An Overview Of Depression Medications

A few days of feeling sad or depressed does not mean depression. A serious condition that can last months or even years, that's depression. Studies have show that around 15 million Americans are affected by this illness each and every year. And yet, sadly, only about 1/3 of those people seek medical care. The age- old stereotype associated with mental illness influences many to still avoid admitting they suffer from depression. Of the list of progressive ailments depression is one of the worst. It will get worse without treatment. People should pay attention to the signs.

Many things cause depression. Physical and emotional problems, chemical issues, even DNA all play a part. Simple daily life and surroundings are important. Stress and other negative influences have been known to contribute. Depression is a very complicated disease. We also recognize the intricacy of man's mind. To learn how the mind works, doctors and researches are studying it each day. We know that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. More about the way this process works is learned each day. The phrase is "learning is half the battle" and with depression knowledge is power.

Depression can be treated with a host of available medications. Quick fix schemes exist too, but they don't work. Clinical tests to prove something really works in treating depression are required. Not too long ago people who were considered mentally ill were thrown into asylums, never again to be seen or heard. That is a thing of the past, thank goodness. It was 1988 when Prozac, an anti-depressant, first came into wide use in America. It has bee proven effective and is still in use today although it does come with side effects.

Since that time more and more use has been made of a new class of anti-depressants. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, SSRI, are being used today. These include Paxil, Zoloft, Lexapro, Celexa, and Luvox. These have limited side effects and have been shown to work. The market is also ripe with herbal medications and treatments. The ingredient in St. John's Wort extract, heperforin, is present in those that prove every bit as effective as anti-depressant drugs. If this ingredient is used in the proper strength it is effective. Research and information are your friends when it comes to the right medications for depression.


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Chokyi Ooi runs a Depression Resources site and hopes this site can help us to understand more about Depression. To learn about Depression Medications and other guides, feel free to drop by http://depression.chokyi.com/.

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