Unlike many mood-improving prescription medications, antidepressants don't get people “high” or cause cravings. They work slowly over time to lift the user's mood. Some people addicted to other substances may take antidepressants in an attempt to get high.
Antidepressants don't have the euphoric effects other drugs have. In other words, Antidepressants can't get the user high. That doesn't stop some people from trying, though. Some people think since Antidepressants improve mood that high doses must induce euphoria, but that is not how the drugs work.
Keep in mind that antidepressant medicines are not “downers” or “uppers.” You will not get high when you take them. They are not addictive. You'll know if your antidepressant is working based on how you feel. You'll be able to sleep better.
“Antidepressants can boost your mood and energy,” explained Stith. “Your mind and your body may not know what to do with that energy right away.” However, this is temporary and should improve over time.
Common side effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) can include: feeling agitated, shaky or anxious. feeling and being sick. indigestion and stomach aches.
Antidepressants won't make you a “zombie.”
Again, the goal is to help you enjoy your life, not to numb you. “If somebody feels in a daze or zombielike, that can mean the medication is too high, and we need to lower the dose,” Dr. Cox says.
Even though escitalopram and its cousins are useful for anxiety disorders, they can have many side effects, including nausea and diarrhea, or weight loss or gain, and I even have had patients describe a “floating” feeling.
Although this is beneficial for someone who's depressed, for someone who does not have depression, taking antidepressant medication can cause serotonin to build up in the body, resulting in serotonin syndrome. When serotonin levels are too high, the person may experience symptoms like: Agitation or restlessness.
They will help you feel like yourself again and return to your previous level of functioning. (If a person who isn't depressed takes antidepressants, they do not improve that person's mood or functioning - it's not a "happy pill.") Rarely, people experience apathy or loss of emotions while on certain antidepressants.
Taking antidepressants may help to lift your mood. This can help you feel more able to do things that don't feel possible while you're depressed.
Larger or improperly used doses of depressant drugs can cause confusion, lack of coordination, low blood pressure, and slowed heart rate and breathing. Someone who takes them may have slurred speech and an inability to concentrate, and may fall asleep at work or school.
One of the widely-reported side effects of SSRIs is 'blunting', where patients report feeling emotionally dull and no longer finding things as pleasurable as they used to.
Perhaps the fundamental reason why antidepressants are so widely prescribed and used is that they fit with the 'medical model' of mental illness, which has become the standard view in western culture. This model sees depression as a medical condition which can be “fixed” in the same way as a physical injury or illness.
Most antidepressants don't work right away. Or at least, you may not notice the changes right away. Many of them, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), generally take about 2 to 8 weeks to work.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
SSRIs are a type of medication people may use as a treatment for depression. People may also use SSRIs to treat mental health conditions that can cause intrusive thoughts, such as: OCD.
“Even though they say your meds are 'non-habit forming,' you can still have serious, debilitating withdrawals when you try to get off of them, and there's no telling how long they will last.” — Matthew A. 3. “I didn't know antidepressants could affect your libido.
Antidepressants differ in their effectiveness for treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children. None are as effective as psychostimulants for treating the attentional and cognitive symptoms, but they can help reduce impulsive and hyperactive behavior.
In the case of SSRIs, SNRIs, and related medications, the effects of taking antidepressants when not depressed can include developing a condition known as serotonin syndrome. Symptoms of this condition include the following: Confusion. Agitation.
It's best to avoid combining antidepressants and alcohol. It may worsen your symptoms, and it can be dangerous. If you mix antidepressants and alcohol: You may feel more depressed or anxious.
Serotonin is a chemical that the body produces naturally. It's needed for the nerve cells and brain to function. But too much serotonin causes signs and symptoms that can range from mild (shivering and diarrhea) to severe (muscle rigidity, fever and seizures). Severe serotonin syndrome can cause death if not treated.
Derealisation refers to a similar set of feelings and perceptions, but in this case it is the world itself that seems strange or unreal; everything may seem far away or staged in some way – as though life is being watched rather than lived. Depersonalisation and derealisation are relatively common on antidepressants.
Antidepressants can cause unpleasant side effects. Signs and symptoms such as nausea, weight gain or sleep problems can be common initially. For many people, these improve within weeks of starting an antidepressant. In some cases, however, antidepressants cause side effects that don't go away.