Prescription Depressants Research Paper

Peak concentrations in the plasma occur between one and two hours following administration. Plasma levels are proportionate to the dose given. Xanax has been used as a tranquilizer and was quite controversial in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Ironically enough, the controversy isn’t as prevalent with more than three million Americans using benzodiazepines daily within the last twelve months. Many years ago, before the rise in prescription medication being given by physicians many patients went through talk therapy and would talk in depth with their doctors about their feelings and emotions; this process had proven to be very expensive and time consuming and not even always effective. The notion that giving more drugs out for minor mental illnesses and anxiety being beneficial took a place in people’s lives and a revolution was born. Granted, talk therapy was still relative however prescribing medication for these ailments took off majorly and the rise in prescription use for Xanax

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

Prescription Drugs – This list can be quite exhaustive, but mainly contains all the tablets prescribed by the GP with regards to depression, sleeping tablets e.g. Tamazepan, Diazepam, and Valium

The classification of medicines are all related to the medicines act 1968, while working with medication it is good to have an understanding and working

Many people argue whether or not antidepressant drugs are safe for young patients. Multple studies say that these drugs cause an increase of suicidal thoughts to the patients. Other studies state that they improve patients’ lives in remarkable ways. There are risks, but there are also benefits. With warnings being issued and multiple studies being released with different conclusions, it is up to the patients themselves and their parents to decide whether the risks or benefits outweighs the other.

Lastly, what effects to antidepressants have on mood, behavior, and suicidal tendencies? In her article, ‘The Hidden Harm of Antidepressants’, Diana Kwon, a science writer with a Master’s degree for McGill University in neuroscience, she reviews several studies about the use of antidepressants, and had found the safety data on some of these drugs have been withheld from the public. She mentions research done in Copenhagen by some researchers at the Nordic Cochrane Center, and how they discovered that “pharmaceutical companies were not presenting the full extent of serious harm in clinical study reports…” (Kwon para 2). These clinical study reports are then used by people at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve or deny new

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.

Some of the most common antidepressants include Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft, Paxil, Remeron and Effexor, these come capsules or tablets, studies show that the effects of these drugs can include: Nervousness and anxiety, Insomnia, Irritability, Violent thoughts and actions, Agitation, Hostility, Suicidal thoughts or suicide, Tremors, Irregular heartbeat, Aggression, Confusion and incoherent thoughts, Paranoia, Hallucinations, Psychosis,

It’s simply easy to discard a young adult with a hint of depression or anxiety in society’s eyes. In fact, depression is a fickle box, a diverse illness, with different prior causes and abstract theories (Mukherjee, New York Times Magazine, 2012). Most adults might be under a false impression that it’s a normal for children to have severe mood swings. As for the adults who have worked under the physiatric/medical field, knew professionally that wasn’t the case. Antidepressants is the key ingredient and solution for these young adults to handle for their own mental problems. Con: However, The U.S Food and Drug Administration slapped “black box” warning on antidepressants, with even a small minority chance of increased suicide risk, behind the agency's strongest safety alert (Olson, Omaha World-Herald, 2005).

“About 150 studies in seventeen countries say that antidepressants have side effects”(cchr International). One of the most used antidepressant would be zoloft or lexapro. Even these two medications have side effects. Before they figured out they had side effects, people believed that they all worked the same. Some of the side effects are heart problems, suicide risks or attempts, causes anxiety, aggression, urges to self harm, and suicidal thoughts. If any of these are happening you can go talk to your doctor or just continue taking them. They have about 26 different types of medication that people can try. By taking antidepressants they will work by balancing chemicals in your brain. They can help with your mood, with sleeping better, and help with concentrating. The antidepressants can help sustain your nerve cells. Also some of the drugs that people take can cause depression. So be careful about what you are taking.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, antidepressants, are the most commonly prescribed medications in America where about one of ten Americans are prescribed to them. Dr. Joseph Glenmullen, a Harvard catalyst reports on the safety of these highly prescribed antidepressant drugs popularly known as: Paxil, Prozac, Luvoz, Zoloft, and Celexa; saying these drugs can be very dangerous when taken in

Once a practitioner has a strong understanding about MDD diagnostic criteria, prevalence, etiology, and prognosis, he or she should then strive to understand recommended MDD treatment modalities. The use of antidepressant medication (ADM), has been a highly regarded treatment for depression. In addition, cognitive-based approaches have also seen positive results. Therefore, Hollon et al. (2014) examined the effects of cognitive therapy (CT) combined with ADM, as opposed to ADM alone, on the treatment of individuals with MDD. Hollon et al. (2014) recruited 452 adults with chronic or recurrent MDD for this study. Patients were randomly assigned to the CT and ADM condition or to the ADM only condition (Hollon et al., 2014). Hollon et al. (2014) also stated that treatment lasted as long as 42 months. Hollon et al. (2014) found that CT combined with ADM significantly improved the rate of recovery when compared to the ADM alone, but only if the patients had severe MDD. The effect was not significant for individuals with mild and/or moderate depression. Therefore, Hollon et al. (2014) argued that ADM combined with CT will improve recovery rates for individuals with severe MDD.

Research Question: Are antidepressants being over prescribed, if so what other options do doctors have and what should they be considering?

Depression Literacy and Attitudes towards Antidepressants: Participants will complete three short surveys and read an informational pamphlet about depression. Assessments used in this study are a demographics survey, a knowledge of depression questionnaire, and an attitudes towards antidepressants survey. This study will take approximately 15-20 minutes. If you are interested in participating please contact Marissa Elizardo at (267)664-3822 or melizardo@bryant.edu

Common types of medication include POM (prescription only medication) which can be obtained from a pharmacist only if prescribed by a doctor. These could include anti-depressants which are very common. Anti-depressants work by selecting receptors in the brain and controls levels of serotonin. They come under the group 'SSRIS' (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Over the counter medicines (OTC) may include things like paracetamol or ibuprofen, which are everyday painkillers. Something like paracetamol inhibits the production of pain and inflammation-causing chemicals called prostaglandins.