Antidepressants Treatment – Pros And Cons.

Modern life sets incredibly high requirements for the society. It resembles the biggest race of mankind. Far not everyone can follow it, which creates nervous break-downs and deep depressions. The latter, as a result, leads to the weakening of the immune system – creating a fertile ground for diseases.

Sometimes medication is necessary to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety if these symptoms interfere with a person's ability to handle daily life events.

For example, anxiety and fear is a common part of person's life. Feeling anxious before a stressful event or while walking down a dark street is not bad - these kinds of responses can make you more alert or careful. Normal, healthy anxiety usually ends soon after a person is out of the situation that caused it. But for 40 million adults in the United States, feeling of anxiety does not go away and get worse over time. Anxiety disorders range from feelings of uneasiness to immobilizing bouts of terror. People experiencing an anxiety disorder may have chest pains or nightmares or even be afraid of leaving home.

In this case the medication treatment is not just recommended, but necessary. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, 90 percent of people with emotional illnesses can improve or recover if they receive treatment. With proper antidepressants, many people experiencing anxiety disorders can live a full life. The incredible popularity have received such antidepressants as Zoloft, Prozac and Lexapro. But these strong medications have their own pros and cons, which a person should consider when decides to take it.

Pro: Effective Treatment of Depression

Like the name suggests, antidepressants do treat depression effectively when therapy might have failed or when they are used concurrently with psychotherapy.

Pro: Help Against Eating Disorders

Antidepressants also help battle eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia.

Con: Decreased Sexual Abilities

Some antidepressants cause delayed ejaculation in men, inability to achieve orgasm and decreased sexual appetite in general. Some people are willing to forego sexual activity to feel better. Others find this trade-off unacceptable.

Con: Wide Variety of Side Effects

Antidepressants cause a variety of side effects, differing from person to person, thus making it hard to guess how the medication will negatively affect someone. However, not everyone who takes antidepressants will experience side effects. In fact, most patients taking antidepressants tolerate them well.

The most widely prescribed antidepressants come from a class of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The SSRIs include: Fluoxetine (Prozac), Fluvoxamine (Luvox), Sertraline (Zoloft), Paroxetine (Paxil), Escitalopram (Lexapro), Citalopram (Celexa).

Common side effects of SSRI antidepressants:

• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Decreased sex drive
• Dizziness
• Weight gain or loss
• Tremors
• Sweating
• Sleepiness
• Fatigue
• Dry mouth
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Headaches

We hope that learning the facts about antidepressants and weighing the benefits against the risks can help you make an informed and personal decision about whether medication is right for you.