What is depression you may ask? Well, this is one of mental disorders that’s widely spread in the western world with a constantly growing number of patients. Fortunately, there’re numerous types of treatments for depression including depression medication available in the contemporary market. These treatments prove rather effective and give an opportunity to completely get rid of depression.
Some of the most popular treatments for depression are prescription anti depressants. Few patients really know how these drugs actually function and what can result from taking them. So, in order to get this useful knowledge it’s necessary to review a few most commonly used types of depression medication.
Well, four types of depression medication are distinguished. But it should be mentioned that some medicinal prescription treatments for depression don’t belong to anyone of these four categories which include: Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs), Tricyclics Antidepressants (TCAs), Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), and Serotonin/Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).
It should be said that all of these four types of depression medication have much in common, especially when it comes to the mode of action. All of them function by increasing the level of neurotransmitters in the human brain. Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) do it by means of inhibiting the enzymatic breakdown of neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine through monoamine oxidase. Tricyclics Antidepressants (TCAs) don’t allow the uptake of different neurotransmitters including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. At the same time, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin/Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), selectively don’t allow the reuptake of definite neurotransmitters. In addition, all higher mentioned treatments for depression can have visible side effects. The side effects greatly depend on the kind of anti depressant being chosen.
One of the disadvantages of all types of depression medication bring a positive visible effect on the poor patient only in a few days or even weeks of constant treatment. These medications should be taken regularly and consistently for several months or even years before drug levels are allowed to be reduced or the drugs are no longer needed for the patient.
Well, the effect of anti depressants on neurotransmitter levels is well studied, but how they really function to decrease depression isn’t known to the fullest. According to some theories, the excessive levels of neurotransmitters brought by anti depressants during a long period of time can result in a lower regulation of neurotransmitter-receptors that is well evaluated by the doctors. Other theories claim that anti depressants have positive effects in time, including neurogenesis or altered gene expression patterns. Nevertheless, no matter how the anti depressive work for depression treatment, they obviously bring positive results in almost all cases of depression. As a result, anti depressants in combination with psychotherapy are wonderful treatments for depression of most patients.
It’s a pity, but all of the mentioned types of depression medication produce tolerance that can result in the need of increasing dosage or changing depression treatment. Besides, the risk of withdrawal effects is very high when the patient is taking medication for a long period of time. Consequently, the patient faces a long-term dependence on the drugs he or she takes. Despite these negative sides of depression medication, all classic types of them offer a great number of advantages as well. At the same time, because of the induction of tolerance, the high risk of side effects, and the dependency on the drugs, these sorts of treatments depression should be only taken under the supervision of a medical professional. Besides, the depressed patient has to work on his or her improving the health condition apart from taking drugs. The measurements to be taken include healthy nutrition that includes nutritional supplements, as well as sports and different outdoor activities, mental training, including meditation, etc. These are additional treatments for depression which will also assist the depressed patient to fight against the illness.
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