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. Antidepressants are in no way uncommon to today's society. These drugs are used by millions of people everyday, young and old. Studies show that about one in every ten …show more content…
Some of these side effects can include dry mouth, insomnia, fatigue, increased appetite, constipation and agitation. Relapse is also very common after discontinuing use of antidepressants causes the brain to push back even more against the neurotransmitters in the brain. It is also said that antidepressants were found to kill neurons which in turn can lead to cognitive decline and developmental problems. Another big label of “danger” on antidepressants is the “Black Box” warning. This is a warning that comes on many antidepressants that warn about the potential increase of suicidal thinking and behavior. This is the most serious type of warning when it comes to prescription drugs. There are many other negative effects from antidepressants but these can all be avoided with proper use of the medicine. When patients feel as though they have to depend on these medications, it can lead to an overdose which can be extremely dangerous. Side effects of OD can be delirium, rapid pulse, cardiac arrhythmias, coma, and even death. However, I am on antidepressants myself, and have been for the last year. I have never experience any of these life altering side effects, just the same side effects that could come from taking your everyday over the counter Tylenol. Just like the Black Box warning from earlier states, it is all prescription drugs, not just …show more content…
It is not common for users to get caught in a cycle of repeated relapse It is often recommended to taper of the dosage of antidepressants gradually so that the body can get used to the change. As a counterclaim, it is said that up to 20 percent of people who stop taking antidepressants can suddenly experience unpleasant side effects, up to 72 hours of the last dose. For some, the discontinuation symptoms are so severe that they avoid taking an psychotropic medications again. However this is rare to happen if the dosages units are not abused and discontinuation of the drug is done through the primary care physicians consent. Antidepressants are a very powerful, yet helpful medication when they are taken through the correct guidance and instruction. What I really want my audience to understand from this research is that even though there is a lot of controversy when it comes to these drugs, and also sometimes toward those taking them, they can really help to change an individual's way of life for the time being. This research paper relates to me through pathos. I myself take antidepressants (Prozac) every since my father passed away. I do not want to rely on them for the rest of my life, because I do know the consequences that may come with the medicine. For now though, antidepressants have really helped me stay positive (for the most part) and keep my head up. The benefits of antidepressants outweigh the negative effects
Lieberman, J. A. (2003). History of the use of antidepressants in primary care. Primary care
By examining William’s personal struggle with the mental disorder of major depressive disorder the devastation this illness causes on the functioning of individuals is clearly highlighted. More importantly, the narrative reveals the importance of receiving help quickly after the onset of symptoms. The unfortunate truth of the illness of depression is that a large percentage of individuals wait many years to receive help and a small number do not even receive treatment for varying reasons. As a result of the individuals with depression who do not seek immediate help due to not understanding that what they are experiencing is an atypical response, the afraid of being stigmatized and learned helplessness, the mood disorder of depression acts like a silent
Jeremy Laurance’s article “Ketamine: a cure for depression?” published in The Independent in October 2012, sanctions the use of a drug of abuse called ketamine for the treatment of depression. The author supports this theory by stating a study completed by Robert Dunman, a professor of Psychiatry and Neurobiology at Yale University School of Medicine in Boston. The following paragraph will summarise the main points of the article and discuss the evidence used by the author.
In summary, the article talked about the effects that antidepressant pills have on children. Immense publicity about antidepressants causing suicidal behavior in children is prompting more parents to hesitate to take their kids to psychiatrists. More doctors are hesitating to put their patients on antidepressant prescriptions. Last October, the Food and Drug Administration ordered black box labels, the most severe warning, on all anti-depressants. Some doctors think that these medicines are "speed bumps" and might end in more suicides. Other doctors think, "For children who really need treatment, a wait and see' approach could be dangerous." The percentage rate of children's antidepressant prescriptions has dropped within the last couple months. Psychiatrist Bruce Black says, "Kids are unhappy for a lot of reasons, and antidepressants often aren't the solution."
Prozac Causes More Deaths than Any Other Drug. Something is wrong with the focus on the "drug war" when 200,000 people die each year from prescription drugs, yet only 20,000 die from illegal drug use. Adverse reactions to prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death in America. In fact, people have a seven times greater chance of dying walking into their doctor's office than they do getting behind the wheel of their car!
FDA research has shown that tricyclic antidepressants such as Paxil can actually increase the severity of depression and suicidal behavior in teens and young adults. In the shocking expose “Treating the Mentally Ill,” medical journalist Rob Waters warns “Antidepressants including Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, and Effexor have provoked hostile behavior and thoughts about suicide in a number of teenagers who have been prescribed the drugs. Some of th...
