Mental Health Drugs in Nigeria

Nigeria is slowly saying the quiet part out loud: depression and anxiety are common, treatable, and nothing to be ashamed of. The medicines most often prescribed are the SSRIs — sertraline (Zoloft) and fluoxetine (Prozac) — taken once daily, non-addictive, and effective for depression, panic, OCD, and anxiety. Affordable Indian generics have put treatment within reach of far more people than the imported brands ever did.

Expectations matter with these drugs: they take two to six weeks to work, sometimes feel worse before better in the first days, and should be stopped gradually with a doctor rather than abruptly. They also work best alongside talking — therapy where available, but even a trusted doctor, counsellor, or support group changes outcomes. Starting an antidepressant is not weakness; untreated depression is the more dangerous option by a distance.