Depressants Research Paper

All antidepressants work in a similar way, though there are various types of antidepressants—often called “families”—that each work a bit differently. They all, however, increase the brain’s concentration of various neurotransmitters. Antidepressants are psychiatric medications given to patients with depressive disorders to alleviate symptoms. They correct chemical imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain which probably cause changes in mood and behavior. Antidepressants may be used for a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including social anxiety disorder, anxiety disorders. Antidepressants were initially developed in the 1950s. Their use has become progressively more common over the last twenty years. Generally speaking, anti­psychotic

It is also used to treat normal sleeping patterns and appetite, and for reducing anxiety. It works by modifying the activity of relevant neurotransmitter pathways.Some of the categories of antidepressants, defined in (Queensland state Government, 2018) are :

The belief is that antidepressants work by increasing levels of a group of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Certain neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and noradrenaline, can improve mood and emotion, although we do not yet fully understand this process

Depressants are often prescribed to treat anxiety, panic disorders, and insomnia. Drugs in this category include barbiturates like Nembutal and Seconal as well as benzodiazepines like Ativan, Valium, and Xanax. Sleep medications like Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata are also in this class of drugs. These drugs are often abused because they have a calming and relaxing effect. However, they can also cause confusion, drowsiness, and memory problems. Like opioids, taking too many depressants can also stop a person’s breathing.

In 2005 the Center of Disease Control and Prevention 's (CDC’s) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) tracked Americans using antidepressants for three years. The study concluded in 2008 that more than 1 in 10 Americans ages 12 and older have used an antidepressant drug. This study comes in the wake of a heated debate in the media about the effectiveness of antidepressants treating depression. Last year, antidepressants were the second most commonly prescribed medication, right behind drugs directed to lower cholesterol. With so many people in the United States relying on these drugs, it is easy to question if they are just expensive, overused placebos.

Depression is the lack of the chemical compound C10H12N2O or Serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, made in the brain to help relay messages from one area or the brain to the other. As a result of serotonin being released throughout one's entire body it is believed to influence a majority of the bodies functions. (WEBMD.) Antidepressants alter the level of serotonin in the person's body, however, if one has excessive serotonin the outcomes could result in mania, agitation, and sometimes even death. Those outcomes are the reason that many doctors suggest going to therapy before prescribing an

In spite of the concerns associated with antidepressants and their negative impact with certain therapy medicines and their potentially addictive qualities, they are still regularly used in drug rehabilitation. That's because their positives still outweigh the negatives, especially when dealing with the mental illness that often comes with illicit drug

People who are usually stressed, sleeping disorders, or anxiety are often using depressants like alcohol. It makes people slow down and lose motor skills because the more you consume the more your body slows down. According to Psychology Today, Joshua Gowin states:“Depressants target a chemical called GABA, the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter within the brain.”(Gowin para 2) On the other hand, what class alcohol falls under to the DEA, the Federal Drug Enforcement and are mainly about classifying drugs into categories. Alcohol, is not considered class scheduled because it causes changes to brain and CNS, just as other drugs do. Why they do not consider it under any class is because it affects the brain and

the drugs used to treat depression is tricyclic antidepressant ( to fra anil and Elavil,the monoamine oxidase inhibitors ).

Yet, when alcohol and recreational drugs are mixed with antidepressants it can be much more dangerous. At first while mixing the substances, it may seem that your mood has improved, but after a couple hours you are most likely to feel more depressed or anxious. Studies also show that your thinking is impaired, which affects a person’s judgement and motor skills. Alcohol is processed through the liver. When alcohol and other ingredients like the antidepressants are together in the liver, the breakdown is not as quick, allowing the effects to be stronger, having a greater chance to overdose. In other words, combination correlates to intensification. Further, people with depression who most likely are prescribed antidepressants, are at a higher risk for substance abuse and addiction. If the body is constantly needing to filter out alcohol, the liver will boost the breakdown action. Then, if you stop drinking for a couple of days the body is still in the fast breakdown process, processing the medication too rapidly leading to dangerous effects like seizures, nausea, hallucinations,

Depressants could be used with other drugs to add other drugs’ high or to deal with their side effects. Often abusers take higher doses than people taking the drugs under a doctor’s supervision for therapeutic purposes. Depressants like GHB and Rohypnol are also misused to facilitate sexual

For as long as antidepressants have been curbing symptoms of mental health disorders, they have also brought their users adverse effects. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors, the first generation of antidepressant medications, were the primary antidepressant utilized between the 1950s and 1970s (Goldberg). Significant side effects of MAOIs include dizziness, high blood pressure, loss of sexual desire and weight gain (Goldberg). Most critically, MAOIs interacted with many other medications (Goldberg). These downsides led to the development of antidepressants with fewer interactions. The result was selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors—the most commonly prescribed antidepressants today (Fink). In a sample survey, 55 percent of individuals reported at least one adverse side effect within the first three months of taking a SSRI (Hirsch). The most common side effects include sexual dysfunction, insomnia, drowsiness, weight gain, dizziness, headache and anxiety (Hirsch). While SSRIs have been shown to reduce risk of suicide

Antidepressants have shown effectiveness in the long-term treatment of GAD, as well as providing therapeutic effects without compromising the safety of the individual, as compared to Benzodiazepines. One class of antidepressants used to treat GAD is the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI). These SSRIs work by inhibiting the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which affects mood regulation. With the help of SSRI, “the serotonin stays in the synaptic gap longer than it normally would, and may repeatedly stimulate the receptors of the recipient cell” (Goodman et al., 2011) As such, with the increase of serotonin, it aids in the induction of mood-elevating and contributes to the therapeutic anti-anxiety effects of SSRIs. Some of the common drugs prescribed under the SSRI class are Venlafaxine, Escitalopram, Paroxetine and Duloxetine. These drugs have their adverse effects with sexual dysfunction being the most common. Other adverse effects include gastrointestinal effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, dry mouth and constipation, along with occurrences of sleep disturbances. (Khawam, Laurencic & Malone Jr.,

According to the Centers for Disease Control, eleven percent of Americans, ages 12 years and over took antidepressant medication from 2005-2008 (Pratt, 2011). Antidepressants are used to treat conditions such as major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, insomnia, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders and many other mental illnesses. Antidepressants are also prescribed to treat medical conditions such as, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines and pre-menstrual tension. General practioners or psychiatrists can prescribe antidepressants to patients at any age.

They slow the body down. They relax, tranquilize, relieve pain and induce sleep. One may say and do things that they would never do under normal circumstances. When these depressants bare abused they can slow do0wm body functions such as breathing to an extent that a person may pass out or even lapse into a coma.