Antidepressant medications are evidence-based prescription drugs that can help people with moderate to severe depression feel better. It can take some trial and error to find the right antidepressant for you because some work differently than others, but key to finding the option for you is taking any prescribed medication exactly as directed by your doctor.

Not doing so can have consequences, including depressive symptoms that either don’t improve or worsen, according to Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Having open and honest conversations with your doctor is really important, and that includes if you've made a mistake in taking a medication or you're struggling to take it correctly, says David A. Merrill, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and the director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Pacific Brain Health Center at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. “A person may think a medication didn’t work for them, but it may be that the drug may have worked if taken in an optimal way.”

Here are eight common mistakes that people commonly make when taking antidepressants — and how to avoid them.

Mistake No. 1: Abruptly Stopping Your Meds Because You Feel Better

After two months of being on antidepressants, some people may find that their mood has improved. Some depressive symptoms even go into remission. But this does not mean that you should stop taking your medication, especially without any input from your doctor, Dr. Merrill says. “ In general, it’s recommended to stay on an antidepressant for at least six months, if not a year, to prevent relapse [worsened or returning symptoms] back into depression.”

And depending on the severity of depression, some people may need to take antidepressants indefinitely to manage their symptoms, according to the U.K. National Health Service (NHS).

Stopping your antidepressants cold turkey can cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms, especially if you’ve been taking your medication for more than a month, according to Mayo Clinic. Withdrawal symptoms could include anxiety, dizziness, flu-like symptoms, headache, insomnia, nausea, and tiredness, among others, per Mayo Clinic.

What to Do Instead Continue taking your medication at the dosage prescribed to you. If you’d like to stop taking your antidepressant altogether, tell your doctor. They will show you how to safely stop taking it over time by gradually tapering off of the medication, says Howard Pratt, DO, a psychiatrist and the behavioral health medical director of Community Health of South Florida in Miami.

Mistake No. 2: Not Telling Your Doctor About Any Side Effects You’re Having

The most common side effects of antidepressants, according to Mayo Clinic, include:

Weight gain and appetite changes
Dry mouth
Nausea
Constipation
Insomnia
Fatigue
Dizziness
Restlessness or anxiety
Reduced sex drive or erectile dysfunction

Most side effects clear up a couple weeks after starting an antidepressant. “Many initial side effects also go away with continued use because our bodies realize that it was a false alarm and that the drug is helpful, not harmful,” Merrill says.

But in other cases they may stick around, per Mayo Clinic. Bothersome side effects can make it challenging for people with depression to stick to their medication regimen, according to a review published in October 2020 in the Annals of General Psychiatry.

But as mentioned earlier, skipping doses or stopping your meds abruptly does have consequences, including making your antidepressant less effective than it should be or causing withdrawal symptoms, according to the NHS.

What to Do Instead Rather than skipping doses or stopping your medication, let your doctor know if you’re experiencing side effects, says Merrill. If your side effects don’t clear up within a few weeks, your doctor may opt to lower the dose of your antidepressant or switch you to another one that might work better for you.

Mistake No. 3: Misusing Alcohol or Drugs While on Antidepressants

Misusing drugs or alcohol is not only a common and potentially problematic coping mechanism for depression, according to American Addiction Centers, but it’s also not safe for people taking antidepressant medication.

The reason: Drinking alcohol while taking antidepressants can make you feel drowsy, less alert, and uncoordinated, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). However, some prescribers may think having one serving or so of alcohol may still be okay, NAMI states. And taking drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, or recreational ketamine while on an antidepressant may make your depressive symptoms worse, according to the NHS.

What to Do Instead If you find yourself misusing alcohol or drugs, be sure to let your doctor know. They can help you find ways to stop those habits. “It’s very important that your psychiatrist knows this to achieve your shared goal of improving your health,” says Dr. Pratt.

Mistake No. 4: Not Telling Your Doctor About Other Medications or Supplements You’re Taking

Not letting your doctor in on all of the prescription or over-the-counter medications or supplements you’re taking could cause problems for you. Antidepressants can negatively interact with various medications and supplements, such as ibuprofen and St. John’s wort, which can make you very sick, according to the NHS.

