MYTH VS. FACT
Mental-health myths
Psychiatric treatment carries more folklore than most areas of medicine. Open each claim for a plain-language correction—and the nuance that a slogan leaves out.
These summaries describe evidence across groups, not what one person should do. Medication decisions—including starting, changing, or stopping—belong in a conversation with the prescribing clinician.
12 CLAIMS
REVIEWED SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
MYTH 01 · ANTIDEPRESSANTS“Antidepressants are addictive—you’ll get hooked on them.”
FACT
Antidepressants are not considered addictive: they do not cause a high, cravings, drug-seeking behavior, or compulsive misuse.
The body can still adapt to them. Stopping suddenly can bring dizziness, nausea, flu-like feelings, or “brain zaps,” often within days and sometimes for weeks. NAMI notes that a majority of people who stop abruptly or reduce the dose too fast experience discontinuation syndrome. That is physical dependence, not addiction, and gradual clinician-guided tapering can usually reduce the risk.
Sources: Medical News Today (citing NAMI) · Mayo Clinic
MYTH 02 · ANTIDEPRESSANTS“Antidepressants change your personality—you won’t be yourself anymore.”
FACT
Antidepressants are not intended to change personality. When they work, they reduce symptoms of depression so a person may feel more like themselves again.
Some people do experience emotional numbing or blunting. That is a side effect—not a personality change—and may mean the dose or medication needs adjustment. It is worth raising with the prescriber.
Sources: Psychology Today · Brightside Health
MYTH 03 · ANTIDEPRESSANTS“Antidepressants should make you feel better in a day or two.”
FACT
Antidepressants take time. Improvement may begin within a few weeks, while full benefit typically takes at least six weeks of daily use. If there is no meaningful improvement after several weeks, talk with the prescriber rather than stopping alone.
Early side effects such as nausea or headache can arrive before the benefit and often fade as the body adjusts. About 6 in 10 people feel better on the first antidepressant they try; others need a different option.
Sources: Mayo Clinic · iFightDepression
MYTH 04 · STOPPING TREATMENT“You can stop antidepressants cold turkey whenever you want.”
FACT
Stopping suddenly can cause discontinuation syndrome—including dizziness, headache, nausea, tiredness, anxiety, insomnia, and electric-shock sensations—and can worsen depression. Doses should be tapered under medical supervision.
Symptoms usually begin within days and improve over 1–2 weeks, unlike relapse, which tends to emerge over weeks. Paroxetine and venlafaxine carry higher risk. A minority report symptoms lasting months; evidence about these protracted cases is still developing.
Sources: Mayo Clinic · NHS Dorset
MYTH 05 · CONTINUATION“Once I feel better, I don’t need antidepressants anymore.”
FACT
Stopping as soon as symptoms improve raises relapse risk. Guidelines generally recommend continuing treatment for at least six months after feeling better, and longer after multiple or severe episodes.
In a large trial of 478 long-term users who felt well enough to stop, 56% of those who tapered off relapsed within a year, compared with 39% who continued. Yet 44% who stopped stayed well—so the decision is individual and still requires a taper plan with a clinician.
Sources: Harvard Health · University Hospital Southampton
MYTH 06 · ANTIPSYCHOTICS“Antipsychotics are just heavy tranquilizers that sedate people into submission.”
FACT
Antipsychotics are evidence-based treatments for psychosis symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. They are central to schizophrenia treatment and are also used in bipolar disorder and, at lower doses, alongside antidepressants.
Sedation and emotional blunting can happen, especially with some older drugs. Newer drugs tend to cause less of that but more metabolic effects such as weight gain and blood-sugar changes. Feeling “shut down” should be reported; dose adjustment or a different medication may help. These medicines manage symptoms rather than cure the illness and work best with therapy and support.
Sources: Mental Health America · Psycheducation.org
MYTH 07 · BENZODIAZEPINES“Anti-anxiety pills like Xanax are safe to take every day forever.”
FACT
Benzodiazepines can help quickly, but they are normally intended for short-term use. Tolerance and dependence can develop after only a few weeks, and stopping suddenly can trigger rebound anxiety, insomnia, and other withdrawal symptoms.
Long-term use can bring brain fog, memory problems, emotional numbness, and worse anxiety or depression. After weeks of use, stopping needs a slow, supervised taper. Rare exceptions exist—such as severe treatment-resistant illness under specialist care—when forced withdrawal may cause more harm than continued use.
Sources: NICE patient decision aid · NICE Clinical Knowledge Summary
MYTH 08 · ADHD STIMULANTS“Giving children ADHD stimulants will make them addicted to drugs later.”
FACT
Research does not find that prescribed stimulant treatment increases later substance use or substance-use disorder. An NIMH-funded 16-year follow-up of 579 children found no association between stimulant treatment and adolescent or adult substance use.
ADHD itself is linked with a higher baseline risk of substance-use problems, which can be mistaken for an effect of treatment. Across studies, stimulant treatment appears neither to raise nor reliably lower that risk.
Sources: JAMA Psychiatry study via PMC · APA Psychiatric News
MYTH 09 · KETAMINE“Ketamine is just a party drug—it can’t be a real depression treatment.”
FACT
Esketamine, a ketamine derivative, is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression and, since January 2025, as a stand-alone treatment. Given as a nasal spray under supervision, it can ease symptoms within hours for some people.
IV ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic—not for depression—so depression treatment with it is off-label and should occur in a clinical setting. About half of people respond. It is not a first-choice treatment, misuse and safety risks are real, and questions about long-term effects remain open.
Sources: National Institute of Mental Health · NAMI fact sheet
MYTH 10 · DEPRESSION“Depression is a choice—people should just snap out of it.”
FACT
Depression is a medical illness, not a choice, character flaw, or laziness. It reflects a combination of genetic, biological, and environmental factors and cannot simply be willed away.
Blame worsens stigma and can discourage effective treatment. A helpful response is support and encouragement to seek professional care, including crisis support when there is suicide risk.
Sources: MedicineNet · NIMH materials summarized by Supportiv
MYTH 11 · SCHIZOPHRENIA“People with schizophrenia are violent and dangerous.”
FACT
The vast majority of people with schizophrenia are not violent and are more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators. Schizophrenia is also not “split personality”; it affects thinking, perception of reality, and emotional expression.
As in the general population, a small minority may act aggressively. Risk rises with untreated symptoms, substance use, or lack of care—one reason access to treatment and support matters. With treatment, most people can lead stable, fulfilling lives.
Sources: Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS · NAMI
MYTH 12 · CHEMICAL IMBALANCE“Depression is simply low serotonin, and pills correct the imbalance.”
FACT
The “chemical imbalance” story is an oversimplification. A major 2022 umbrella review found no consistent evidence that depression is caused by low serotonin or reduced serotonin activity. Depression reflects a complex mix of genetics, brain circuits, stress, trauma, and life circumstances.
This does not mean antidepressants do not work; many people benefit even though their exact mechanisms are not fully understood. The scientific debate continues over how serotonin contributes for some people, but depression remains real and treatable.
Sources: Neuroscience News review summary · Psychology Today
