As the name insinuates, antidepressants are medications used in the treatment of psychiatric complications such as mild to chronic depression, anxiety, social anxiety etc. They may be purchased over the counter or prescribed by a doctor in severe cases where depression interferes with an individual’s daily routine and activities. The cause of depression can be attributed the depreciating levels of neurotransmitters in the brain which are responsible for controlling the moods exhibited by an individual. The major ‘mood-enhancing’ neurotransmitters in the central nervous system are serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine and are vital in bipolar medication. Patients suffering from symptoms of depression have shown to either have a lower level of these neurotransmitters in the brain or exhibit an imbalance amongst them. Benefits of Antidepressants The benefits of antidepressants are numerous as they can be seen as a natural mood lifter to the afflicted. Few are discussed as follows. Increases neurotransmitters in the brain: The primary objective of antidepressants is to restore the levels of the essential neurotransmitter so as to alleviate the negative symptoms associated with depression and other mood disorders such as disorientation, confusion, suicidal thoughts, loneliness and self-pity etc. Depression fighting drugs can modulate the levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters by either blocking their absorption into the brain, so there are higher levels remnants, or by aiding in the production of more serotonin. Some classes of drugs are also aimed at inhibiting the chemicals that are responsible for the disintegration of serotonin and other neurotransmitters responsible for ...

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