I do a hell of a lot of psychiatry in my practice. I once did an audit where nearly 50% of my patients had a modest or significant psychiatric symptomatology. We also have to prescribe long term treatment for psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, panic attacks, phobic anxiety, free-floating anxiety depression and psychotic syndromes.
Why is it when I prescribe anti-depressants or anxiolytic, the patients' initial response if often that they don't want to get 'hooked' on therapy? Even those with quite severe depression (PHQ-9 of >20/27) say they'd rather not be on medication.
I accept that in the past the overliberal use of Benzodiazepines and SSRIs might have resulted in problems, but you don't get Diabetic patients saying that they don't want to be hooked on insulin, do you?
It's all about attitude......
