This is a hot topic at the moment. In July this year, a research paper was published that changed the way the general public views depression.
The paper was published in Molecular Psychiatry, a peer-reviewed medical journal that aims to clarify biological mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders and their treatment.
For decades now society at large has bought into the theory that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. To be more specific the theory relayed to the public has been that it’s because of lowered levels of the neurotransmitter Serotonin. Serotonin plays a key role in such body functions as mood, sleep, digestion, nausea, wound healing, bone health, blood clotting, and sexual desire.
The way that antidepressants work is to balance out these chemicals in your brain called neurotransmitters to help improve your mood, sleep better, increase concentration, etc.
There are various different antidepressant medications which include:
- SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
(Prozac, Cipralex, Paroxetine, Dapoxetine, Fluvoxamine, Sertraline, Vortioxetine) - SNRIs or Serotonin-Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors
(Effexor, Cymbalta, Desvenlafaxine, Milnacipram, Levomilnacipram) - NaSSAs or Norepinephrine and specific Senotonergic Antidepressants
(Aptazapine, Esmirtazapine, Mianserin, Mirtazapine, Setiptiline/teciptiline) - TCAs or Tricyclic Antidepressants (older types of antidepressants)
(Amitriptyline, Clomipramine, Doxepin, Imipramine, Trimipramine, Amoxapine, Desipramine, Nortriptyline) - SARIs or Serotonin Antagonist and Reuptake Inhibitors
(Trazadone, Nefazodone)
Some of these may also be prescribed off-label for use in treating sleep disturbances, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, OCD, and ADHD.
I read the study published in July and in a nutshell, the study has revealed that, on the topic of serotonin, there is “no evidence of an association with depression, or of an interaction between genotype, stress, and depression.”
From what I read and understood the contrary might be a more viable explanation as a small number of studies showed a link between symptoms of depression and higher levels of Serotonin. But this is a very small possibility as the paper only cites two studies that showed these results and the quality of the studies was sub-par and sample sizes were very small.
The question then is: WHY DO ANTIDEPRESSANT MEDICATION WORK?
For decades now millions of people have been prescribed antidepressant medication and have found relief from symptoms of depression from taking these medications. So if there is no link between lowered Serotonin and depression, why do antidepressant medications work?
Well, the main theory for this comes down to the placebo effect. There are a few studies that have looked at this theory and in general, it seems that there is a small difference in results when testing the efficacy of using SSRIs vs a Placebo.
SSRIs = 56% — 60% Efficacy
Placebo = 42% — 47% Efficacy
So the placebo effect theory also doesn’t quite explain the mystery as to why these medications work.
Antidepressant Medications Do Work
We just don’t yet know how or why they work. The bottom line is that depression is a very complex disorder that still needs a great deal of studying and testing for us to gain a greater understanding of the causes relating to the disorder.
I have personally been on a number of antidepressant medications over the years, including Cipralex, Wellbutrin, and currently Venlor (for depression and anxiety) and Trazadone (for sleep). Without the Trazadone, I am unable to get restful sleep, which has a devastating effect on my ability to function on a day-to-day basis.
I can personally say that antidepressant medications have had a very positive effect on my life. WHEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THERAPY, COACHING, AND A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE! I feel like this is a vital point. Medication itself is not the cure, it’s a tool that is used to treat symptoms, not the cause. The cause is what is treated in therapy and coaching sessions, as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You cannot expect the medication alone to do all the work. It’s like putting a bandaid on a broken leg and expecting it to fix the problem.
If you’d like to read the paper you can visit THIS LINK
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