Medications called antidepressants are used to treat mood disorders including depression and anxiety, as well as ailments like bulimia, OCD, and PTSD.
A variety of neurotransmitters, including serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine, are affected by these medications, all of which have a role in regulating mood and anxiety.
Depression and anxiety can be addressed in a variety of ways, medication being one of them. It’s possible that other therapies, such as talk therapy or dietary adjustments, will be required.
Starting Antidepressants
Your doctor may consider these indicators to determine whether or not antidepressants would be helpful to you. There is hope for depression treatment with antidepressants if:
- You have depression or anxiety: Some of the symptoms of depression include a lack of identity. There are antidepressants that can help those who have noticed changes in their behavior or mood and who may be depressed.
- You’ve attempted additional treatments: Before starting antidepressant medication, some patients try talking therapy or making other changes to their routine first. Medication can help you feel better and more like yourself if you haven’t seen any progress with other forms of treatment.
- Depression is troublesome: it lowers your standard of living and makes it harder to fulfill your obligations. Even the most routine activities and meeting your most fundamental needs might become a struggle. If you’re struggling with depression and it’s affecting your daily life, your doctor may suggest antidepressants to help you feel better.
- You’ve experienced mental health issues in the past: If you’ve previously struggled with depression, your doctor may advise trying antidepressants, especially if your symptoms are beginning to worsen.
- You don’t have the stamina to pursue alternative treatments: Depression can deplete your strength, making it difficult to look for help elsewhere. Some depressed persons lack the motivation to put in the time and effort required to benefit from counseling. Antidepressants can provide symptom stability, allowing you to begin other forms of treatment.
- You suffer from anxiety: Anxiety disorders and their symptoms are common among depressed individuals. It’s helpful that antidepressants can alleviate more than just depression symptoms. Your doctor may recommend antidepressant treatment for you in order to reduce signs of both diseases.
- You believe taking antidepressants is the best option: For those who haven’t responded to other treatments or who have a very complicated chemical imbalance, antidepressants may be the best option. It may be time to see a doctor for a prescription if you believe your depression is becoming worse despite prior therapies.
Finding an Effective Antidepressant
Antidepressants come in a wide variety, each with its own unique mechanism of action and set of potential negative side effects. There are a number of factors your doctor may take into account when deciding which antidepressant would work best for you.
- Specific to your symptoms. Certain antidepressants may be more effective at treating particular symptoms of depression. An antidepressant that induces drowsiness or calmness in certain users may help those who have difficulties sleeping.
- Potential negative effects. Antidepressant side effects might differ from drug to drug and from person to person. Sticking with treatment can be challenging if unpleasant side effects arise. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you understand and manage any potentially serious adverse effects.
- If it was successful for a close relative. A medicine’s efficacy in treating a parent or sibling can be an indicator of how it will treat you. You may find success with the same medication that helped you before.
- Drug interaction. When used with other medications, some antidepressants can be extremely harmful.
- Having a baby or nursing a baby. The dangers and benefits of taking antidepressants while pregnant or breastfeeding must be weighed carefully. Using antidepressants during pregnancy is associated with a small increased risk of major birth abnormalities and other issues for the fetus. Even yet, the use of some antidepressants, such as paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), is not recommended when pregnant. If you’re depressed and pregnant or trying to conceive, talk to your doctor about effective treatment options.
- Other health conditions. Antidepressants might be problematic for people with preexisting mental or physical health concerns. Yet, some antidepressants may be useful in treating both depression and other physical or mental health issues. Several antidepressants, for instance, may also help with anxiety symptoms. A possible aid in quitting smoking is bupropion. Additional examples are the use of amitriptyline for the prevention of migraines and the treatment of pain or fibromyalgia with duloxetine (Cymbalta, Drizalma Sprinkle).
Depression treatment options besides medicines
Several of the best doctors agree that talking therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy are an option for those not responding to conventional treatments for depression (CBT).
CBT encourages optimistic thinking as a means of problem management. To put it another way, it helps you break free of harmful habits.
In most cases, antidepressants and cognitive behavioral therapy are used to treat moderate to severe depression.
Antidepressants are effective, with a rapid onset of symptom relief. Treatment for depression using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is lengthy since it must examine and address multiple factors.
Adults should get at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to intense exercise to promote and sustain physical and mental health. activities like swimming, running, and brisk walking are examples of high-velocity activities.
Conclusion
Realize that there is no shame in choosing to treat your depression with antidepressants. There is nothing wrong with using antidepressants if they can help you get through the hardest periods when dealing with depression. If you find that they help you cope with your depression, you and psychologist can discuss gradually tapering off of them to avoid the risk of addiction.
FAQs
1. How can I know if I need a higher dosage of my antidepressants?
After three months of treatment with antidepressants, most patients report feeling better. Your antidepressant dose may be too low if you have been taking them for three months without seeing any positive changes in your symptoms or mood.
2. Are long-term antidepressant treatment options effective?
Long-term pharmaceutical use may be necessary for those who suffer from chronic or severe depression. Antidepressants are frequently used indefinitely in such circumstances. One reason for this is that depression is now untreatable.
3. How do antidepressants help?
One theory for how they function is that they raise neurotransmitter levels in the brain. Serotonin and noradrenaline are two examples of neurotransmitters associated with positive and negative emotions, respectively.
