Antidepressants

What you should know about antidepressants

Antidepressants are generally known as drugs affecting depressive mood disorders, but their effects have a more far-reaching impact on everyday life. That is why their use should always take into account the specific life circumstances of the individual. So let's now take a closer look at this group of drugs, how they work in the body and the reasons for taking them.

Basic information for taking antidepressants

As the name implies, these are pharmaceuticals that dominate mainly in the treatment of depression, but doctors also prescribe antidepressants, for example, for anxiety disorders, chronic pain, sleep problems or phobic disorders. We consider long-term use to be a key prerequisite, which means that the onset of effect after the introduction of these drugs can be expected after three to four weeks. For this reason, the increase in doses or, on the contrary, the discontinuation of pharmaceuticals occurs very slowly and gradually. A doctor prescribing antidepressants should therefore continuously monitor the patient's health, consult any changes and warn in advance of possible side effects. It follows from the above that treatment with antidepressants requires mutual cooperation between the client and the doctor.

Mechanism of action in the body

Now we will outline the mechanism of action of antidepressants in the human body so that we can understand how mood and physical symptoms are affected. These are substances that act chemically on the level of neuromediators, which are also sometimes called neurotransmitters, or on their receptors. These transmitters carry out the transmission of information using signals sent in the brain, where each neuromediator performs a certain mental function. The most important carriers whose deficit is compensated by antidepressants include serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine. The hormone serotonin is significantly involved in mood regulation, but it is also involved, for example, in influencing the level of aggression, the need for sleep and food intake or in the perception of pain. Noradrenaline is considered to be an activating neuromediator, its increased production occurs in the event of a stress reaction. It is a hormone whose presence interferes with the sleep cycle and the ability to maintain attention and can contribute to the development of depression. We consider the latter dopamine to be essential especially in terms of managing emotivity, maintaining attention, functioning motor skills and thinking. A key role is also played in the area of rewards, because we associate dopamine with inducing pleasant feelings, which means that we tend to repeat activities associated with positive experiences.

The use of antidepressants affects both the amount of neuromediators described above in the brain, but also their availability for use by the body. We can therefore conclude that psychopharmaceuticals act as regulators of various mental functions and the ways of their manifestation, so they have an effect on human experience and actions. We consider the goal of antidepressants to be to establish a balance of neuromediators in the brain with a direct effect on mood. Newer drugs also have a protective effect on brain neurons, so they are involved in supporting their functionality. The manifestations of side effects of antidepressants depend on the specific type of drug in combination with body reactivity and adherence to prescribed doses. In addition, some side effects may occur after abrupt discontinuation of medication. These include, for example, changes in heart rate, insomnia and sedation, headaches, tremors, vomiting, diarrhoea, changes in appetite, tension and restlessness, sexual difficulties. In case of any problems caused by the use of antidepressants, contact your psychiatrist / general practitioner.

How do antidepressants and anxiolytics differ?

Along with antidepressants, anxiolytics, drugs for the treatment of anxiety, often accompanied by physical symptoms and sleep disorders, may also be indicated. Anxiolytics are drugs intended for short-term use, they should only be administered within a few weeks. Another significant difference from antidepressants lies in the increased risk of developing addiction if you take anxiety medication. However, it is usually recommended, especially at the beginning of treatment, to start with a combination of these two drug groups. The choice of specific drugs depends not only on the patient's health condition and age, but also on the type and severity of mental health problems. In the case of more severe problems, medication is always prescribed by a psychiatrist, but in less serious cases (including milder anxiety and sleep disorders), a prescription can also be issued by a general practitioner, especially as part of short-term treatment.

Natural substances with antidepressant effect

A natural alternative to improve mood is the use of certain herbs or dietary supplements, which, however, cannot be considered the first choice in the treatment of more severe depressive states. Natural substances with antidepressant effects include, for example, preparations from St. John's wort, valerian (with positive effects also on sleep regulation), lemon balm or lavender, which have a calming effect on the human body and can also be used to combat anxiety. In terms of dietary supplements, the most widely used supportive treatment is the use of magnesium, iron and zinc. Magnesium supports resistance to stress, reduces fatigue and induces muscle relaxation. On the contrary, its deficiency can manifest itself in depressive tendencies in mood. We should get these substances into the body naturally through a balanced diet and an overall healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and quality sleep.