Depression Essay

Depression is a mental health disorder that can be characterized by loss of interest of once enjoyable activities, and a persistent mood of depression (MacGill, 2017). As previously stated earlier in this paper, hundreds of millions suffer from this debilitating mental disorder on a global scale and is extremely prevalent in today’s society. According to MacGill, those individuals suffering from depression often times have symptoms consisting of feelings of loneliness, worthlessness, apathy, or depressed moods and tend to have a difficult time doing things or getting out of bed (2017). Other symptoms that arrive with depression can also include irritability, anxiety, isolation, lethargic tendencies, suicidal thoughts, appetite loss, and weight gain or loss. There are numerous causes of depression, according to MacGill, ranging from genetics, environmental factors, traumatic events, psychological and psychosocial problems, drugs and drug abuse, having had a major depressive disorder, or a change in neurotransmitter levels (2017). Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that results in a happy feeling, is typically found in highly reduced levels in those who suffer from depression which usually leads to said person being diagnosed SRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors) as a form of treatment and is usually prescribed

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common mental disorders, with a 12-month prevalence of 6.7% of adults in the United States (NIMH). There is no definite etiology of depression, but several risk factors have been identified. Functional and structural changes in the brain have also been explored. The most common treatment for depression is the use of drugs that act on monoamine transmitters, including norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Decreases in these transmitters, especially serotonin, were hypothesized to play an important role in the cause of depression (Breedlove & Watson, 2013). The serotonin hypothesis led to the development of selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. Further research suggests that the serotonin hypothesis is not entirely accurate and the neurobiology of depression is much more complex. The “chemical imbalance” explanation of depression may not reflect the full range of causes and may be given greater credibility by patients and doctors than is supported by evidence based research.

Most people benefit from taking antidepressants to some degree, but research suggests that antidepressants may not be as effective as previously thought in cases of mild depression.

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

Many people who are against the idea of taking medication to relieve their depression, are apprehensive about the side affects that arise with taking them. The answer to this problem is easy, contact your doctor and try another one out. The original antidepressant made me awfully drowsy and lazy. So my mother made an appointment, and I converted to a different kind of medication. There is more than one type of antidepressant for that purpose and many other purposes as well. For me, the second antidepressant not only gave me extra energy, but also made me more cheerful. For the people who do not favor with taking antidepressants, merely because they do not work, also should then explored the different types of medications to see which one suites that individual the best. Some medications work for people, but in contrast, they don’t change a thing for another. That’s what I found so attractive in the idea of antidepressants. The flexibility of various kinds of medications so you can find the one for

The antidepressant under investigation were were monomine-oxidase inhibitors; mirtazapine; SSRIs; TCAs; trazodone; venlafaxine; duloxetine; agomelatine and reboxetine.

This affects the the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)- a crucial factor in the neurobiology of depression. The hippocampus is rich in BDNF, which is related in neuronal growth, survival and maturation, as well as arborization and synaptic plasticity in the adult brain. Stress suppresses BDNF synthesis in the hippocampus showing low concentrations in depressed patients, correlating with the severity of the depression. The use of antidepressant drugs increase its synthesis and signalling in the hippocampus and PFC. In a post-mortem study of depressed patients at the time of death, there were significant differences between the BDNF concentrations in treated and untreated patients. Antidepressants work by balancing neurotransmitters that affect mood and emotion. The use of antidepressants and going to therapy are the most effective ways to treating depression. Weight gain and the feeling of mental numbness is a side effect of antidepressants. Depression can be prevented. Daily exercise, having strong relationships,and watching alcohol intake are ways to prevent depression. Depression is a long term,recurrent condition often taking a chronic course. It is associated with significant morbidity, comorbidity and mortality (suicide and physical illness). In order to achieve and maintain optimum brain function and reduce the risk of recurrence, antidepressant drug treatment full remission is

Most antidepressants are supposed to work by reducing the elimination of certain substances from the brain. These substances are called neurotransmitters (such as serotonin and norepinephrine). The neurotransmitter is needed for regular brain tasks and is involved in the control of mood and in other responses and meanings, such as eating,

The leading theory explaining the biology of depression is the monoamine hypothesis of depression. (Stahl, 3) This theory suggests that depression is caused by a deficiency in one or another of the three neurotransmitters: serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. The theory was formulated after the accidental discovery of the original drugs for depression and psychosis, much in the same way Fleming discovered penicilin.

In accordance with biological views, minimal operation of neurotransmitters called serotonin and norepinephrine, are agents of depression. Hormonal elements may also be involved, and the biological issues mentioned could be combined with genetic factors. Efficacious biological management for unipolar depression are electroconvulsive therapy (ECI) and antidepressant drugs such as MAO inhibitors, tricyclics, and second generation antidepressants (Comer, 2005).

Serotonin syndrome is a drug-induced syndrome that results in mental, autonomic and neuromuscular changes. A range of toxic symptoms including clonus, hyperreflexia, tremor, agitation, confusion and shivering are results of the increased serotonin concentrations in the central nervous system (Hall and Buckley, 2003). Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is a neurotransmitter produced from the decarboxylation and hydroxylation of tryptophan. Serotonin is stored within the vesicles and released into the synaptic cleft when stimulated (Volpi-Abadie et al., 2013). As serotonin influences on mood, sleep, vomiting and pain perception, the serotonin levels are tightly regulated by the reuptake mechanisms, degradation by monoamine oxidase type A and feedback loop (Thanacoody,

The linkage of serotonin to depression has been known for the past five years. From numerous studies, the most concrete evidence of this connection is the decreased concentration of serotonin metabolites like 5-HIAA (5-hydroxyindole acetic acid) in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissues of depressed people. If depression, as suggested, is a result of decreased levels of serotonin in the brain, pharmaceutical agents that can reverse this effect should be helpful in treating depressed patients. Therefore, the primary targets of various antidepressant medications are serotonin transports of the brain. Since serotonin is activated when released by neurons into the synapse, antidepressants function at the synapse to enhance serotonin activity. Normally, serotonin's actions in the synapse are terminated by its being taken back into the neuron then releases it at which point "it is either recycled for reuse as a transmitter or broken down into its metabolic by products and transported out of the brain." As a result, antidepressants work to increase serotonin levels at the synapse by blocking serotonin reuptake (2).

Patients with depression display an alternation of neurotransmitters arising from interruptions of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The impedance of these neurotransmitters causes depressive symptoms to present themselves, including a patient’s inability to regulate sleep, appetite, and sexual drive. The brain produces neurotransmitters that are critical to human function, however, in a depressed patient there is an altered release of several neurotransmitters (Harvard Health Publications, 2009). All of these neurotransmitters relate to the “monoamine hypothesis of depression”, an early theory that persists today (Sheline et al.; 2002). A drop in the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine typically correlates with major depressive

Depression is a serious mental illness that can be treated. Knowing the type of depression is important. A person may find the treatment that best suits them with the trial and error process. The severity of the depression means a more intensive treatment. Most people choose to take antidepressants rather than actually getting help with their problem. They shouldn’t rely on the medication alone; if they do it can bring unwanted side effects. All of the depression treatments take time, and sometimes it might feel overwhelming or frustratingly slow. That is normal. Recovery usually has its ups and downs.