A
male
age
36-40,
anonymous
writes:last year I was diagnosed with depression and have been taking sertraline which was recommend by the doctor, ive had a difficult life and things haven't gotten any easier. my grandfather passed away from cancer five years ago which really affected me and losing someone close to him and also my girlfriend cheated on me which broke my heart, we are no longer together.I'm wanting to come off the tablets because I'm making progress and all the tablets are doing is making me fat and tired and I can't focus properly at work as ive had faints and other side effects to add to that. My mum says if I come off the medication she will contact social services and I'll be taken into care or if I can't be trusted with taking the medication I'll be forced to have a holiday all the time permantley with my parents if I chose to make things harder. is my mum right or wrong? I think it was bang out of order with the social services bit. I'd appreciate the advice.
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female
reader, aunt honesty  +, writes (13 June 2017):
 Mu guess is your mum loves you and that is why she is saying these things as she does not want to see you depressed. The best bet is to make a doctors appointment and tell him how you feel. Maybe he can organize some therapy for you and see if it makes a difference.
A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (7 June 2017): I have with mum, but she doesn't seem to listen, doctors ive made an appointment for, in a way yes.
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (7 June 2017): I appreciate the advice you have offered to me rubybirtle. haven't been sectioned before or part of any bail conditions.
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A
female
reader, RubyBirtle +, writes (7 June 2017):
So have you spoken to your mother about this since? And have you seen your GP to discuss the side-effects you are experiencing on your current medication?
Please remember what I said earlier about not stopping sertraline cold turkey.
But to reassure you once again, you can't be taken into care or sectioned simply at your mother's insistance; only if you are displaying thoughts and behaviours that are reckless and a danger to you or to others due to a mental inacapacity.
Was she "out of order" when she said it? Well she probably could have been a bit less melodramatic but do remember (and I say this as someone who has suffered with a depressive disorder myself) that we really put our loved ones through an emotional wringer when we are suffering from depression so we kind of owe it to them to do everything we can to stay well - even if those things are a bit inconvenient or uncomfortable sometimes.
So I can totally understand you Mum's fears about coming off your meds. If your depressive episode caused you to self-harm or act agressively or if you required a lot of support from your folks, then I think you owe it to them to come up with some kind of compromise.
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (5 June 2017): I appreciate the advice you have offered to me rubybirtle. haven't been sectioned before or part of any bail conditions.
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (3 June 2017): I'm thirty.
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A
female
reader, anonymous, writes (2 June 2017): Why don't you talk to your doctor and explain your side affects ...and see what the suggest is and go by that ...never mind what you mum saYs .
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A
female
reader, RubyBirtle +, writes (2 June 2017):
Are you really 30 - 35? Because being "taken into care" is for children, not adults. Or did you mean being "sectioned" which is the term used in the UK for adults who need to be detained or forced to accept treatment due to mental health disorders?
When you had your depressive episode before, were you sectioned then? Do you have a diagnosed learning difficulty? Do you receive any government assistance for health or learning needs? Have you ever been referred to social services before? Were you arrested in the past and is your mother's supervision a condition of your bail? Do you have a physical disability too?
If you've answered "NO" to the questions above - then I doubt very much that you meet the criteria that would make you "sectionable" unless TWO health care professionals agree that you lack the capacity to make long term decisions about your care AND are either a danger to yourself or others. So your mother can sound off all she likes - but ultimately, it's not her decision. Even if she does have power of attorney.
Having said that, SSRI medication (which includes sertraline) can be quite dangerous to stop suddenly so you should discuss reducing your dose first with your G.P rather than just going cold turkey. Your GP may also be able to suggest an alternative medication with fewer side-effects if he/she feels that continuing with medication is important for you. But even your GP can't force you take medications against your will if you have the capacity to make informed decisions.
And it's actually illegal for you mother to deprive you of your liberty by forcing you to remain at home or insisting that you have someone with you at all times.
I suggest you call her bluff.... let her call social services. They will probably refuse to get involved. If they do get involved - speak to them in a calm and rational manner and they will most probably deem you to have capacity and their involvement will end their. You could also use that opportunity to explain to social services that your mother has threatened to keep you at home and monitor you. They should warn your mother that it's illegal to do so if you are over 18.
All this advice only stands if are over 18 though.
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A
reader, anonymous, writes (2 June 2017): Your mother is correct. If the medication is adding extra weight, you may need to change your diet and include more exercise. Sometimes your doctor can prescribe additional medication to counter the side-effects. You might also see another doctor for a second-opinion; but you may want to work that out with your mother; so she won't initiate any actions unbeknownst to you.
If she is so steadfast about your medication and treatment; it may be based on things that have happened in the past. She is concerned of how you might regress if you stop the medication without your doctor's approval. Which raises the question why you haven't discussed changing medications with your doctor? Would it be you fear the answer is no? Have you stopped before, and had dire consequences?
Side-effects should be discussed with your doctor immediately. I see no reason why any mental-health professional writing prescriptions would jeopardize their practice by allowing their patient to suffer ill-effects from their prescriptions. The strength, dosage, and type of medication is based on your medical condition. Maybe some
adjustments can be made, but that is really at your doctor's discretion. Not yours!
I would assume your mother has some sort of legal-guardianship, or power of attorney over you; and she is able to follow-through with whatever she says. It's best you comply and do as your doctors tell you.
I can agree that making serious threats towards you isn't warranted; unless you've had some really big scares in your past. Her over-protectiveness is one thing, but I think it's unnecessary for her to treat you like a child. You might remind her, only if you've been compliant and reliable with your doctor's orders.
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