Can Childhood Trauma Cause Mental Illness Later In Life
Can Childhood Trauma Cause Mental Illness Later In Life
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What Are SSRIs and How Do They Help?
SSRIs are an effective treatment for depression and anxiety disorders. They work by blocking the brain’s ability to absorb serotonin. However, they do have side effects that vary between people. Some of these can be serious. It’s important to discuss these side effects with your doctor.
It can take several weeks for SSRIs to begin working. Some doctors will recommend trying a different medication if you don’t respond to the first one.
SSRIs raise serotonin levels
SSRIs are the first-line pharmacological treatment for depression and other mood disorders. They work by boosting the brain’s natural levels of serotonin, one of several neurotransmitters that help relay messages.
Neurons communicate with each other via a gap between them called a synapse. When a neuron sends a message, it releases a small amount of the neurotransmitter that helps carry the message. This neurotransmitter is then reabsorbed into the sending neuron by another mechanism, known as reuptake. SSRIs block this reuptake, keeping more serotonin outside of the neurons for their signaling to continue.
SSRIs aren’t habit-forming, but it’s important to start at the lowest possible dose and slowly increase your dosage with the help of your doctor. If you stop taking them suddenly, you can develop a condition known as discontinuation syndrome that causes withdrawal symptoms. It’s also a good idea to take your medication with food and avoid drinking alcohol while you’re taking them.
They aren’t habit-forming
SSRIs have been in use since the 1980s and are among the world’s most commonly prescribed medications. They are used to treat many different conditions, including depression, anxiety disorders, and bulimia nervosa. These medicines work by stopping nerve cells from reabsorbing serotonin after it’s used to carry a message between two neurons (a cell synapse).
Most of the time, SSRI side effects improve over months or years. If they don’t, your doctor may recommend increasing the dose or trying a different antidepressant.
However, there are some situations when SSRIs shouldn’t be taken. These include children and pregnant people. SSRIs like paroxetine have been linked to fetal heart issues in newborns. They can also interact unpredictably with certain other medications, including over-the-counter painkillers and herbal remedies such as St John’s wort. In some cases, this can cause a dangerous increase in serotonin levels called serotonin syndrome. This can be life-threatening, so always talk to your doctor before taking SSRIs.
They don’t work for everyone
Many people find that SSRIs help relieve depression, but it takes time to build up the levels of serotonin needed to treat your symptoms. Your psychiatrist will monitor how well you respond during the first weeks and months of treatment. If you don’t get the desired results, your doctor may try a different drug in the same class. SSRIs differ slightly in their potency at blocking serotonin reuptake, how fast your body eliminates them and their impact on other parts of the brain.
Some SSRIs -- particularly citalopram and paroxetine -- increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). This is higher when you take them with other medicines that raise serotonin levels, such as St John’s wort.
SSRIs aren’t habit-forming and aren’t addictive, but stopping antidepressant treatment suddenly or missing several doses can cause withdrawal-like symptoms, including chills and muscle aches. You should work with your health care professional to gradually lower the dosage of your medicine to avoid this.
They aren’t always effective
In general, antidepressants change the way your brain uses certain chemicals to better regulate mood. These include the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. They all work differently, though, and even two people who have the same diagnosis may react to SSRIs in different ways. It can take several weeks before the drugs start to have an effect.
SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed type of antidepressant and can be effective for treating depression. They can also cause side effects, which often improve as treatment continues. However, it’s important to talk to your GP or mental health professional if you’re struggling with depression and aren’t getting relief from your SSRI.
SSRIs can raise serotonin levels too high and lead to a rare condition called serotonin syndrome, which includes symptoms like sweating, racing heart, fever and sometimes delirium. This is most common if SSRIs are mixed with certain medications or substances, including the herb St John’s wort and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) such as phenelzine (Nardil). SSRIs aren’t usually recommended for pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers luxury mental health treatment centers in california unless your GP thinks the benefits outweigh the risks.