Depression: A Mental Illness
Depression is characterized by sadness severe enough or persistent enough to interfere with function and often by decreased interest or pleasure in activities. Exact cause is unknown but probably involves heredity, changes in neurotransmitter levels, altered neuroendocrine function and psychological factors.
Depression is potentially life threatening and it can occur at any age from childhood to late life. Many of affected are socially disabled. The most common complication of depression is suicide.
Symptoms
- Depressed mood
- Loss of interest and pleasure
- Significant weight or appetite alteration
- Insomnia or hyposomnia
- Agitation or retardation
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Feeling of worthlessness
- Diminished ability to think or concentrate or indecisiveness
- Suicidal ideation
Treatment goals
- Reduce symptoms of depression
- Facilitate patient’s return to premorbid level of functioning
Medication
- Selective serotonin receptor antagonist (SSRI)
- Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor
- Serotonin reuptake inhibitors
There is long term risk from taking SSRI, for example persistent sexual dysfunction, increased risk of liver toxicity and deteriorating health. However, there is improved efficacy and adverse effect profile than tricyclic antidepressants. The typical side effect of SSRI includes: agitation, anxiety, dizziness, headache, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, somnolence, drowsiness and tremor.
The side effects of serotonin reuptake inhibitors includes arrhythmias, heart block, convulsion, drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation and urinary retention.
SSRI is often the initial drugs of choice. Different SSRI are equally effective for typical cases, but certain properties of the drugs make them more or less appropriate for certain patients. If one SSRI is ineffective, another SSRI can be substituted , or an antidepressant from a different class may be used instead.
For a first episode of mild or moderate depression, the antidepressant should be given for 6 months, then taper gradually over 2 months. If the episode is severe or there is a recurrence or there is a suicidal risk, the dose that produces full remission should be continued during maintenance. Continued therapy with an antidepressant for 6-12 months (up to 2 years in patient > 50 years old) is usually needed to prevent relapse.
Counselling play a main role in patient taking antidepressant medication. Side effects of medication may occur immediately but resolution of symptoms may take 2-4 weeks. Thus, assessment of compliance at every visit is a must. Family and friends should be involve in the assessment of response as well.
I am sorry but I don't agree with you in many areas. Unless you are a medical professional, your opinion does NOT have valid points.
I have been practicing medicine in several clinics for a little over 10 years now.
First of all, depression is a state of mind and NOT any form of mental illness at all. It is a cycle in life and with time and proper support such as love, ANYONE can overcome depression. Depression is also aggravated by a negative environment.
Second, many times depression can be cured with proper counseling, vitamins, acupuncture, medicinal herbs or any of these combinations. My medical colleagues and I have successfully treated many cases just using vitamins and counseling.
You don't need dangerous prescription drugs like SSRI to treat depression. Pharmaceutical companies want you to believe it is a mental illness so they can sell you drugs that is highly addictive and difficult to get off with serious withdrawal symptoms. This is labeled in our medical books about 15 years ago. Sadly some of these side effects are being removed in the newer medical books to hide the truth.
Once you are on drugs like SSRI, it is very difficult to get off of them because of the side effects, which includes psychosis (hallucinations) and suicidal tendencies.
From my medical professional experience, it is SSRI that is making these people unstable and aggravating the depression. Some of these victims have also have homicidal tendencies and when you are on SSRI, it makes you even more likely to carry out their negative thoughts.
90% of the high school mass shootings are due to SSRI. The first incident was Columbine High School in the 1990's. This has long been covered up.
Michael Moore did a documentary to reveal this. There has been many lawsuits against the SSRI in the Columbine incident. The lawyer that represented the victims of the family is John W. DeCamp.
I suggest everyone to do their own research and not take my word for it.
Hi @greenbeans! Nice to meet you. Thank you for your opinions. Actually I'm not promoting drugs to be the first line of depression treatment. This post is mainly explain about the drugs commonly used in depression. Compare to other drugs of choice, SSRI is more preferable. I don't deny the importance of psychosocial and emotional support in people facing depression. After all, environment and surrounding people are the main reason of depression.
SSRI should be completely eliminated in treatment of Depression. It doesn't work and the side effects are very dangerous. It causes hallucination and difficult to get off of.
Its good to know people have the knowledge to see through all the side effects these Anti-Depressant pills does to a human being... in the long term, it just makes things worse for the person and can't stop taking it. Its sad and mainly the anti-depression pills are mainly used in America and rarely at all in any other places. Depression should be treated naturally like having a community that tries to help the person conquer depression. Asking the victim question on their part of the story and try to give useful advice on making their lives better. Natural help, not artificial pills the media wants you to believe. I will never take those pills in my life!
Hear hear! 👍
Thank you for a solid and thorough post!
Mental health should be focused on the same way that other aspects of health are. It is so important for our well-being and social interaction.
Totally agree! Mental illness shouldn't be ignored and it is not something that we should be ashamed of.
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Taking antidepressant medications have long time effect on the connection between the person and their source. I wrote more about it in a post a few days ago, and you are welcome to check it out. In a nut shell, depression appears mostly when the individual feels isolated, not connected to the inner being of themselves. That leads to isolation from the society which, as a vicious cycle, intensifies this toxic situation. Antidepressant medication therefore, while may mitigate the situation for the immediate term, have severe effect for the long run as they prolifirate the same thing they try to avoid, the isolation!
Disclaimer : I am not a medical doctor and my opinion should not be taken as a medical advice. Use your own discretion.
Thank you for your opinion! The harm and benefits of drugs are undeniable. After all, the reaction of same drugs in different people might lead to different outcome.
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I actually made a YouTube video myself on Depression: https://steemit.com/depression/@denoxblogger/my-new-video-on-my-experience-on-depression
You may want to check this blog post of mines out containing the video and give me your opinion on it.