Question about meds

[Serenity]

Alright so I've been looking up some stuff on depression but I have one question: what exactly do medications do for depression? I mean what do they put in the meds to 'cure' or 'fix' it? Do different situations need different kinds of medication? I just don't get what they target/do, etc.

[Maverick]

How Antidepressants Work
Most antidepressants are believed to work by slowing the removal of certain chemicals from the brain. These chemicals are called neurotransmitters (such as serotonin and norepinephrine). Neurotransmitters are needed for normal brain function and are involved in the control of mood and in other responses and functions, such as eating, sleep, pain, and thinking.

Antidepressants help people with depression by making these natural chemicals more available to the brain. By restoring the brain's chemical balance, antidepressants help relieve the symptoms of depression.

Specifically, antidepressant drugs help reduce the extreme sadness, hopelessness, and lack of interest in life that are typical in people with depression. These drugs also may be used to treat other conditions, such as obsessive compulsive disorder, premenstrual syndrome, chronic pain, and eating disorders.

Typically, antidepressants are taken for 4 to 6 months. In some cases, however, patients and their doctors may decide that antidepressants are needed for a longer time.

[Serenity]

So basically they're like a push to get your brain back on track until everything's balanced again? Right then, danke. :)

[Maverick]

And no I did not copy and paste that. :notangel:

[Serenity]

Nice one :daisy:

*gives rep in spirit* :P

[Maverick]

Only in spirit?! :mad::P

In my psycology class we talked about anti-depressants but figured my entry level college level course knowledge wouldn't suffice facts from the internet.

[Serenity]

lol you were the last person I gave rep to and you're not allowed to give it to the same person twice in a row :P

What would we do without you??

[byee]

Wow, Anthony knocked that one out of the park!

To answer the second part of your q, Valerie, those neurotransmitters get out of whack, which creates the symptoms of depression. That is either caused by the emergence of a genetic predisposition, OR some emotional factors (like loss) that, if experienced for an extended period of time can actually cause that imbalance. So, the anti depressants temporarily restore the natural balance while you're (hopefully) also working thru whatever the emotional issues were that caused the imbalance in the first place. When the issues are resolved, the meds can be d/c'd, and everything is back in equilibrium.

For those with a natural imbalance, like a family history of major deprssive illness, as Anthony said, meds might be indicated long term, like the diabetic taking insulin.

[Serenity]

Well that sucks- if it's an emotional problem that you can't get through, do you just stay on the meds like indefinitely? I mean, is there a max amount of time they would keep you on them if you still can't recover?

[byee]

Val, research has shown that a combo of talk therapy + meds (when indicated) yields the best results. So, if you're doing one without the other, as they say, your mileage may vary. Antidepressants are relatively safe long term, so you can conceivably be on them for a while with no adverse affects. However, when used in conjunction with therapy, they are temporary, 'taking the edge off' (i.e. alleviating the more troublesome physical symptoms) as you're also addressing the issues that caused the problem and learning other ways of coping. When used as the sole treatment, I think the idea is that by taking them, you feel better, and the longer you feel better the less the chance of a relapse when you come off them.

Situational depression (caused by emotional or environmental events) usually passes either way. It just depends on how quickly and thoroughly you want to address it. Solo meds take longer and there's the risk that you won't fully resolve whatever caused the problem in the first place, leaving you more susceptable to a relapse.

Are we talking about you here?

[Nasty-Girl]

Are you lot really buying into this whole thing?

Depression is not always caused by this imbalance. In fact they think it may be an effect of depression. Talk to many people on anti-depressants and they will tell you that they don't "cure" or "fix" them. I know some who describe it as feeling like a zombie. I know some who have said that the only thing they got from the anti-depressants was an easier way to overdose.

[Maverick]

Medication is not for everyone obviously and there are other treatments but to discredit it completely I think is being too presumptuous.

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

@ Nasty-Girl: Medication for me has been amazing. Sure, some drugs have bad side-effects and medication changes have to be made, but drugs are never supposed to "cure" the problem. Drugs are used to help you feel better in order to work out the problem through other means. When you feel like shit you don't think straight, you don't think you can fix the things in your life that suck, you don't think you can ever accept the bad along with the good, and you don't even try. Once meds clear a bit of those bad feelings away, you realize that there is a lot in life that is good, and you see the worth in figuring out what's left of your depression. For some people, medication isn't necessary, and most doctors, if not all, do not put people on anti-depressants forever unless there really is no other option. For me, a combo of medication and therapy is the perfect fix right now. Some day, I may try to work my way off of the medication, see how I do, and if it doesn't work I can go back on them. Being Bipolar however, therapy alone isn't likely to work as well unless my BPD goes dormant for a while, which does happen. I agree that meds aren't always the best solution, but if it weren't for meds, do you have any idea where some people would be right now? The people who actually benefit from these drugs? If I hadn't been able to get my depression under control when I did (and yes meds were a big part of this), I wouldn't be here right now. Do you really think that's better? To allow people to kill themselves because sometimes meds aren't best? A good doctor should monitor their patient after putting them on any medication for any reason, to watch for negative side-effects and to check that they are doing their job. There are many options for when one medication doesn't work ideally. I think the reason so many people are unhappy with their antidepressants is due to a lack of communication. I know how easy it is to go to the doctor and just say "yeah, I'm fine, it's all good, see ya later" instead of admitting there's a problem.

