Importance of Antidepressants

The world that we contemporarily survive and interact in is one that has advanced and developed to a point that would have been plainly inconceivable a few decades ago. This is truer in terms of the medical development and advancement that has taken place in recent years in the medical sector. More effective and helpful modes of treatment and medicines have been discovered and worked out to deal with any kind or disease or disorder.

This also holds true for antidepressants, medicines given to treat depression and feelings of melancholy and sadness. They are given to control and manage the inevitable drops that people tend to experience, sometimes inexplicably, in terms of moods.

History of Antidepressants

Antidepressants were originally developed in the 1950s and have been in regular use since then. The exceptional prevalence of their sales and production has accentuated, considering that today there are almost 30 different kinds of antidepressants.
Furthermore, statistics indicate that approximately 2 in every 100 young people are inclined to use particular antidepressants.

Importance of Antidepressants

Antidepressants are especially important for individuals with histories of anxiety disorders and/or other similar behavioral dysfunctions. They offer the only effectual way out of an exceptionally distressing or depressing situation.

Complete appreciation of significance of antidepressants is something that can only be estimated after comprehending their power of treating psychological conditions such as manic depression and other anxiety disorders.

Neurotransmitter systems or chemicals called Serotonin and Noradrenalin in particular cease to function normally during such behaviorally altered states of mind or depression. Subsequently, antidepressants stimulate these chemicals to make them more active, thus bringing the brain out of the mental condition it is in as a result of depression.

Antidepressants are important as they sometimes reflect the most effectual solution to manic depression and anxiety disorders.

However, one must remember the fact that certain antidepressants have side effects and such antidepressant drugs should be avoided. Also, a healthcare professional should be considered before taking any antidepressant. Most of the side effects, however, are harmless. For instance, there can be withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness and upset stomachs.

Fundamentally however, antidepressants should be taken as they bring about temperamentally alterations in neurotransmitter behavior, something that would be impossible to achieve without such a medicine.

It would be apt to acknowledge that while all antidepressant medications are equally effective; some tend to work better for some people than they do for others. They elevate depressive moods in 60% to 80% of people who use them as directed. The absence of side effects in the prevalence of cases, furthermore, is something that further justifies the stance that antidepressants must be taken in case of significant psychological or behavioral disorders after being prescribed by a healthcare professional.

Some Important Antidepressants

SSRI Antidepressants

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are mainly helpful in treating depression in early stages before it becomes intense. SSRI’s are ideal fro people with minor depressive illnesses. Some of the SSRI’s medications are:

• Celexa (citalopram)
• Lexapro (escitalopram oxalate)
• Luvox (fluvoxamine)
• Paxil (paroxetine)
• Prozac (fluoxetine)
• Zoloft (sertraline)

SNRI Antidepressants

The selective Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) affect norepinephrine and serotonin, the main neurotransmitters that cause depression. Depression is caused when the brain levels of one or more neurotransmitter are low or unbalanced. SNRIs increase the level of both norepinephrine and serotonin that results in alleviating symptoms of depression and anxiety. They include:

• Cymbalta (duloxetine)
• Effexor (venlafaxine)
• Pristiq (desvenlafaxine)

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MOIs) block the clean up activity of 3 neurotransmitters in the brain that play an important role in sending messages. These neurotransmitters are burned up by a protein called monoamine oxidase, a liver and brain enzyme. If excess of proteins are destroyed, it causes depression. Thus, by blocking this activity, monoamine oxidase inhibitors alleviate symptoms of depression. They are:

• Nardil (phenelzine)
• Parnate (tranylcypromine)

Antidepressants are very important for treatment of depression. However, it is important that antidepressants are taken only after they have been prescribed by a physician to avoid side effects.