Anitdepressants: How Do They Work? - an Expository Essay
- Submitted by: csimister
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- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 03/29/2010 08:48 AM
- Pages: 4
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Today our lives can be very hectic and many people find they need to seek some sort of professional help at some point in their life as they feel they can no longer cope. Going as far back as we can remember, people have suffered from some sort of stress in their lives or possibly suffered more severe symptoms of depression. Wondering where to go next, they head to the doctor’s office where the doctor prescribes them anti-depressants. The patients then leave with an overwhelming feeling and are unsure of the drug given for they have absolutely no clue of what the drug is or how it works. They then proceed home and find themselves on the computer looking up the name of the prescription on the internet. Once again overwhelmed where do they go from there? There are many different types of antidepressants but what are they exactly and how do they work? How do you know if the one prescribed is for you and what are the benefits and are there any side effects?
Antidepressants became known as early as the 1950’s, and people should not be ashamed if for their health they have to take them. Antidepressants are medications that stabilize chemicals, or neurotransmitters, in the brain that are producing at lower levels than normal. When people are feeling down, sad or low for a longer period of time than normal it is because of certain neurotransmitters that are running at low levels that send messages to the brain that in turn affect their mood. Studies show the neurotransmitters known as serotonin and norepinephrine are the chemicals that are associated with depression or feelings of sadness. Antidepressants work by increasing the levels in these two neurotransmitters over a period of time. People taking antidepressants will notice an increase in appetite, an improvement in sleep and in concentration; therefore, their mood improves. For most patients it takes almost four weeks for the medication to reach its full potential before they start to feel relief from symptoms...
Antidepressants became known as early as the 1950’s, and people should not be ashamed if for their health they have to take them. Antidepressants are medications that stabilize chemicals, or neurotransmitters, in the brain that are producing at lower levels than normal. When people are feeling down, sad or low for a longer period of time than normal it is because of certain neurotransmitters that are running at low levels that send messages to the brain that in turn affect their mood. Studies show the neurotransmitters known as serotonin and norepinephrine are the chemicals that are associated with depression or feelings of sadness. Antidepressants work by increasing the levels in these two neurotransmitters over a period of time. People taking antidepressants will notice an increase in appetite, an improvement in sleep and in concentration; therefore, their mood improves. For most patients it takes almost four weeks for the medication to reach its full potential before they start to feel relief from symptoms...