Common Types of Antidepressants

As their name implies, antidepressants are used to treat patients suffering from depression. They are not a cure-all and should usually be taken in conjunction with therapy and other forms of treatment, but in many cases they can help stabilize a patient's emotions. That can alleviate the feelings of sadness, listlessness and despair which often accompany clinical depression. Scientists still don't understand exactly how they work, though they do understand what different types of antidepressants do.

SSRIs

• SSRIs are the most common form of antidepressant taken today. The letters stand for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain, responsible for improved moods in ways which scientists still don't entirely understand. SSRIs work by preventing the brain from reabsorbing serotonin, thus leaving the overall levels higher. Specific brands of SSRI include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft) and paroxetine (Paxil).

MAOIs

• MAOIs are an older form of antidepressant which isn't used much anymore. The name stands for monoamine oxidase inhibitors. They work much the same way SSRIs do, but they are less discriminating, preventing the re-uptake of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, tyramine and dopamine in addition to serotonin. They still work, but some of the neruotransmitters they affect also regulate blood pressure. A sudden, dangerous rise in blood pressure can affect some patients, and psychiatrists thus hesitate to prescribe it until other types of anti-depressant have been tried.

Tricyclics

• Tricyclic antidepressants form a sort of balance between SSRIs and MAOIs. They prevent the re-uptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine; they are more discriminate than MAOIs, but not as specialized as SSRIs. Side effects are less risky than with MAOIs, but still occur. They can include increased blood pressure, feelings of listlessness or tiredness, blurred vision, dry mouth, and difficulty urinating or defecating. SSRIs, which have fewer side effects, are thus preferred in most cases. The list of available tricyclics includes desipramine (Norpramin), amitriptyline (Elavil) and imipramine (Tofranil).

Atypical Antidepressants

• In addition to SSRIs, MAOIs and tricyclics, there are a number of other antidepressants which treat the problem in different ways. They affect neurotransmitters besides serotonin, and their numbers include venlafaxine (Effexor), bupropion (Wellbutrin) and duloxetine (Cymbalta). Many of them are still being researched, and use of them can involve side effects similar to those of tricyclic antidepressants.

Considerations

• It is important to remember than anti-depressants merely treat the symptoms of depression. They do not represent a magic bullet. To overcome depression, it is important to seek out the root causes of it, usually through therapy with a trained psychologist or counselor. They can help you identify the patterns of thinking which cause depression and teach you ways to alter them or address the traumas which caused them. Antidepressants can help stabilize your mood to facilitate that process, but cannot and should not serve as a substitute.