What to Do Instead Before getting a prescription for antidepressants, it’s very important that you tell your doctor about any medications and supplements that you use, says Pratt. Before taking any new medications or supplements, be sure to clear it with your doctor to make sure there aren’t any potential drug interactions.

Mistake No. 5: Not Telling Your Doctor About Other Health Conditions You Have

Some antidepressants may be problematic for people with certain mental or physical health conditions, Mayo Clinic states. For instance, antidepressants need to be prescribed carefully (if at all) among people with bipolar disorder because they could trigger a manic episode for some people, according to Mayo Clinic.

What to Do Instead If you have other health conditions that your prescribing doctor doesn’t know about, be sure to let them know, says Pratt. “The more information you give your psychiatrist the better they will be able to help you,” he explains. This will help you avoid potentially serious health consequences.

Mistake No. 6: Not Working With a Psychiatrist

If you’re looking to start taking an antidepressant, it’s important to try to see a specialist, such as a psychiatrist, who has expertise in prescribing antidepressants.

Although nearly 80 percent of antidepressants in the United States are prescribed by primary care doctors, depression is often not optimally managed in the primary care setting. That’s often because of barriers, including a lack of mental health specialists to whom they can refer their patients for further treatment, inaccurate diagnoses given in primary care, and prescribing antidepressants at doses that are lower than guidelines recommend, among other things, according to research published in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine.

“One must remember that treating depression may not be an area of specialization for these doctors,” says Pratt. “Some may be less knowledgeable about antidepressants.”

Pratt adds that demand for mental health care (and other factors) have led to a shortage of psychiatrists across the United States, which also may make it more difficult to see a psychiatrist to treat a mental health issue, as explained in an analysis published in March 2018 in Psychiatric Services.

This might affect some people more than others, including those living in rural areas. An estimated 65 percent of nonmetropolitan counties in the United States don’t have psychiatrists, and more than 60 percent of rural Americans live in areas designated as having a shortage of mental health professionals, according to other data.

What to Do Instead If you’re already on antidepressants or looking to start them, Pratt recommends working with a psychiatrist either in person or virtually if you have access to one.

If you live in an area affected by the shortage, it’s worth calling your insurance company and seeing if you can see a psychiatrist via telepsychiatry — mental health care that’s provided virtually. This can help improve access for people living in rural areas, according to the American Psychiatric Association.

Mistake No. 7: Relying Solely on Antidepressants to Manage Depressive Symptoms

While antidepressants can be very helpful for depression, they should not be your only tool for managing this mental health condition. “Medications work best when combined with multiple interventions to resolve a depressive episode,” Merrill says.

What to Do Instead A treatment approach that includes both antidepressant medication and psychotherapy — aka “talk therapy” — appears to be more effective than either of these options used alone, according to the American Psychological Association (APA). If you plan to start antidepressants, you may want to consider starting psychotherapy with a mental health professional, if you haven’t done so already.

Making lifestyle changes that support an improved mood is another key component of managing depression, adds Merrill. This could include strategies such as fueling your body with healthful foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and nuts and seeds, per Harvard Medical School in Boston. Or try getting at least 30 minutes of exercise — such as walking, jogging, or bicycling, for instance — three to five days a week, according to Mayo Clinic.

Mistake No. 8: Not Telling Your Doctor if Your Antidepressant Isn’t Helping

If you’re taking your antidepressant as directed but you’re not feeling any improvement in your symptoms, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing anything wrong. Some people may do better with certain types of antidepressants than others. It can be a trial-and-error process to find which treatment option works best for you.

If you’ve tried several antidepressant medications but they haven’t helped much, you may have treatment-resistant depression (TRD), according to Mayo Clinic. If you have TRD, know that treatment-resistant does not mean untreatable. People with TRD may benefit more from other evidence-based options such as psychotherapy, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, or vagus nerve stimulation, per Mayo Clinic.

What to Do Instead If your antidepressant just isn’t seeming to help, let your doctor know. They can help you find a treatment that works better for you.

8 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Taking Antidepressants