Antidepressants

There are several different types of anti-depressants. If you are thinking about taking one, you should keep in mind there is more to lifting depression that just with drugs. These medications have proven to help many people with their depression; however, in some cases they can cause serious side effects, and bizarre behavior, which may increase the feeling that there is something wrong with them. The first thing you should do is go seek a therapist who will provide good cognitive-behavioral therapy. He may be able to tell you if it’s something you are doing that may be worsening the depression. He can also give you strategies to help you cope with the depression at the onset.

Some types of anti-depressants are:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are a family of antidepressants considered to be the current standard of drug treatment.

• Prozac
• Paxil
• Lexapro
• Celexa
• Zoloft

Serotonin-nor epinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) – a newer form of anti-depressant that if one decides to discontinue, they may need to taper off the medication slowly.

• Effexor
• Cymbalta

Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NASSAs) – a newer class of antidepressant.

• Mirtazapine

Norepinephrine (noradrenaline) reuptake inhibitors (NRIs) – have proven to help with concentration and motivation, however in some cases the patient may become aggressive.

• Reboxetine

Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors - inhibit the neuronal reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine.

• Wellbutrin
• Zyban

Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) – These are the oldest types of anti-depressants and are not as commonly used because there are safer and more effective drugs available, however in some instances of severe depression, TCA’s may still be prescribed.

• Amitriptyline
• Desipramine

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) – If other medications are ineffective, MAOI’s may be used. There is a higher chance of dangerous side effects with this type of antidepressant and certain types of food being consumed at the same time. Because of that reason, MAOI’s are rarely used anymore without a strict diet.

• Phenelzine

Augmenter drugs – these are drugs that are used in addition to an anti-depressant, because the combination of the two drugs is more effective in treating that specific person’s situation. Some types of augmenter drugs may be:

• Buspar
• Tryptan
• Tranquilizers
• Benzodiazepines
• Antipsychotics
• Psycho-stimulants
• Lithium

If you have been able to read through all this and still be following along, you will realize just how complicated it is to treat someone who is suffering from depression. There are so many different factors that can complicate what and how much of a certain drug or more than one drug it takes to get the depression under control. That is the whole idea here, to get it under control. The last thing you would want to do, is to not take your medication as prescribed, or take too much, or share it with someone else to “get high”. We are talking about your brain and how you function as a person. It’s something that should be taken very seriously and while under the care of a doctor.