Antidepressant Evaluations
Traci Marando, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I help people reclaim their mental health through holistic, natural interventions that support healing while preserving-and even enhancing-their authentic self, rather than masking symptoms with medications that can leave them feeling disconnected or emotionally flat.
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.
"Are my anti-depressant medications even working?"
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 clients report that they’re able to reduce (and for some, fully discontinue) their antidepressant medications after addressing their underlying nutritional deficiences or imbalances while utilizing psychodynamic and cognitive behavior therapy to enhance their coping skills.