Blog

The effects of taking antidepressants when not depressed can be potentially harmful and lead to various physical and psychological complications. 

While antidepressant medications are designed to help those with clinical depression, using them without a proper diagnosis can disrupt normal brain chemistry and cause unwanted side effects.

At Arbor Wellness, our experts explain what happens when you take these medications recreationally or without a proper diagnosis.

The Effects of Taking Antidepressants When Not Depressed

The effects of taking antidepressants when not depressed can be significant and potentially harmful. 

When someone without depression takes these medications, they’re disrupting a neurochemical balance that wasn’t impaired to begin with, which can lead to various adverse outcomes:

Changes in Brain Volume

Studies suggest that taking antidepressants without having depression can reduce the volume of two important brain regions:

• The anterior cingulate cortex, which controls and regulates mood
• The hippocampus, where the registration and consolidation of memory takes place

Serotonin Syndrome

This potentially life-threatening condition occurs due to excessive serotonin accumulation in the brain. 

Because most antidepressants boost serotonin levels, taking them unnecessarily can lead to serotonin syndrome, with symptoms appearing within 24 hours:

Initial symptoms include:

• Agitation
• Confusion
• Rapid heart rate
• Dilated pupils
• Muscle rigidity

More severe cases can cause:

• Seizures
• Irregular heartbeat
• Unconsciousness

Prompt medical attention is crucial as severe serotonin syndrome can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Emotional Blunting

People without depression who take antidepressants commonly report feeling emotionally “flat” or “numb.” This happens because the medications alter normal neurotransmitter function:

• Reduced ability to feel both positive and negative emotions
• Decreased emotional reactivity to normally joyful events
• Feeling detached or disconnected from experiences

Risk of Dependency and Withdrawal

While antidepressants are not considered addictive in the traditional sense, the body can become dependent on them. This means that stopping them abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms, including:

• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Electric shock-like sensations (“brain zaps”)
• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Flu-like symptoms

For this reason, antidepressants should always be tapered under medical supervision rather than stopped suddenly.

Understanding Antidepressants And How They Work

Antidepressants are medications prescribed to treat depressive disorders by altering brain chemistry to improve mood and alleviate symptoms of depression, seasonal-affective disorder (SAD), and dysthymia. These medications work by modifying neurotransmitter levels in the brain to enhance mood stability and emotional well-being.

Most antidepressants work by influencing how the central nervous system produces, transmits, and reabsorbs chemicals known as neurotransmitters. The exact mechanisms vary depending on the type of antidepressant.

Common Types of Antidepressants:

1. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
   • Medications like Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro
   • Target serotonin levels in the brain
2. Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
   • Examples include Effexor, Pristiq, and Cymbalta
   • Affect both serotonin and norepinephrine
3. Norepinephrine and Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (NDRIs)
   • Currently, the primary medication in this category is Wellbutrin
   • Targets dopamine and norepinephrine

These medications affect neurotransmitters associated with mood, motivation, sleep cycles, pleasure, and the body’s stress responses. By preventing neurons from reabsorbing these neurotransmitters, the medications increase their levels in a person’s system, which can help alleviate depression symptoms.

What Do Antidepressants Feel Like?

Understanding what antidepressants feel like can help clarify why taking them without a clinical need for depression treatment can be problematic.

For People With Depression

For those with clinical depression, antidepressants typically provide:

• Gradual improvement: Effects build slowly over 2-6 weeks, not immediately
• Return to baseline: Many describe it as “feeling like myself again” rather than feeling artificially happy
• Reduced negative thoughts: The persistent dark thoughts and hopelessness diminish
• Energy restoration: Activities that seemed impossible become manageable again
• Emotional regulation: Ability to feel appropriate emotions returns, rather than constant sadness or numbness

As one patient described it: “It doesn’t make you happy. It makes you able to be happy when there’s something to be happy about, sad when there’s something to be sad about. Before, I was just sad all the time regardless of what was happening.”

For People Without Depression

When someone without depression takes antidepressants, the experience is typically quite different:

• Emotional blunting: Many report feeling “flat” or experiencing a reduced range of emotions
• Unnecessary side effects: Physical symptoms like nausea, headaches, or sexual dysfunction without any therapeutic benefit
• Anxiety or restlessness: Particularly with certain SSRIs, some people experience increased anxiety or jitteriness
• Sleep disruption: Changes to sleep architecture without improving an existing sleep problem
• No euphoria: Unlike recreational drugs, antidepressants don’t produce a “high” or pleasurable sensation

This stark difference explains why antidepressants have limited appeal for recreational use – they simply don’t produce enjoyable effects for people who don’t have depression. Instead, they can disrupt natural emotional responses and neurochemical balance.

The experience of taking antidepressants when not depressed is often described as “dulling” rather than enhancing, which is why their misuse is typically related to misguided self-medication rather than seeking pleasurable effects.

At Arbor Wellness, if you or a love one are struggling with a substance use disorder to antidepressants, we can help. Our detox and residential treatment programs can assist you in navigating mental health disorders and substance use disorder simultaneously.