Effects of depression and anti depression

Posted: September 9th, 2013

Effects of depression and anti depression

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Effects of depression and anti depression

Depression is a condition where the patients have a sad feeling that passes after a short period. Depressive disorders are therefore a cluster of symptoms that replicate a sad mood that surpasses normal melancholy or sorrow. The basic symptoms of depression include negative thoughts or ideas, distinct changes in the bodily functions such as lower appetite and poor eating habits, deprived sleep and heightened temperament. Depressed individuals are also suicidal, experience insomnia and digestive problems. While depression is restricted to external and psychological conditions affecting an individual, bipolar depression is unique in that it is hereditary. While the use of anti-depressants in treating depression is necessary, it leads to worse complications that discredit its usage as a safe medical device.

Argument against anti-depressants

The physical effects of anti-depressants are quite similar to those of depression. They include constipation, blurred vision and drowsiness. Some of the drugs that are used in the treatment of depression include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Prozac and Paxil. These drugs act on serotonin within the brain to control the mood, but it also contributes toward improve digestion, reduced pain, induced sleep and mental clarity. For adults over the age of 60, the effects of the SSRI treatment may cause increased fall, accidents and bone marrow loss. When withdrawn suddenly, these drugs also cause withdrawal if stopped unexpectedly.

Anti-depressants may be the best medical solution that doctors can prescribe now, but it is imperative to look at what effects they have on the patients consuming them. It is immediately obvious that old people cannot comfortably take the anti-depressants drugs due to the degenerative effect that they have on the bones by making them weaker, and susceptible to fracture. Most old people experience depression due to the effects of their past occupations and experience. Subjecting them to a risky form of treatment such as SSRI treatment will be tantamount to indirectly tampering with their health and can lead to early death (Hedaya & Kotz, 2000).

Anti-depressant treatments have also been linked to interfering with the development of fetuses among pregnant women. The SSRI treatment is beneficial ate the earlier stages of pregnancy, but at the later stages in pregnancy, the treatment may result in short-term withdrawal among newborns after they have been delivered. The SSRI treatment produces adverse outcomes such as restlessness, tremor, respiratory complications, and weak children. The drug has also been found to be detrimental to the temperament of young adults over the age of 20. Though the drug is expected to reduce the symptoms of depression, the negative effects have led to increased suicidal tendencies. People who experience bipolar disorders are also unique and suffer adverse physical conditions when they use SSRI drugs. The treatment for bipolar depression using SSRI drugs makes their condition worse and to that extent, anti-depressants are not useful in certain cases of depression such as this (Enggaard, 2002).

Effects of depression

There are two major categories of effects of depression: physical and psychological side effects. Physical effects include headaches, nausea, agitation and lower libido. Untreated clinical depression also leads to other risky tendencies such as overindulgence in other drugs and alcohol. People with chronic depression also lose the will power to accept treatment and take the medication regularly. Untreated depression takes the biggest toll on the physical state of the patient by triggering coronary artery diseases. They also have sleep deprivation and a change in the sleep patterns. Lastly, depression can result in weight fluctuations and treating the depression using anti-depressants will treat all of these issues (Van, 2010).

Arguments for use of anti-depressants

It is important to acknowledge that the antidepressants take a longer time to treat depression if the therapy and dosage are given in the exact manner. Examples of common antidepressants include benzodiazepines that assist to deal with depression. About 70% of the people who take antidepressants benefit from the treatment. Antidepressants greatly lessen the symptoms of depression. However, antidepressants cannot fully cure the depression. Antidepressants are merely taken to lower the negative symptoms and boost the other treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy and psychotherapy.

Conclusion

Anti-depressants may have their negative side effects but the rate at which people have been suffering because of depression leaves no other solution that has been proposed by health professionals. For the moment, anti-depressants are the most effective, but they have worse outcomes, which discourages people from using them. Instead of depending on SSRI and other depression drugs, there are other ways of reducing depression. Talk therapy or psychotherapy is one option. This treatment involves the patient and counselor engaging in interactive discussions about the patient’s problems and feelings (Glenmullen, 2000). Apart from psychotherapy, other treatment options, for example, electroconvulsive therapy that involves inducing seizures for sedated patients for healing effects. This treatment is normally recommended for severe depression that cannot be cured by any other form of treatment. It also treats mania and Catania. Most of the patients treated by this treatment are women as they are at a higher risk of falling into depression. The use of anti-depressants has proven to be dangerous if administered without proper supervision.

References

Enggaard, T (2002). Comparative studies of the effects of antidepressants and codeine in experimental human pain models. Odense.

Glenmullen, J. (2000). Prozac backlash: Overcoming the dangers of Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, and other antidepressants with safe, effective alternatives. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Hedaya, R. J., & Kotz, D. (2000). The antidepressant survival program: How to beat the side effects and enhance the benefits of your medication. New York: Crown Publishers.

Van, L. J. T. (2010). Antidepressants: Types, efficiency and possible side effects. New York: Nova Science Publishers.