By Athlyn Green
Different types of depression medicine offer hope to people suffering from depressive disorders. Modern treatments can help those afflicted to see a light at the end of what can seem like a long, dark tunnel.
Science has yielded insights into the human brain and how it functions, and has unveiled effective treatment approaches. Different types of depression medication can be tried, when attempting to restore mood.
Doctors prescribe antidepressant drugs and draw from a varied arsenal of different types of medicine for depression. A person’s age, their history, and severity of their depression will determine appropriate medication choice.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can tackle depression in its early stages. SSRIs inhibit the reuptake of serotonin, thus more serotonin is available to be taken up by other nerves. Some studies indicate that SSRIs may be more beneficial that tricyclics or MAOIs. The newer SSRIs are not as dangerous, if someone takes an overdose. Side effects are generally less severe than those experienced with the older types of depression medicine.
Tricyclics or are still important in the war against depression and are used for patients who fail to respond to anything else. They may be less popular than the newer types of depression medication, but they are used to treat symptoms of major depression.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or are a last resort, used when other classes of antidepressant drugs prove ineffective; however, they can present potential lethal dietary and drug interactions, which makes their use hazardous.
Other drugs (Wellbutrin, Effexor, Remeron, or Desyrel) don’t fit into standard drug classifications of antidepressants; however, they were discovered in the search for safer, non-toxic medications. These drugs affect different neurotransmitter systems. Doctors will try different types of medicine for depression.
Newer drugs offer the hope of fewer side effects and have proven effective when treating depressive disorders; but their long-term effects have not been established.
If you are concerned about either side effects or long-term effects, another viable option includes use of natural remedies. These are gaining in popularity as a safe and effective alternative to both older and modern types of depression medicine.
Natural supplements work in the same fashion as drugs to treat neurotransmitter functioning. Neurotransmitters play a role in mood, thinking, appetite, sleep, and pain levels. By restoring chemical balance in the brain, symptoms of depression are effectively treated.
Natural remedies incorporate beneficial vitamins and minerals, amino acids, enzymes, specialty supplements and additional herbal extracts. Herbal preparations may include: valerian, for reduction of anxiety and mood disorders, including depressive illnesses; chamomile, to reduce anxiety; calcium and magnesium, for physical and emotional stress; and ginkgo biloba, shown to be an aid in concentration and in treating depression. These remedies bring about relief naturally but in the same fashion as doctor-prescribed types of depression medication.
Science has pushed the boundaries of the medical frontier in the quest for different types of depression medicine. Additionally, research has illuminated the exciting potential of potent remedies derived from nature.
Whatever course you choose, you can go forward, comforted with the knowledge that varied and flexible treatment options are readily obtainable. Depression and treatment approaches have come a long way.
Athlyn Green is an avid health enthusiast with an interest in natural remedies for treatment of health disorders. She has contributed to Depression Medication, a section of http://www.beat-your-depression.com/ dedicated to natural treatments and prescription drug alternatives for this disorder.
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