You might be wondering that if antidepressants will help you heal in the same way that antibiotic cures an infection. Well, that’s not bound to happen as per experts at retreats for depression and anxiety. You might feel sadness often, but that doesn’t mean you have depression.
Ideally, you need to know that depression is insidious, and besides affecting your mood, it will also affect your ability to think and feel. It keeps sensations of pleasure and stifles creativity. It will include the uses and effectiveness, and working of antidepressants. Furthermore, it might also cause deep emotional pain.
Are antidepressants worth the while?
Ideally, experts at mental retreat say that antidepressants are medicines that help you relieve depression symptoms. They can also help you deal with social anxiety disorder and mild chronic depression. The main aim of these antidepressants is to help you correct all the chemical imbalances in the neurotransmitters in your brain. They are ideally believed to be responsible for mood changes.
It might take some weeks for you to see the effects of the antidepressant. However, if you feel depression is creating a hassle in your life, then you must see a doctor without a doubt.
Treating depression
As per experts at anxiety retreat, depression can be challenging to identify if you are suffering from it; you must check with a doctor. We don’t know how depression is caused. Depression is entirely spontaneous, and there is no apparent cause for it. Currently, psychiatrists generally look at depression in terms of “bio-psycho-social”. It means they see it as a challenging disorder—some of the leading causes of depression include genetics and neurotransmitters.
Furthermore, when it comes to depression, there is a different gender gap. It is because depression is more prominent in women than men.
Types of different antidepressants
Sri, also known as Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, can help you treat most of the depression and mood disorders besides obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, menopausal symptoms. They are one of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants at a mental health retreat.
These, also known as Tricyclic antidepressants, are mainly sued to treat depression, fibromyalgia, some types of anxiety. But, the best of all is that they can help you deal with chronic pain.
MAOIs are also known as Monoamine oxidase inhibitors. It was prescribed before SSRIs and SNRIs were used and helped break down neurotransmitters, such as Serotonin. If the SSRIs don’t work then, doctors prescribe this antidepressant at retreats for depression and anxiety. It is mainly because MAOIs interact with various medications and some foods.
Nassau is also known as Noradrenaline and specific serotoninergic antidepressants. It is mainly used to treat anxiety disorders, some personality disorders, and depression.
What if Antidepressants doesn’t work?
You aren’t alone if you feel your antidepressants don’t work, as the problem is quite common among people who head to mental retreat. It is mainly because the medication that once worked becomes ineffective if you have been taking it for too long.
Reasons why depression medicine isn’t working:
There are several reasons why your antidepressants aren’t working, and one of the most common of all is you are consuming drugs or alcohol. When you are pregnant, your body weight and blood volume increase, so you need to connect with your experts and adjust your dosage to continue relieving symptoms. When your mood changes due to some factors at work or home, the antidepressant can’t compensate. You can consider changing the medications if they aren’t working, but it all should be under your professional medical experts.
When to see a doctor?
It is time for you to see a doctor at mental health retreat if you see your depression symptoms returning in more than some days. It is vital to keep taking the antidepressants until your doctor advises; otherwise, even if you feel it isn’t working or you might need to increase the dosage or slow the tapering process.
Some of the withdrawal effects are:
- Headaches
- Low mood
- Changes in sleep or appetite
- Decreased socializing
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Greater anxiety
- Suicidal thoughts
- Tiredness.
- Irritability.
- Flu-like symptoms, including achy muscles and chills.
- Electric shock sensations
- Fatigue
- Loss of coordination
- Muscle spasms
Some people might have symptoms that are moderate to severe and may last longer than a few weeks.
Side effects and long term effects of Antidepressants
Often, when you start feeling better, you take this as a sign that you have been cured, and you tend to stop taking your medication on your own, which can cause serious problems. When you do this, you are most likely to be at risk of having your depression return or even become worse; you are also at risk for developing symptoms including muscle aches, fatigue, and nausea. The side effects are pretty unpleasant. You need to know antidepressants do not cause bipolar disorder, but they may unmask a condition.
Tips to get the best results from an antidepressant:
It would be best if you gave your medication enough time to work before you stop it, and it takes at least two to eight weeks for an antidepressant to show its full effects. Furthermore, you need to take the antidepressant your doctor has prescribed as skipping doses can lead your antidepressant precisely as your doctor has prescribed. Your expert can help you know if it’s a good idea to stop taking any medicine. Finally, when you start feeling better, don’t stop taking your antidepressant, as quitting too soon could lead to a return of your depression.
Do you need to worry about antidepressants withdrawal?
No, you don’t need to stress about antidepressants as a medical condition known as antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS); that can happen if you stop taking medicine instead of tapering off as is generally advised. Furthermore, after consulting with your medical professionals, you need to slowly destroy your antidepressant as antidepressants do not cause dependence and withdrawal, including other substances.
It is essential to consult with your doctor so you can feel better again if you are experiencing breakthrough depression.
