The definitely help some people, but that aren’t a panacea. I don’t think the monoamine deficiency hypothesis that everyone is familiar with is correct. It’s not low serotonin that causes depression, and there are some great examples of this. There fact that anti depressants take a month or so to work send to be because the serotonin receptors actually down regulate so there is some contradictory evidence there.
Also, if you look at the actual research on antidepressants it’s pretty poor.
The positive results are just above random. Here’s the deal, people who have run off the mill depression typically go into remission on their own in 1–6 months. And antidepressants work in about 1–6 months. So how do you tell people that got better on their own vs people who were helped by medication. Also, there is this now public secret where the drug companies didn’t publish their negative studies just their positive studies. And with low p values these studies can happen by chance too. There’s also a huge placebo effect seen in antidepressants as people given the placebo also got better versus people who got nothing.
In a huge meta analysis- the highest level of medical research possible they found one important finding- most drugs don’t have enough of an effect to distinguish it from random except a few drugs. These were Zoloft, Lexapro, and Effexor I think. So I recommend sticking to these. There we some good honorable mentions too, so don’t worry if you’re not on one of these. Remeron has been shown to help too
I think they help, but they don’t make you happier. They even out your emotions do you don’t feel as down. I have debated this with other docs who disagree so this is my opinion, but I am something of an expert in Neuropharm. They can also be effective in anxiety.
So I say depression sucks, it’s worth a shot at the drugs. I know from personal experience, unfortunately, from being on many of these drugs due to my own personal problems. I know the side effects for many of these drugs were hard to tolerate vs their relative benefits. But I remain on a low dose.
So, my advise is be cautiously optimistic with these drugs. They may help and they may not but they don’t fix everything. If you feel bad enough to consider treatment you could try. Start slowly and work your dose up. My first time I was excited to start feeling better so I took 20mg of Lexapro right away when I got home. What followed was done of the worst I have ever felt. Once I am on then I feel fine. Many people swear by then.
One the monoamine neurotransmitters deficiency theory from the 70s was chipped away at, it has opened up some new doors for some exciting new more effective treatments. Opiate modulators for one- they don’t get you high, but are effective in depression. And ketamine effusions show a lot of promise.
I could go into so much detail talking about which receptors each his and what that does and where it causes side effects and benefits for each. There are so many other drugs than SSRIs these days.
In summary, with worth a shot, don’t expect miracles. Sorry if there is some pessimism in there. I don’t think there is anything wrong with antidepressants if that’s what you are asking. And there definitely should not be a signs around them. Some groups of people are against them in principle and that’s just as ill informed as the vaccine deniers. If you have more questions ask. There is a role for therapy as well, which will double your odds of remission.
What does it feel like to be on antidepressants?
Antidepressants are basically formulated to decrease your heightened emotions of self hatred, constant mood swings loneliness, prolonged periods of sadness, crankiness etc. You aren’t in control and you know it, the thought of that tears you up from the inside. They numb your feelings , you’ll basically stop being less bothered about things around you. However, all antidepressants don’t work and if you don’t have a good doctor it’ll be a long time before you find one that works for you. In the process make sure you don’t loose yourself even if you don’t feel like it try to socialize, hang out with your family and friends push yourself out of bed every morning. Even if you do take these medications depression never really goes away until you make an effort yourself it’ll be always looming over you resulting in complete social withdrawal and make your life dysfunctional. Take medications only if you have severe depression their side effects are brutal, most importantly they effect your memory.
Try to stick to natural remedies. Take a walk, do yoga and exercise regularly. Keep a pet they improve the household atmosphere. If you don’t feel like eating make sure you get the food you love to eat, in general do things that make you happy, at least one of those things everyday. Coconut oil mixed with turmeric powder and cinnamon powder are great natural cures to boost your mood. Mix them up with your favorite juices or milk. Focus on solutions rather than the problem itself.
Remember to pamper yourself, stay away from negative people. Very few will understand your situation so make sure you seek help, join online communities etc., they show you that you are not alone, you are understood and loved. The world is not worth stressing over, let things be in their natural flow.