Antidepressants

Antidepressants are prescription medications issued by a doctor to treat mood disorders such as depression. The most commonly used prescription antidepressants are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's) and serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhuibotors (SNRI's). They work by increasing the number of chemical messengers (serotonin and norepinephrine) in your brain to correct an imbalance which may have been caused by genes or events in your life or even both. It is a proven fact that low levels of these chemicals cause depression, but when they are elevated mood improves dramatically.

These particular drugs help by improving one's mood, as well as increasing appetite and concentration. It sort of works like this - if you improve these disorders, you will be able to sleep better - if you sleep better you will feel better.

However, before any recognizable improvement occurs it may be weeks (2-6 weeks is not unusual). Also, because every individual responds differently to medication due to various circumstances, it may take several attempts to find one of the several types of antidepressants that works best for you and some people may only need to take them short term for several months, while others may need to take them for years.

The most commonly prescribed drugs which fall under this category are Paxil, Prozac and Lexapro and these drugs are prescribed more often than those used for serious common ailments like high blood pressure, headaches, cholesterol and diabetes. That is staggering!

In any event, antidepressant medication, especially if combined with psychotherapy seems to be the most popular treatment of choice for depression. Besides these medications there are other things one can do to help, such as avoiding alcoholic beverages, staying away from illegal drugs, avoiding caffeine, exercising on a regular basis, such as walking, yoga, etc. or turning to alternative treatments like natural herbal therapy.

These medications are not exclusive for depression. Other conditions can be treated as well, such as anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, pain disorders, eating disorders and several other conditions. However, these are potent medications that should never be taken without a doctor's prescription - it could be disastrous.

Depression is a terrible disease that presently affects approximately 19 million Americans, and women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men are. If you fall under this category it would be wise to familiarize yourself with the available antidepressant medications, as well as the other options to treat this condition before it gets out of control.