Don't blame everything on medication. There are a lot of factors in depression, and a lot of different ways to alleviate that depression. It's all about what works for the individual patient, not about what didn't work in an unrelated case.

[Nasty-Girl]

Regardless of what caused the depression, one pill is not going to solve it all.

Do you really think victims of systematic abuse are going to be helped by one pill? Or maybe someone who lost their parent at a young age? No. Their problems ;ie deeper and as such demandmore than a pill

[Maverick]

No one is implying that one pill will solve it all. But it can aid along with other treatments such as therapy.

[Gumleaf]

i think its important to remember that everyone reacts differently to medications and what works for one person might not always work for someone else.

[Whisper]

Alright so I've been looking up some stuff on depression but I have one question: what exactly do medications do for depression? I mean what do they put in the meds to 'cure' or 'fix' it? Do different situations need different kinds of medication? I just don't get what they target/do, etc.

Depression a chemical imbalance in the brain
antidepressants are supposed to correct that imbalance
But in teens there risky and need to be monitored closely because of puberty and the constant changes in the brain
If the dosage is wrong it can make your depression severely worse and lead to suicide

So they do help they take AT LEAST one month before you notice any benefits
If you have side effects TELL THE DOC allot of the time if you don't tell then A) it can lead to more problems or B) you can be stuck with that side effect till you change the dose or get a different drug

I was on Effexor XR and I had SEVERE and constant aching pain in my balls it got to the point where i couldn't cum at all and the pain became worse and worse and worse. It didn't stop till a friend dragged me to the ER and I saw my family doc who immediately took me off them

Although antidepressants are an effective way to treat depression they shouldn't be the only way you try and fight it
When I was younger 16-18 and it was REALLY bad, my arms were covered in literally over a hundred cuts, my chest was covered, I stopped talking all I'd do is whisper, I stopped sleeping literally going 3days plus with no sleep, stopped eating (at 17 and 6' tall I was 110lbs)
What REALLY helped me, what always seemed to make me smile no matter how bad it seemed was a GREAT psychologist I first dealt with yrs ago when I was in grade 4
I would be catatonic when I arrived 2hrs later when mum n dad would come to get me I'd be smiling and happier

I went through ALLOT of shitty psychologists including one marriage counselor the gov sent me to that yelled at me total bitch...WICKED office though



Point I'm trying to make is it's NEVER good to just depend on the meds
In allot of cases they help if takin right and monitored
but happiness is NOT just a pill away

[Antares]

As far as I have...like..interpreted them is just the drugs in the pills go straight to your brain. They make your brain release one of its many godly chemicals that kinda make you happy. Happy enough so you're not depressed but you're not LIKE WHOA IM HAPPY!

So yeah thats my theory! Well thats how I would make it at least...

That is very intresting though. Being a pharmacist may be fun!

[Nasty-Girl]

If the cause of depression was the chemical imbalance then it should not take a month for any improvement to be seen. If it is the cause then symptoms should be alleviated much sooner.

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

Nasty-Girl, it may not take a full month, but it can definitely take a few days to a few weeks for the pills to get into your system. With most anti-depressants, if not all, the chemicals have to build up in order to work properly, it's not like Tylenol where you take one dose and you feel better.

[Nasty-Girl]

I'm saying that if the true cause of depression is a chemical imbalance then we would all feel jolly and depression-free straight after having this imbalance corrected. Not weeks after.

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

But the imbalance doesn't get corrected until up to weeks after because the medication works by building up in your system. That's just how it works, it doesn't care if you think that's not how it should be.

[Patchy]

I'm not too sure but I read somewhere that it can cause problems in later life once you stop taking them, you can end up more depressed than you were b4.

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

Everything has risks. But at least in my experience, meds can still be beneficial.

[Sapphire]

As far as I'm concerned, anti-depressants should not be prescribed to teenagers as our brains are still developing. Anti-d's in teenage years can (as previously stated) cause problems later on in life.

[Whisper]

If the cause of depression was the chemical imbalance then it should not take a month for any improvement to be seen. If it is the cause then symptoms should be alleviated much sooner.
I've been on many diffrent kinds
my best friend is on 200mg of Sertraline
Believe me it usually takes at least 4 weeks for it to stabilize and for you to notice benefits
you go through the side effects before you get the ben so most people stop before it has a chance to work

Anti-depressants aren't like Tylenol it takes awhile for it to build up slowly in your system
it has to be tapered up to the right dosage and if you ever decide to go off them it has to slowly be tapered down

[byee]

I've been on many diffrent kinds
my best friend is on 200mg of Sertraline
Believe me it usually takes at least 4 weeks for it to stabilize and for you to notice benefits
you go through the side effects before you get the ben so most people stop before it has a chance to work

Anti-depressants aren't like Tylenol it takes awhile for it to build up slowly in your system
it has to be tapered up to the right dosage and if you ever decide to go off them it has to slowly be tapered down

QFT!

I think meds are an available treatment in the arsenal against depression, and have been proven effective with teens, esp. in conjunction with 'talk therapy'. There are risks associated with their use (as there are with any medication), but when administered and monitored properly by a qualified professional, are better than suffering with untreated depression.

Many people have a bias against meds, more because of either personal experience or what they've read. Or maybe just a knee jerk reaction to them, for whatever reason. However, the final decision is best left to the individual, their parents (if minors) and a qualified professional. Everyone's experience/opinion/bias is different, which is why it might be best to leave these things to those qualified to assess and treat them.