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Antidepressant Treatment

Antidepressants are a medical treatment designed to boost levels of certain depression-related chemicals in the brain. Because these medications function by adjusting neurotransmitters in the brain, a number of considerations must be kept in mind, including the purpose of antidepressants, their side effects, withdrawal and the suicide risk associated with use.

  1. How Antidepressants Work

    • According to commonly accepted medical practice, depression is the result of a chemical imbalance--specifically, a shortage of the chemical serotonin--in the brain. Because serotonin carries messages within the brain that regulate mood, emotions, sleep and basic self thought, a shortage of this chemical results in many of the symptoms commonly associated with clinical depression. Antidepressant therapy works by adjusting how the brain reabsorbs serotonin-based neurotransmitters, a process known as reuptake, after they have completed their function. Antidepressants increase the amount of serotonin available in the brain and curb the most prevalent symptoms of depression.

    Side Effects

    • As with most medications, the use of antidepressants comes with some side effects. Many of these side effects are the result of the chemical adjustments that take place in the brain while antidepressants are used, though some are physical symptoms that may result from the brain's decreased ability to reabsorb serotonin. Common side effects of antidepressant treatment include insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, lowered sex drive (including temporary impotence for men), fluctuations in weight, sweating, fatigue, dry mouth, headaches, and dizziness. Some physical symptoms may also include nausea, diarrhea, constipation and even blurred vision.

    Withdrawal

    • Because antidepressant treatment adjusts brain chemicals, a patient should never simply quit taking the drugs without a reduction plan approved by a doctor. Individuals who do simply stop taking antidepressant drugs may exhibit signs of anxiety or aggression, severe relapses of depression, insomnia, extreme dizziness, and even sensations of electrical shock. More pronounced physical symptoms associated with antidepressant withdrawl might also include flu-like symptoms, nausea accompanied by vomiting, stomach cramps, and muscle spasms. To avoid withdrawal from antidepressants, individuals who take these drugs should consult a doctor or qualified psychiatrist to be properly (and gradually) eased off of them.

    Suicide Risk

    • In the mid-2000s, a rash of suicides in individuals receiving antidepressant treatment prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue warnings about an increased risk of suicide related to antidepressants. According to the FDA, adjusting serotonin levels in a small percentage of people may have an effect that causes the symptoms of depression to become more severe. There is no easily identifiable pattern that determines which individuals may be more at risk when receiving antidepressant therapy, though adolescents, teens, and persons who have recently started taking the drugs or had their dosage adjusted seem to be most likely to experience the issue. For this reason, anyone who is under antidepressant therapy and notices an increased level of aggression, hopelessness, agitation or anxiety should immediately consult a physician, qualified therapist, or in extreme cases a local emergency official.

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