Are Antidepressants Effective?

Numerous studies on depression

Numerous studies have been performed to identify the right cure for depression; however, finding the most successful way to beat the disorder for good has proven to be a difficult challenge. Depression is a neurological disorder that affects a person's emotions, attitudes, and behavior. The syndrome is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain that can occur as a result of various life-altering incidents such as divorce, death, extreme health problems, and also during pregnancy and after birth. It affects about 300 million people globally and is a major source of morbidity and disease all around the world. Depression has become a global health priority that needs early detection to be able to defeat.

Anti-depressant pills and their limitations

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deceived us to believe that taking antidepressants does work, but the idea of taking anti-depressants pills does not cure depression. Most anti-depressant pills have been approved to be the effective treating in depression, but one this that has not been made apparent is that antidepressants do not treat the condition itself, they only treat the symptoms. Therefore, the ever- growing dependency on the antidepressants as a weapon to beat depression is questionable, and a long-term solution should be found because antidepressants are not effective and they have several adverse effects on the patients.

Combining antidepressants with other treatments

Patients suffering from depression are given antidepressants as their first treatment. This means that they are given these drugs to compress the signs and symptoms of depression and for that reason; they should seek further medication for the condition. Taking antidepressants has never been the answer to our looming psychiatric health outbreaks. Depressions have different causes, effects, and treatments that can be done to help diminish depression, like eating healthy, exercising, getting enough sleep, together with therapy even though there is no cure for it. Therefore, antidepressants can only be effective if combined with other forms of treatment like therapy, exercises, and healthy eating.

The uncertain effectiveness of antidepressants

According to Fond et al., the most used depressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) and Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), but their effectiveness in treating depression is uncertain (168). They are only useful to some extent while treating depression, but when it comes to severe depression, they show no effect on the patients, and this is evident that antidepressants are not effective in treating depression. Antidepressants are only effective during the first treatment of mild depressions, but after that, they come with a range of side effects such as loss of appetite, sexual dysfunction, insomnia, weight gain, heart rhythm problems, agitation, and confusion just to mention but a few. Therefore, patients suffering from depression should not focus on antidepressants as their main treatment; instead, they should concentrate on alternative depression treatments.

The relapse rates and alternative treatments

Most medics insist that antidepressants are effective in treating depressions. However, they are not an effective treatment for depression because if they were, why are the relapses rates high after using them. Moreover, if these drugs are effective at beating depression as we are made to believe, why are depression rates on the increase across the globe? Patel notes that depression patients who solely depend on antidepressants as treatment have an 80 percent chance of having second episodes of major depression (172). Therefore, even though several depression symptoms can be relieved by antidepressants, it is vital for depression patients to get the right kind of treatment that has a combination of behavioral, cognitive, and interpersonal therapy to avoid relapses and acute depression. Moreover, relaxation techniques such as exercises can also be incorporated to help calm the patient’s emotions, which will make therapy easier and faster.

Considering alternatives to antidepressants

It seems that nowadays, the ultimate goal of most pharmaceutical companies is to stress an individual to have some drug in our blood streams whenever we feel like there is something wrong with us (Angell 25). It is easy to become convinced into thinking taking a pill might relieve your pain, especially if endorsed by a physician. Feeling depressed is never a pleasant thing to endure, and as humans, we are always trying to find a shortcut to get rid of something that is bothering us. However, drugs or medicine should not always be our first choice, and antidepressants are no exception.

Works Cited

Angell, Marcia. The Truth About The Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us And What To DoAbout It. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2005. Print.

Fond, G., et al. "Effectiveness and Tolerance of Anti‐inflammatory Drugs' add‐on Therapy inMajor Mental Disorders: A Systematic Qualitative Review." Acta PsychiatricaScandinavica, 129.3, (2014): 163-179. Print.

Patel, Vikram. "Treating Depression where there are no Mental Health Professionals." (2017):172-173. Print.