The Effect of SSRI Medications on our Humanity Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are currently one of the most controversial groups of medicines, with fluoxetine, more commonly known by its brand name Prozac, at the head of the controversy. Opponents of the use of SSRI medications as a successful and safe method for treating depression and related disorders assert that the actions of the drug are an unnatural and a dangerous form of tampering with our neurochemistry. Not only are these medications incredibly safe in almost all cases, they are actually an unnatural method of modifying an already disordered, natural sequence of chemicals in the brain, and therefore are not a form of tampering, but are a method for fixing a disorder. Therefore, SSRI medications have only indirectly caused or will cause us to re evaluate what it means to be human, by giving us the realization that, although we are not perfect, we are good enough at changing our environments (both externally and internally) to ensure successful and comfortable survival. The part that troubles us as a society is the relatively new ability to change our internal environments, just as we have been changing our external environment for centuries. Some see using medications that alter the chemistry of the brain as tampering with the very thing that makes us human. In truth, if the science is used ethically, it serves the same purpose as any ethical and useful modification we have made to the external environment in which we live. Part One: Overview of depression, the serotonin system, and explanation of SSRI medications and alternatives. Clinical depression, which affects about 10% of the adult population (Holtz, Stokes, 1138), is charact... ... middle of paper ... ...her medication are a tool designed to help the patient overcome their disease/disorder, they are not a fix all wonder drug. Depression is a relatively new concept to us, and we have had trouble understanding the disease itself, as well as the various treatments for the disease. The most productive thing we could do as a society is open the discourse for concerns about SSRI medications, and let experts inform us, as well as to continue to conduct meaningful research. Once we understand how to properly and ethically use antidepressant medications such as SSRIs, we will realize that it the basic concepts of the use of these medications is not a new or groundbreaking thing. Through a better understanding of these medications, we will be able to look at them as what they really are: tools created to ensure our survival, and to make our living more comfortable.
Introduction: For my research project I would like to explore the effectiveness of antidepressant drugs. Antidepressant drugs are used are used to treat major depression and other conditions, some of which include anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, chronic pain and other disorders. Around the world antidepressants are used to cure these types of mental illnesses. It is argued by both medical professionals and other people whether or not they believe that antidepressants work. According to Mayo Clinic one in ten Americans take an antidepressant. Today, antidepressants have became the most common way around the world to treat major depression
Treating depressive and bipolar disorders with antidepressants remains a popular option in clinical practice. Most clinicians choose the drug or class of drugs, usually selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRI's, that is most effective and best tolerated with fewer severe side effects. These drugs are beneficial because they specifically target serotonin-based areas of the brain without affecting other neurotransmitter systems. SSRI's largely replaced tricyclic antidepressants which work by blocking the absorption (reuptake) of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, thereby increasing the levels of these two neurotransmitters in the brain. Tricyclic antidepressants present severe side effects and thus are usually only used when other treatments have failed. If SSRI's or tricyclics are not effective Monoamine oxidase inhibitors may be prescribed. MAOI's, enhance tyramine to increase norepinephrine and serotonin. While taking MAOI's you must abstain from foods and alcohol that contain tyramine such as, yogurt, aged cheese, and substances such as cold medications. This is because a potential toxic reaction could occur. Additionally, other antidepressants may be utilized such as Wellbutrin (bupropion) an NDRI-
I concede that they are essential in some serious cases of depression, but continue to stress that they should otherwise be used rarely. Even exercise alone has been shown to be more effective than antidepressants, yet they are prescribed like candy; everyone just believing that they do what they’re supposed to. Knowing the side effects and adverse reactions experienced by a large amount of antidepressant users, I believe they should severely limit prescriptions of these drugs. Besides this, doctors and the pharmaceutical industry profit greatly from antidepressants and I see very few positives to continuing to uphold them by the enormous consumption of these phony
Antidepressants are FDA approved drugs given to patients to alleviate symptoms, most commonly anxiety and depression. There are many people who are skeptical about the use of these drugs and if they really work as a benefit toward the people taking them. There are many pros to taking the medications, but there are also cons. This is why users of these drugs have to be aware of the side effects in order to get the full use of the medicine. Research shows that the benefits of antidepressants outweigh the negative long term effects, but only if they are taken in moderation.
However, I think the scientific community ought to bear in mind the potential dangers of this method before applicating its results directly to patients. References 1) National Institute of Mental Health http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/anxresfact.cfm 2) National Institute of Mental Health http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/anxresfact.cfm 3) Neuropsychology and medical psychology medical resources http://www.driesen.com/index.html 4) Neuropsychology and medical psychology medical resources http://www.driesen.com/ssris.htm 5) PDR Health http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/rxdrugprofiles/drugs/ata1035.shtml
Major Depressive Disorder, which is also referred to as Clinical Depression, is a disorder caused when low serotonin levels, that suppress pain perception and are often found in the pineal gland at the center of the brain, promote low levels of norepinephrine, a monoamine neurotransmitter that controls cognitive ability. This disabling disorder interferes with a person’s daily life as it prevents one from performing normal functions, such as eating, sleeping, interacting, or enjoying once pleasurable activities. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the common symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder are continued feelings of anxiety, worthlessne...
