What are the Benefits of Anti-Depressants

What are the Benefits of Anti-Depressants? Antidepressants are for those in the world who are suffering from clinical depression, or any of its many sub-varieties. It has even been known to help those with conditions other than depression, having appreciable effects on conditions such as anxiety, panic, postraumatic stress disorder, and some cases of obsessive compulsive disorder. Some of these medications have also been used to treat medical conditions that are nowhere near the realm of mental illness.

Antidepressants like Prozac and Wellbutrin XL have sometimes found use as treatment for chronic pain. Tricyclic antidepressants, in particular,have been found to be very effective in this particular function. Note that these medications are not recommended uses for these medications,and the Food and Drug Administration has not approved their use for such things.

Antidepressants function by affecting some of the neurotransmitters in the brain. The human brain functions through chemical signals being directed to different sections of it, with mood being just one of the things that these chemicals can have an effect on.


  In terms of mood,certain compounds, such as serotonin, can have a tremendous effect on a person's mood and perception The typical antidepressant functions by reducing the imbalance of these chemicals, attempting to restore them to their normal levels. Once the levels have been normalized by a drug like Prozac or Fluoxetine, then the person's mood should begin to recover.

Another important thing to remember when taking antidepressants is that they do not work instantly. More often than not, even if the medication manages to reduce the imbalances done by the condition, it takes a while for changes to feel. It is not unusual, therapists say, for medication to have any sort of appreciable effect after a patient has been on it for six weeks.


For others, the results come only after a delay of eight weeks. Note that these are only estimates. Since these drugs have not been specifically designed to treat any given person's symptoms,being only meant to handle as many cases as possible, these medications will cause different reactions.

The reality is that not everyone is going to react to Prozac, even if that particular medication has managed to get its way into popular culture as a psychological marvel. Some people may react better to a drug that has a different chemical composition, or perhaps to a drug that is from a different type of antidepressant entirely.


There are also cases where the drug will not work at all, which is something very few pharmaceutical companies would like to openly admit. In the event that one's medication does not work as planned, they should be patient and work with their doctor to find the antidepressant that will work for them because our body might react to something that will benefit or hurt us.

Source: Drugstores Online -
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