Antidepressants are usually a type of drug called SSRIs. SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The most popular antidepressants such as Zoloft, Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro and Luvox are all SSRIs (Antidepressant Medications for Children and Adolescents). Many newer antidepressants are SSRIs due to less side effects and more safe for adults compared to other older generations of antidepressants. Children and teens on the other hand are not. In fact, the FDA put a black box warning on SSRIs which “is the most serious type of warning in prescription drug labeling” ( Antidepressant Medications for Children and Adolescents). There’s actually only one SSRI that can be prescribed for depressed children (who must be eight and older) which is Prozac and That hasn’t prevented SSRIs ...
...ceutical productions which define the pathology itself. In support of the idea that depression expresses a reduced capacity to interact with the environment rather than an abnormality based around an unidentifiable measurement of “chemical balance,” I will argue that the way in which pharmaceutical drugs standardize chemical deviance and treat mental illness like a biological disease disregards the normative component of depressive illnesses which must be considered as a response in one way or another to the environment in which they are experienced by each patient. By thinking about antidepressants not as correctional of a biological pathology but as a form of adaptation, I hope to show how their use must be considered in relation to values which combine scientific, social and experiential components that cannot be explained by scientific means alone.
I am quite fascinated by generalized control mechanisms and the role they play in the nervous system. I am also quite curious about the relationship between different generalized control mechanisms. The concept of mood and depression in particular have always interested me. I have always wondered what actually causes depression. Why can some people be in a perfectly good mood one day and then less than a week later start exhibiting the signs of clinical depression? I have always been curious about the role that experience and chemical imbalances play in depression and other mood disorders. I donUt totally understand how chemical depression can originate as the result of severe outside stressors in a personUs life. How can this stress go from simply stress in the experiences and environment of a person to a chemical imbalance? I have also wondered why certain people are more susceptible to depression than others. I am curious about whether genetics play a role in depression and whether certain people are more susceptible to depression because of the environment they live in or because of pharmacological reasons and genes. Throughout our class this year, I have wondered about the role that the I-function plays in depression. I find it interesting that it is possible to wake up one morning and be in a nasty mood even if I want to be in a good mood and my I-function is thinking RhappyS thoughts. Through my research for this paper I wanted to find out more about the different kinds of depression and exactly what goes on chemically in the brain when a person is depressed. I also wanted to do a little research on how depression can be treated. I wanted to try and determine how and when the line of simp...
Starting college can be a stressful time for any adolescent. For students suffering from depression it can be a traumatic experience. Worlds feel turned upside down. Even for those who manage to “cope,” pressures can cause these students to feel overwhelmed.
Depression can result from a physical disease, a mental illness, or it can be a recurring reaction of the body. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, major depressive illnesses are often the result of imbalances in neurotransmitters in the brain. It is these critical chemicals that send messages between nerve fibers and control mood (Creamer, 3). Older anti-depressants worked on three different neurotransmitters, serotonin, norepinepherine, and dopamine. However, it has been found that serotonin is the specific chemical in the brain that controls moods. Its job is to carry an impulse from one nerve fiber to the next. Serotonin is released by the nerve into the space between nerve fib...
While manufactures say that Zoloft is safe to take there have been many instances where people using this drug have had fatal side effects. Starting off with the least serious side effect would be dry mouth. Also while taking Zoloft you can experience diarrhea and nausea. There have been cases where women taking Zoloft experience sexual dysfunction, they lose their enthusiasm for sexual intercourse and will not achieve an orgasm during sex. These side effect might carry on for years after you stop taking the drug.
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).
Treatment for depression includes medicine, psychotherapy, and electroconvulsive therapy. If someone is thinking about suicide or is very depressed and cannot function, they need to be admitted into a hospital. Antidepressants are medicines used to treat depression. They help bring the chemicals in the brain to the normal level and relieve syndromes. If the patient feels as though the medication isn’t working, their doctor should be called. However, if you feel so, you shouldn’t change them on your own without the permission of the doctor. Psychotherapy is to help you understand why you’re feeling the way you are.
I have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately, so I decide see my medical doctor to seek her advice on what I can do about my mental health. When I meet with her, she asks me if there have been any changes in my life that might explain my depression. Unfortunately, I cannot think of any particular cause for these feelings. My doctor suggests that I start taking a drug to help me overcome my unhappiness. She tells me that she can prescribe it right now if I want her to. It surprises me that she does not recommend therapy and instead offers a chemical cure. Since this is the first time I am seriously considering using a drug to "fix" my mood, I tell her that I will do some research and let her know my final decision. I do not know very much about antidepressant medications, so she gives me the names of a couple of popular drugs used to treat depression, Paxil(r) and Zoloft(r), to help me with my investigation. I feel the best place to start my inquiry is to look at the websites of the companies that produce these drugs. I figure that these sites will provide me with the information I need to make an informed decision on whether drug treatment, and which drug treatment, is right for me.