Antidepressant are a form of pharmacotherapy treatment developed to treat the symptoms of major depression. Antidepressants are used for many other types of conditions including anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, dysthymia, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, and substance abuse, pain syndromes, gastrointestional disorders. Antidepressants usually require several weeks to notice significant effects. There are no antidepressants or any medication that is completely free of adverse effects. This article explains that the adverse effects of antidepressant can decrease compliance and slow down the rate of recovery. It is important for one to take note of potential side-effects before choosing the best antidepressant to suit their personalized needs. Statistics show that about 28 percent of patients sto...
Through my extensive research on depression I have learned a lot of new things. I have learned about the many forms of depression and treatment for depression. I have also learned a little about what is believed to go on chemically in the brain of a clinically depressed person. I was also able to partially determine what sort of role genetics, chemicals and personal influences in the brain. Though I was unable to determine exactly how environmental and personal stress can cause a chemical imbalance in a person, I was even able to speculate about this issue and determine some theories of my own on why and how this may happen.
...antidepressants can cause? It seems as if sellers aren’t entirely concerned for the well-being of others’ as long as they are making money. If more young adults can heal depression on their own conquering each problematic situation at a time, a better chance of happiness exists.
Clinical depression is very common. Over nine million Americans are diagnosed with clinical depression at some point in their lives. Many more people suffer from clinical depression because they do not seek treatment. They may feel that depression is a personal weakness, or try to cope with their symptoms alone. On the other hand, some people are comfortable with admitting their symptoms and seeking help. Such a discrepancy may account for the differences in reported cases of depression between men and women, which indicate that more than twice the numbers of women than men are clinically depressed. According to the numbers of reported cases of depression, 25% of women and 10% of men will have one or more episodes of clinical depression during their lifetimes.
Depression is a mental illness, which affects millions of Americans each year. Currently there are many prescription drugs, called anti-depressants that have been proven to successfully treat it. The causes of depression are somewhat of a medical enigma, however, it is known that depression is associated with a change in the brains chemistry involving the function of neurotransmitters (Reichert). This chemical change occurs in healthy brain’s, which experience sadness, but ends after the unpleasant stimulus is removed. In people suffering from depression this chemical change does not correspond to any particular stimulus. Symptoms of depression are often incapacitating and include severe and extended sadness, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of emptiness, irritability and anxiety (Reichert, Spake).
Drugs must be researched and tried clinically before being made available to the public. The GlaxoSmithKline drug makers claimed that depression was caused by low levels of serotonin in the brain and that SSRIs restore the balance of the brain chemistry. Furthermore, GlaxoSmithKline sponsored professional medical researchers and psychiatrists to research the effects of SSRIs, and rewarded researchers who found positive results, which is considered unethical and immoral in the world of pharmaceutics and medical research. As most findings proved SSRIs effective, GlaxoSmithKline executives viewed themselves as fighters of depression. However, Professor Applebaum from the University of Wisconsin states that these companies seemed to “believe their products were effective and they were baffled that anyone should question their value” (Watters 528). Nevertheless, the GlaxoSmithKline, after years of advertising depression medication, found out that no scientific evidence proved the link between depression and serotonin depletion, or the role of SSRIs in balancing the brain’s chemistry. Scientists found that SSRIs actually reshape the brain’s chemistry, which leads to the conclusion that these anti-depressant drugs should have not
Psychopharmacology is the scientific study of the effects that drugs have on mood, sensation, thinking, and behavior. Examples of these drugs include antipsychotics, antidepressants, and antianxiety medications. These drugs work by changing the chemistry in the body by altering hormones, neurotransmitters, or interactions between receptors. Modern drugs like antidepressants have been around since the 1960’s when the serotonin hypothesis was formed. Since this time, the ethical debate over psychopharmacology has been growing. Today, the debate focuses primarily on whether it is ethical to prescribe a patients a psychopharmaceutical who does not have a strict diagnosis of a mental disorder. Instead the patient is using the drug as a means of
In the 1980’s, antidepressants became more mainstream when SSRI’s first came of the market. SSRI’s or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are the most widely known depression drugs that increase brain levels of serotonin (neurotransmitter linked to mood). Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft are highly effective medications relieving major depression symptoms as well as chronic depression. SSRIs have fewer adverse side effects, which increase their popularity. The drug’s more serious side effects include dangerous allergic reactions, panic attacks, aggressive behavior, and reduced sexual drive or difficulty having
Throughout many studies, antidepressants have been shown to help improve depression in people. Antidepressants are drugs that are used in the treatment of mood disorders, such as depression, to alleviate symptoms so that people who suffer from depression may live a normal life. However, evidence has shown that antidepressants cause minimal improvement in depression, occasionally help with bipolar depression and can also cause suicide rates to increase. Therefore, I will be arguing that although antidepressants help some people, antidepressants are not a good solution for curing depression.