Walk into a doctor’s office feeling low, overwhelmed, emotionally drained, unable to sleep, struggling to cope with life’s pressures, and there is a reasonable chance that within a relatively short conversation, medication may be discussed.
For some people, antidepressants can be life-changing. In cases of severe depression, they can provide vital support and, in some situations, even save lives.
But there is an important question that many people never stop to ask:
Should medication always be the first response to depression?
Increasingly, psychologists, researchers, and mental health professionals are raising concerns that many people are receiving antidepressants before fully understanding the reasons behind their emotional distress.
In Cyprus, the conversation is becoming particularly relevant. Recent figures show that the number of people receiving antidepressants through the GESY system almost doubled between 2019 and 2023, increasing from approximately 33,000 to more than 64,000 people.
Some experts estimate that when private healthcare prescriptions are included, the true number may be significantly higher. (Cyprus Mail)
While this may partly reflect greater awareness of mental health and improved access to treatment, it also raises an important question:
Are we becoming too quick to medicate emotional pain before understanding it?
The answer is not straightforward. However, most evidence-based mental health guidelines around the world support one key principle:
For mild to moderate depression, psychological therapy should often be considered before medication. (Springer)
Understanding why could change the way we approach depression entirely.
Depression Is More Than Feeling Sad
One of the biggest misconceptions about depression is that it simply means feeling unhappy.
In reality, depression affects every aspect of a person’s life.
It can cause:
Many people describe depression not as sadness, but as feeling disconnected from life itself.
Some say:
“I don’t feel anything anymore.”
Others describe it as:
“I’m surviving, but I’m not really living.”
This distinction matters because depression is rarely caused by a simple chemical imbalance alone.
Human beings are complex.
Depression can be influenced by:
Medication may help reduce symptoms, but it cannot directly address these underlying causes.
That is where psychological therapy becomes so important.
Myria Ectoridou
22.06.2026
