Things to be aware of before taking anti-depressants

If you are feeling depressed you may be considering the medication option….and if you are it is a normal response. But, because I want you to be fully informed, here is some information to help you make an informed decision.

If you do go the prescription medication route it is likely you will be prescribed with a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI). These are drugs developed in response to the belief that there is a serotonin imbalance in those suffering depression and other mental health issues such as anxiety, PTSD, and OCD. However it must be noted that is no evidence the brain chemistry of someone with a “mental health disorder” differs from someone who is “normal” (please note quotation marks), and yet these drugs actually do change the chemistry of the brain.

The consequence of these medications is that they encourage the brain to change its chemistry and structure in response to the chemical disruption. The brain changes in an attempt to return to homeostasis, or balance. In a non -medicated brain serotonin is taken up into the cells to be reused, but in a medicated person this action is blocked so there is more serotonin available.

As a result he brain tries to re-establish normal signalling, and adapts or changes. Because there is much higher amounts of serotonin available in a medicated person, the brain adjusts and removes serotonin receptors, and also decreases the amount of serotonin produced.

To accomplish this over time, complex physiological change takes place- genes are turned on and off and signalling changes. This is a disaster when we want to get off the medication because the brain has actually changed its chemistry and therefore no longer has adequate receptors for serotonin- and synthesis of serotonin has reduced significantly.

As a result we may be in a worse state than they were in originally. More often than not we will then try another SSRI, but newly created chemical imbalance is resistant to most forms of medication as our serotonin system hasn’t had time to correct itself. Research on animals has found that antidepressants can shrink the connections between brain cells and these don't grow back after the medication is stopped.

Now, if you are feeling that your depression is intolerable and you desperately need help then please explore medications. But, also be aware that the intensity of your feelings may lesson in time and you will get through the tough time you are experiencing.

There is another way of healing from poor mental health and the information on these pages will give you an arsenal of tools to do just that; heal.