctor this week. I've started a new job as a np and I can't get the what ifs out of my head.

Getting 3-4 hours of broken sleep. I lay in bed on my days. Am physically sickwhen time to go back to work. Burnt out tired, and financially strapped with big student loans . I feel trapped and a failure. If I had it to do all over again. I'd just stay a ASN.

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canchaser (you must barrel race?) I'm glad you're going in.

I've had depression my whole life. Years ago, I tried therapy and fluoxetine but I felt worse. I've been managing it well on my own for a while, but I am thinking I will almost certainly have some anxiety issues when I start as a nurse that I will seek some help for. Once I'm not new I think I'll be ok, but I definitely want to avoid especially high pressure areas like emergency.

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Specializes in NICU.

I take an SSRI daily and see a therapist. I started both these things due to some things happen in my personal life, but they have been incredibly helpful with work stress as well as general life stress. I will happily remain medicated for as long as my physician and therapist think I need to, and I am fortunate that I have not had any unmanageable side effects.

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I am not but only because my family member put into my head that I would not be able to be a nurse if I was...obviously I know that's not true but you hear it enough times...

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I have struggled with depression and anxiety since childhood..I have been on medication on and off over the years - before becoming a nurse and afterwards. I agree diet, therapy and similar things can help however genetics and chemistry are not things that can be well influenced by the non-medication avenue. Sometimes no amount of vitamins, praying, running, etc is going to work on true clinical depression and anxiety - sometimes medication is the answer.

Also, triggers for depression/anxiety differ from person to person - for instance, some nurses love hospice, others could not work in it, some thrive on ICU, ER while other find it too overwhelming. I currently am in a position that has no doubt exacerbated my anxiety/depression and once I am able to secure something else I will not work in home health/hospice again - I've tried it several times now and the end result is the same for me - yet I work w/nurses who would never work in anything else but this area.

Depression and other mental health issues, just like diabetes and similar are individualistic in treatment. One medication, one path to healthy living, does not fit all.

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Specializes in Med nurse in med-surg., float, HH, and PDN.

Marshall, you are right.

My sister has suggested I give up sugar, then maybe I won't need extra medicine.

Yuh, uh, okay, thanks.

If only it was really that simple!

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Yes. Lexapro. 10mg a day.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Lol. Not sure if it was nursing, going back to school, or combination of several things but yes! Really enjoying my escitslopram.

I've always been a little tight wound and needed things my way. Also I'm a big planner and things got bad toward the end of school due to the unknown future. Unknown futures are causes of stress for planners.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Home Health, Primary Care.

Wow I spelled it wrong. Escitalopram. There

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Wow I spelled it wrong. Escitalopram. There

That's what I'm on too, 3$ a month! So much cheaper than Lexapro, so much harder to spell.

Ahhh, Life.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

On a combo of Wellbutrin XL and Paxil which works well for me. Have tried every other antidepressants out there and most make me manic-like, with horrible panic attacks. Been on depression meds on and off, one type or another for about 25 years (prior to nursing). Finally my psychiatrist sat me down about 10 years ago and said to think of depression as a chronic condition for myself and to NOT stop taking my meds again. I literally cannot normally function without my antidepressive medication, I couldn't be a nurse, wife, mother, or friend. But on my anti-depression medication, I'm perfectly normal. Employee Health is aware that I take Wellbutrin and Paxil and there is no issue. But if the hospital ever told me I couldn't take my medications and work, I'd quit nursing for sure.

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