SHORT ANSWER
No. Dependence risk depends on the class of medicine. Many antidepressants and antipsychotics do not cause dependence in the way psychoactive substances do; some groups (for example, benzodiazepines) genuinely require caution and short courses — and a doctor takes this into account when prescribing.
Why is that?
The myth mixes up three different things: psychological dependence ("I want more"), physical tolerance (the body adapts to the dose), and withdrawal syndrome (unpleasant symptoms after abrupt stopping). Some medicines can produce tolerance or withdrawal — that is not "addiction" in the everyday sense, but a predictable bodily response that a doctor accounts for when choosing doses and planning a gradual stop.
Antidepressants and most antipsychotics do not produce the "high" that underlies substance abuse: they do not create euphoria or craving. That is why, when prescribed properly, they can be taken for months under medical supervision.
The other case is benzodiazepines (sedatives and sleep aids from this group) and some other medicines: they carry a real dependence risk, so they are prescribed cautiously and in short courses. This is not a reason to fear all "psychiatric pills" — it is a reason to ask questions about the specific medicine you were given.
WHAT TO DO
- Ask your doctor: why this particular medicine, how long it is usually taken, and what the stopping plan looks like.
- Do not stop abruptly without consulting — for some medicines abrupt withdrawal causes unpleasant symptoms.
- Do not take other people's medicines or change doses on internet advice.