How to know if the antidepressant works

An antidepressant is a drug that is used primarily to relieve depressive symptoms.. Its use is also common in interventions for OCD, social phobia, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Depression is a very common mood disorder that alters brain biochemistry.. What is sought with the administration of antidepressants is to correct the dysfunction of the circuits and chemical substances that transmit information throughout the brain. There are many types of antidepressant drugs, among the most common are the following:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs):

Sertraline.Fluvoxamine.Fluoxetine.Paroxetine.Citalopram.Escitalpram.

Serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs):

Venlafaxine.Desvenlafaxine.DuloxetineMilnacipran.Levomilnacipran.

Atypical antidepressants:

Bupropion.Mirtazapine.Agomelatine.

Serotonin modulators:

Nefazodone.Trazodone.Vilazodone.Vortioxetine.

Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs):

Selegiline.Moclobemide.Tranylcypromine.Isocarboxazid.Phenelzine.

The question for anyone who takes any of these medications to treat depression is: “How do I know if the antidepressant is working?” In this article, we will answer this concern.

Antidepressants are used to relieve depressive symptoms; however, they do not always work.

How effectively do antidepressants relieve symptoms?

It is difficult to determine how well an antidepressant can help a person. Health professionals suggest that you should take a medication that is endorsed as effective and relatively tolerable. If it doesn’t help as much as expected, you may need to switch to another medication..

To a large extent, the benefit of any drug depends on the severity of the depressive disorder; As a rule, the more serious it is, the more noticeable the changes will be. Thus, according to the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care, Antidepressants are effective against chronic, moderate and severe depression, and do not help much in mild depression.

This same institute shows that studies involving adults with moderate or severe depression have shown the following:

Without antidepressants: About 20 to 40 in 100 people who took a placebo saw an improvement in their symptoms within six to eight weeks. With antidepressants: About 40 to 60 in 100 people who took an antidepressant saw an improvement in your symptoms within six to eight weeks.

In other words, Antidepressants improved symptoms in about 20 out of every 100 people.

Side effects of antidepressants

It is necessary to know that antidepressants can have side effects such as:

Sexual dysfunction.Drowsiness.Weight gain.Insomnia.Anxiety.Dizziness.Headache.Dry mouth.Blurry vision.Nausea.Rash.Tremors.

After a few weeks, these symptoms may begin to subside and the effects of the antidepressant will begin to take effect. Therefore, when starting this type of treatment, you should not expect immediate results or improvements, since the action of these drugs can take between four to six weeks.

How do you know if an antidepressant works?

It is normal to feel bad or worse at the beginning of treatment, but after a few weeks the antidepressants will have their effect. Signs that the antidepressant is working are:

More energy. An antidepressant works if it has an energizing effectthat is, if the person feels with greater vitality and strength to face their daily lives.Mental breadth. People with depression tend to see life and the world from a tunnel perspective in which no problem has a solution and they only focus on the negative aspects of events, especially those that confirm their core beliefs. Through the action of the antidepressant, the person can start to get out of this tunnel vision and look at situations from different angles.Improves mood. The key sign to know if the antidepressant works is to see if it is fulfilling what is expected of it: to improve mood. If there is no improvement, the drug is probably not working.Improves the feeling of worth. As the negative mood gradually decreases, it is possible that the person’s perception of little value (low self-esteem) about themselves will also decrease. The increase in self-esteem can be a sign, but it must be interpreted in integration with the others, since it is very difficult for a drug, by itself, to increase a person’s self-esteem.

Next, we will review some signs that the medication is not working.

When the antidepressant does not work, it is necessary to report it to the psychiatrist.

Signs that the antidepressant is not working

Here are some signs that the antidepressant may not be working:

Worsened sleep. Changes in appetite. Decreased energy. Increased fatigue. Low motivation. Apathy. Difficulty concentrating. Having to call outside of work. Canceled social engagements. Depression worsens. Mood does not improve.

The reasons why this type of drugs may not work are the following:

The dose is too low. Another type of medication is required. They have not been taken long enough. It may be interacting with other medications. You may have forgotten to take the proper doses of the medication.

To end, taking an antidepressant can be very helpful in controlling depression, especially if it is in the context of psychotherapeutic treatment. On the other hand, not all antidepressants work for everyone, nor do they do so in the same way; In fact, it is possible that the professional will not find the right medication on the first attempt, but that does not mean you should give up.

To know if this is working or not, you must compare the limitations imposed by depression before starting the consumption and after a time in which this consumption is occurring systematically.

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