| Ten percent of American grownups are reported to suffer from a depressive disorder. This type of mental disorders includes major depression. Common symptoms of major depression are the following:
Taking no interest in things you used to enjoy, feeling sad or empty, feeling slowed down or feeling restless and unable to sit still, weight gain or loss, thoughts about suicide or death; trouble thinking, recalling things or concentrating; trouble sleeping, in particular in the early morning or waiting to sleep all the time; feeling exhausted all the time.
Some people may also have bad headaches, other aches and pains, digestive problems or sexual disorders. Older people who feel blue may also feel confused or have trouble understanding simple requests.
Depression seems to be related to a chemical imbalance in the brain that makes it hard for cells to communicate with one another.
Depression can be brought on by nerve-racking events, such as the death of somebody you love, a divorce or redundancy. But it can also come unexpectedly. Certain medicines, alcohol and drug addiction, can cause depression.
Depression can be cured with medicines, or special form of counseling called psychotherapy, or with both. Antidepressants are drugs used to help people having depression.
Antidepressants work by increasing the activity of certain chemicals in our brain known as neurotransmitters. Antidepressants help people with depression by making these natural chemicals more available to the brain.
Typically, antidepressants are taken at least for 6 to 12 months. Sometimes, patients and their doctors may decide that antidepressants are required for a longer time.
They can improve your mood, sleep, concentration and appetite. It may take several weeks to see the results. Antidepressants are divided into a few classes. You and your doctor may have to try several before you find what medication works best for you.
Sometimes medications cause unwanted side effects. They may vary from patient to patient and from drug to drug. For instance, when you first begin your antidepressant you may feel worn out, have sleeping problems or feel sick to your stomach. These side effects commonly disappear after a while.
However, even after a year of treatment, there is still about a 10% chance of depression returning as soon as treatment is stopped. Some people take an antidepressant for several years. |
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