About Depression
Depression is a feeling of impending doom. Many people describe it as living in a black hole. It is not just a sad feeling but depressed people feel empty, lifeless and apathetic. Some people also feel aggression, restlessness and sometimes become angry as well. It affects the work ability. It is not easy to concentrate on the studies. You cannot eat, sleep and have fun like a normal person. The feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness are so strong that a person wants to get rid of it and seek out ways to get little relief from it. Depression is also known as major depressive disorder or major depression. It affects the person’s way of behavior and thought. A constant feeling of sadness is always there due to which it causes lack of interest from the outside world.
What You Need to Know about Depression Medications
Many different options for depression treatments are available that may work for you. Many types of depression medicines are used to get rid of it. Antidepressant is used to come out of depression. It is a type of medication that is to lift the mood of a depressed person. It is also used to treat obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder and post – traumatic stress disorder. It is believed that antidepressant work by changing the levels of a group of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters.
Is depression caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain?
Chemical imbalance is one theory that is related with mental illness. But there are other causes also such as social and psychological. The main causes of psychiatric conditions are neurotransmitter imbalances inside the brain. Other mental illnesses are also associated with too much activity of several neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
Side effects of antidepressant medication
You can get various side effects from antidepressant medication. Some of the common side effects include dry mouth and sleeping disorder. Men usually get affected with erectile dysfunction. It also makes a person feel sick and also results in excessive sweating. Sexual side effects make the person stop using it.
It is believed that when the body becomes used to antidepressant there is an improvement in the side effects.
The antidepressants like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) also cause side effects such as difficulty in maintaining erection, blurred vision, constipation, diarrhea, dizziness, loss of appetite, delayed ejaculation in men and low sex drive.
Antidepressant risk factors
According to FDA, antidepressants increase the risk of suicidal thought and actions in the teens. The prescriptions given for the antidepressants have reduced significantly and there is continuous warning from FDA regarding the consumption of antidepressants, as it increases suicidal tendency in children and adolescents.
How effective are antidepressants?
People who suffer from moderate to severe depression take antidepressants, although it may not cure it. But they can reduce the symptoms of depression. Many antidepressants are available and you may get an opportunity to find the best one for you. All these antidepressants work in different ways and give different side effects. Some of them give instant results and can give quick relief from the symptoms of depression. Some are very expensive, especially when there is no generic version found. Some doctors prescribe SSRI antidepressant to relieve depression in some people.
How antidepressants help for depression?
Antidepressants drugs help to reduce the symptoms of depressive disorders by improving chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters inside the brain. The Chemical imbalances in the brain are responsible for mood changes as well as behavior. It works by increasing the levels of specific neurotransmitters around the nerves inside the brain. For instance SSRI antidepressant affect serotonin levels in the brain. Neurotransmitters are important because they are the link of communication between the nerve cells inside the brain.
Tips for stopping your antidepressants safely
Following are the tips for stopping the use of antidepressants safely:
• Reduce your dose gradually: Many drugs including antidepressants can cause discontinuation syndrome symptoms. So it is better to reduce the dosage slowly and don’t stop the usage at once. If you suddenly stop taking it then you may feel that you have flu or stomach bugs. There will be a disturbance in your thoughts. To minimize the symptoms of discontinuation, take your medication slowly under the guidance of your doctor.
• Don’t rush the process: All the medications of depression lead to withdrawal symptoms when stopping it too quickly. It is not common with medications taken for a long time. It is also seen in people who stop taking the older types of antidepressants. There is no need to rush the process. Proceed slowly to get effective results.
• Choose a time to stop that is not so stressful: It is not so stressful if you stop taking antidepressants at a specific time. If you are going through difficult situation in your life such as divorce, so it will be good if you wait for some time, before trying to find comfort by taking any kind of antidepressant.
Final words
Antidepressant may not help to get rid of depression completely, but it can help to minimize its effect. There are certain risk factors and side effects are associated with it. It’s important to take it under the supervision of your health expert.