Jul 02 2008
Just How Do Antidepressants Work?
If you go to the doctor for treatment for your depression, you will likely be given an antidepressant as part of your treatment. Antidepressants have gotten a bad reputation over the years because many people become addicted to them or abuse them when they are not actually clinically depressed. However, these are an important part of your treatment, so you should know how they work.
While there are several types of antidepressants on the market, most of them work in a similar fashion. Basically, these medications slow down the uptake of neurotransmitters in the brain. This makes them more available to the brain, helping to stabilize the chemicals in the brain. So what about you? What depression medications did you take, and how well did they work?
2 Responses to “Just How Do Antidepressants Work?”
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Of everything I have been given over the years - and there have been a few - the only thing that ever worked was Xanax and I don’t even take that every day anymore.
Michael Nolan
Frugal Living
I was on Lexapro and Wellbutrin each for around 8 months. Lexapro made me sleep more than half of a day and I never felt completely awake. The chronic tiredness actually made me feel more depressed, you know that worthless feeling you get when you’re dragging. Wellbutrin seemed to have no effect. I still had difficulty being in loud crazy places, I still had suicidal thoughts, and I was still tired feeling and achey all the time.
Since my depression was fairly minor except at that one point in my life, I have been off all antidepressants for 3 years. I have good and bad days, and the occasional horrible day (maybe once every other month), but for the most part I manage it fine on my own.
I do often wonder (if I had health insurance still) whether trying other families of antidepressants would improve my quality of life. It takes work to be even a little outgoing (from a girl who shaved her head for a while - that didn’t used to be difficult).