Depression: Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor and Depression Essay

Submitted By smirwin1
Words: 832
Pages: 4

If you suffer from anxiety disorder, you are more than likely going to suffer from a mood disorder. Mood disorders are disturbances in emotional behavior that prevent people from functioning effectively throughout their every day lives. One mood disorder is major depressive disorder, or depression. Depression is characterized by lack of motivation, low energy, and feelings of guilt or worthlessness. There is also a milder but longer lasting form of depression called dysthymia. The symptoms are all the same as major depressive disorder but they are less intense. Depression can happen to anyone, children, teens and adults. It is a life-altering change in behavior followed by a lack of desire to do much of anything. Symptoms of depression in children and teens are sadness, irritability, and hopelessness. Also, schoolwork may suffer in children who are depressed. Symptoms of depression in adults can be less obvious. People may feel dissatisfied with life in general, bored, or helpless. In older adults, depression may go undiagnosed because of symptoms like fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems, or loss of interest in sex that may seem to be caused by other illnesses. There are a lot of factors that can cause depression. Abuse, genetics, death or loss, substance abuse, certain medications, conflict, and serious illnesses are all causes that can lead to depression. For example: certain medications that are used to treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers, can increase your risk of depression. Depressed people are at a higher risk of committing suicide. Not all people are equally at risk for suicide. In 2007, men were 4 times as likely to commit suicide as women, although more women committed suicide. Race also matters when dealing with suicide. European Americans are twice as likely to commit suicide as African, Asian, and Hispanic Americans. Age was once a big factor in suicide. The elderly are most likely to carry out suicide, but more recently age has not mattered much. For example, in 1950 those who were 65 and older were 5 times more likely to commit suicide than 20-24 year old, but by 1980 the age groups had nearly the same rates of suicide. Since 2000, suicide rates for both age groups nearly had the same rates of suicide. The kind of depression treatment that’s best for you depends on the type of depression you have. For example, some patients with clinical depression are treated with psychotherapy, and some are prescribed antidepressants. Other people who don’t want to do standard depression treatments may try brain stimulation techniques such as electroshock therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), or vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Depression drugs can lift your mood and ease the sadness or hopelessness that you feel. Three chemical messengers are involved with depression. The three chemical messengers are norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, which are neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters transmit electrical signals between brain cells. Researchers have found a link between chemical imbalance in brain chemicals and depression. Antidepressant medications change the sensitivity of the receptors for chemical messengers. Modifying these brain chemicals can help improve your mood. They affect the natural occurring chemicals in your brain. There are many types of antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are safer and cause fewer side effects. The most common side effects are decreased sexual desire and delayed orgasm. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can