Her life was very nearly destroyed by anti-depressants

From this report in Peterborough Today

Fifteen years ago Karen Ferris had it all. She was a successful business woman with two thriving hair salons in Peterborough, a beauticians, an active social life and a happy marriage to boot.

Living life to the max she was working hard and partying hard but Karen threw it all away with her passion for 'the hedonistic lifestyle' and all that comes with it. More than a decade of celebrity functions, award nights, social events and drinking to excess led to her downfall and her body eventually said 'no'.

She became an alcoholic, suffered a nervous breakdown, and all the trauma and stigma associated with mental health issues, only to wind up a few years later dependent on anti-depressants. [...]

It was a dark time and not something Karen, 42, likes to dwell on, having successfully detoxed and got her life back on track, but she is keen to tell the community about her experiences in the hope of preventing others going down the same route.

She said: "My business was my life and I hate to hear myself moaning about it, because so many women would have loved to have been able to give up work and look after the children, but it made me so unhappy. "My partner said what's the point of having two stressed out people in the house? He encouraged me to sell the business and become a full-time mum.

"Basically when I did, my whole world caved in. I was a business person, people said I was very lucky but at the end of the day you are what you are.

"I started suffering from depression and went to my doctor who put me on Prozac."

Prozac, which is a trade name for the anti-depressant drug Fluoxetine, is generally prescribed to people with moderate depression.

Karen doesn't know why she was put on Prozac, rather than given counselling or another drug, and she accepts that for some people it can do wonders, but for her it marked the start of a six-year downward spiral in which she lost her husband, her dignity and nearly her children.

Karen said: "Basically it ruined my life. When I was on it I started craving alcohol again. You lose your feeling, your essence, your sex drive, everything goes and if you have a glass of wine it's like you have had three.

"I know what people will be thinking and I know I'm the one that had a drink, you can't blame the drug for that.

"But in the last two months since I've been off it I've achieved more than I have ever done in the past six years.

"I made some silly decisions and I'm not saying it's the Prozac's fault, but I thought I was alright on it and instead I was just burying my problems."

Karen tells her story today because she fears people see medication as a quick fix to their problems rather than facing up to things.

[...]

But each individual is different and Karen does not blame her doctor, only herself for not addressing the problem sooner.

She said: "It makes you argumentative and horrible to the people you love – even your children.

"I was living a pity party full of anger and resentment."

It was only after a severe relapse in her mental stability that she sought help and was immediately advised to stop taking the Prozac. [...] Without their help she would still be taking the drug.

She said: "It's only two-and-a-half months in and I'm still very emotional. I don't feel euphoric. I just have feelings which I haven't had for so long.

"Since I have been on this new treatment programme I have felt level and I'm very emotional, but I think that's because I'm dealing with my issues without any crutch now." [...]