Look at my title which suggests that it is hard to find the full story about depression medication. Depression seems to be almost endemic and the CDC in America estimates that up to 40 million people will suffer from this debilitating condition at some point in their lives.
Watch for these signs if you reckon you or a loved one might have depression. A doctor’s visit is essential but here are some warning signs. sombreness and doom, pessimism, discouragement, helplessness and a consummate lack of any will to do activities which were once a pleasure could be the alarm bells. If it seems that the reaction is out of proportion to the event or it is going on for a considerable time, then this may be another indicator.
Anti depressant medication now usually is composed of what we call SSRIs which are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These have the effect of increasing the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain which is a key element in our moods.
When you start taking this depression medication, lots of strange things can come up as the drug takes some time to kick in. Some people never get used to the side effects and many report ups and downs, insomnia,pains in the chest, nausea, anxiety. Celexa and Ativan can raise levels of Prolactin and cause breast pain. While some patients are fine and respond well to anti depression medication, there are a large number of patients who get even more low when they have to cope with the side effects. Is it actually a case of taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut?
The other alarming thing about this depression medication is that although the fear of a rise in suicides may have been enlarged, the fact is that the drug companies themselves do not know how exactly these drugs work on our brains. There are also lots of questions about the long term effects and nobody wants to go round like a zombie for years.
I think this is why patients are now turning to alternative treatment for depression rather than the hyped up anti depression medication. There are too many unanswered questions whereas natural remedies for depression are much less devastating and just as effective in my view.