'Tis the season to be jolly - what's the role of antidepressants?

It's Christmas, that wonderful time of year when we deck the halls, gather together in community and sing carols to herald the arrival of the newborn Christ-child - right?

Maybe not. For many people, the festive season is now, not only devoid of any spiritual significance, but also associated with the consequences of widespread family breakdown and the socio-economic sleight-of-hand that is currently making paupers out of the middle classes. Thankfully, many of us still find reason to be cheerful, but for those who struggle with depression, this can be the worst time of year to navigate.

A new information resource for people with depression, hailing from research conducted by Oxford University and the University of Nottingham, provides identification and comfort in the form of a series of video interviews, conducted among depression sufferers from all around the country. You can watch these interviews at healthtalkonline.org.

What's striking about this piece of work is the honesty of the 30 people interviewed and the broad range of experiences reported across this relatively small cohort (that, and the rather perplexing appearance of Alastair Campbell introducing the work - what, may I ask, does he have to do with any of this?).

A common observation made by interviewees was that the response to antidepressant medication could be as diverse as the number of people being medicated - in other words, each individual appears to respond differently.

Several refer to the reality of side-effects, such as anxiety, feeling detached, dizziness and suicidal feelings, as being an important consideration in the decision to proceed or not. One participant commented "Some of [the side-effects] are not bearable… [so] if you're mildly depressed it may not be worth it." It took some people several years to find an antidepressant that worked for them, usually accompanied by adding in strategies such as talking therapy. A proportion said they had never found an effective treatment.

In contrast, one man, an eighty-four year old, had been prescribed valium for depression since his early thirties and a few years ago was prescribed an SSRI. In his words "the black clouds lifted."

If there's one thing that can be said with certainty - no response can be predicted with certainty, which is what makes this video footage so very interesting. If nothing else. it will provide those who are trying to make a decision about whether to go on medication a realistic impression of what it may mean to take the plunge. Fore-warned is fore-armed and given the massive increase in antidepressant prescriptions in the UK in recent years, this must be considered an important resource.

Along with the reality of the true Christmas message - that love has now entered the world.


Written by Jacqui Hogan

Merry Christmas from all at 96 Harley Psychotherapy

Christmas is upon us and, amidst all the welcome chaos of Christmas decorating and last-minute appointments, we're trying to make the time - sometimes successfully, sometimes not - to take inventory of the year that has been, in order to process the old and make preparation for welcoming in the new.

We've seen lots of new and exciting developments here at number 96 during 2012, with new therapists Sheron Green, Claire White, Roisin Golding and Renee Thurston expanding and enriching our therapeutic offering with their skills in trauma, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, NLP and child psychotherapy. Along with our many long-standing therapists, it's fair to say there isn't a psychological ailment we can't address on these premises, with sensitivity, experience and a vast amount of specialist knowledge.

As many of our clients will know, 96 Harley Street, as well as being a world class psychotherapeutic hub, is home to a a broad range of other medical specialities, among them dermatology, gastroenterology, gynaecology, physiotherapy and psychiatry. During 2012, we have also welcomed Rheumatologist Professor Hasan Tahir and Men's Health Physicians Malcolm Carruthers and Kam Mann, all distinguished experts in their fields.

This growth is consistent with our vision to create a multidisciplinary centre of healthcare excellence, in which healthcare professionals of every discipline will benefit from the cross-fertilisation of ideas that can only come from working under the one (magnificent!) roof. Many of our clients have reported they appreciate the convenience of having all their specialists gathered together, and we hope to build on the number and range of practitioners operating from the house in 2013.

Another development this year has been our decision to apply for registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), to provide reassurance for our clients  that our services are accredited to the highest possible standard. This is expected to benefit our therapists as well, who, having met our exacting recruitment criteria, will enjoy full accreditation with the CQC under our auspices.

We're delighted to report the continued flourishing of our website, which, with the help of our SEO and  marketing experts continues to hold its own in the search engine rankings. We have noted an increase in the number of enquiries fielded through the site, just as we had planned. The website provides a powerful canvas for all of our therapists to use in promoting their services to the public at large, and we strongly encourage everyone to take advantage of this. One of our aspirations for 2013 is to persuade more of our therapists to make use of the website for promoting their workshops and other activities.

All that remains, then, is to wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year. We look forward to seeing you, all shiny and renewed, in 2013.

Written by Jacqui Hogan