Taking care of our mental health can be challenging. Let’s understand the complexities of antidepressants
It’s heartening when you finally take the steps to ask for (and receive) mental health help. The help you receive may come in the form of therapy, counselling, and medications. So, what do you need to know about medication for depression? Antidepressants are medications that have been created to help regulate brain chemistry.
Quick Read:
- Interesting fact: antidepressants were first used in the 1950s. This means they’ve been around for a very long time and have earned a good reputation for treating depression.
- It’s important to know that a prescribed antidepressant may not immediately work for you. Speak to your doctor; you may need to try a few medications.
- Take your medication as your doctor prescribes, but also try to make healthy lifestyle adjustments to improve your mental health.
What do antidepressants do?
The main role of antidepressants is to help manage the symptoms of depression and anxiety. According to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, “The main aim of treatment with antidepressants is to relieve the symptoms of severe depression, such as feeling very down and exhausted, and prevent them from coming back. They are meant to make you feel emotionally stable again and help you to follow a normal daily routine. They are also taken to relieve symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety and sleep problems, and to prevent suicidal thoughts.”
Making antidepressants work for YOU
After you’ve talked to a doctor, you may be prescribed antidepressants – along with other therapeutic treatments. Antidepressants are usually meant to be taken daily (your pharmacist will explain the dosages). The medication works by balancing chemicals in the brain that affect your mood and emotions.
These chemicals are called neurotransmitters, and some are even linked to pain signals, so when you take an antidepressant, you might find some relief for chronic physical pain too.
Some medications are also prescribed for anxiety. Now here’s the important part: you have to give the medication time to work. You might even need to try a different medication if this one doesn’t work. Antidepressants, like other medications, can be a trial-and-error process. What works for one person might not work for you.
Do antidepressants have side-effects?
The most common side-effects seem to be nausea and vomiting, headaches, not being able to sleep through the night, increased appetite, fatigue and drowsiness. It’s important to keep your doctor updated on these effects so they can make adjustments where necessary. The good news is that not everyone gets side-effects, and some people even have pleasant reactions, like feeling more rested and calmer.
So, why the side-effects if the medications are supposed to help you feel better? Well, it’s a little complex… Think about it like this. Firstly, you’re introducing a new substance into your body. Secondly, if you’re taking other medications, both treatments could combine to leave behind some not-so-pleasant effects.
When you start an antidepressant medicine, you may feel worse before you feel better. This is because the side-effects often happen before your symptoms improve.
I’m feeling better, can I stop the antidepressants now?
It’s easy to think that you’re 100% all better once the medications start working and you’re tempted to stop taking them. Please don’t.
You must take them for as long as your doctor or psychologist recommends, especially as stopping abruptly can cause negative effects. Doctors estimate that it takes about four to six weeks for an antidepressant to start showing positive changes in your mental state. So, hang in there, chat regularly with your doctor and make healthy lifestyle choices to help you on this journey.
Help at hand
For some people, antidepressants may work immediately, and make a significant difference in their mental health. For others, the process may feel slower and more challenging. Please stay the course, speak to your doctor about your symptoms, and be patient. Your mental health is worth it.
Images: Freepik
