The Science Behind Antidepressants: How They Actually Work
Mental health conditions sometimes need a variety of treatments to reach full recovery from symptoms. In some cases, people may choose to use psychiatric medications to help control their mental health symptoms. When using medications for mental health, it's usually recommended to use them alongside other forms of treatment, such as therapy. Unfortunately, there are still stigmas against people taking medications for mental health conditions. However, there is nothing wrong with taking medications for mental health struggles. Taking medication for mental health is just as valid as taking medications for physical health conditions.
How Antidepressants Work in the Brain
Antidepressants work on balancing chemicals in the brain that deal with mood and motivation. These chemicals are serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Antidepressants work by balancing the levels of these neurotransmitters in the brain. While antidepressants can be helpful, they often take several weeks to help and provide symptom relief.
Types of Antidepressants
- SSRIs (Selective serotonin reuptake Inhibitors): SSRIs are the most common form of antidepressants that people take for improving depression and other mental health conditions. These medications work by increasing the levels of serotonin in a person’s brain.
- SNRIs (Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake Inhibitors): SNRIs are another group of antidepressant medications. These medications are aimed at increasing the levels of serotonin and norepinephrine in a person’s brain. These medications are usually used to treat depression and anxiety.
Common Myths
As we mentioned above, there are still stigmas and myths that exist around antidepressants. It's important to educate ourselves and others on the misconceptions about psychiatric medications to make sure that people can get the most benefits from these medications.
One common myth with antidepressants is that they will be a quick or easy fix. This is not true. Antidepressants take time to work and are often most effective when paired with other forms of treatment, such as therapy. Another common myth about medications is that these medications will change people's personalities. Antidepressants make subtle changes in chemicals in people's brains. They do not change the person’s personality.
Psychiatric medications can be a helpful component of treatment journeys. These medications can help to balance chemicals in a person’s brain and, as a result, improve symptoms of their mental health conditions. These changes are subtle but helpful and can often be the tool needed to decrease symptoms so that the person struggling is able to work through the deeper issues in therapy. There is nothing wrong with taking medication for mental health. Mental health medications are evidence-based and can be a useful part of healing from mental health struggles. If you are reading this, we want to remind you that taking mental health medications is not weak; it's actually very strong to do.
If you (or someone you love) may benefit from taking medication for their mental health, we are here for you! Reach out to us today if you are ready to start your healing journey.
References
https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/commonly-prescribed-antidepressants-and-how-they-work
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/antidepressants/art-20046273
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK361016/
Keywords: psychiatric medication, antidepressants, depression, mental health