Antidepressants help you focus and concentrate, which can boost your productivity at work and in life. You may have a better attention span or want to be more productive at work after the antidepressants kick in.
According to previous research, antidepressant-responsive patients experience not only a better mood but also better cognition (e.g., thinking, memory, attention).
Medications that doctors currently use to treat depression do not improve brain fog symptoms and can actually make them worse. Research into new ways to treat these symptoms is still ongoing, but some at-home tricks may help reduce them or make them more manageable.
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.
"Medication can definitely change people's personalities and change them quite substantially," said the lead author of the study, Tony Z. Tang, PhD, a visiting scholar at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kramer gives many anecdotes of patients who, when given Prozac, end up faring “better than well.” Not only do their depression symptoms abate, but they experience higher self-esteem and great social ease for the first time in their lives.
In other words, you should begin sleeping better, eating better, and having more energy. “Then you should start feeling better,” he says. Don't expect to feel sedated, however. Antidepressants are not sedatives or tranquilizers, nor are they “uppers.” And antidepressants are not habit-forming.
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.
For example, this could be a talking therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The NICE guidelines recommend that antidepressants are not the first or main treatment for mild to moderate depression. This is because the unpleasant side effects of the medication can outweigh the benefits.
These drugs — including Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro — alter the way the body handles the “feel-good” brain chemical serotonin — a hormone responsible for regulating mood and happiness. As a result, things that once provoked strong reactions may now leave the same individual unaffected or even apathetic.
SSRIs are the most commonly prescribed antidepressants and include sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac), and paroxetine (Paxil). These medications may also be prescribed along with ADHD stimulant medications to help alleviate symptoms of both.
Medication treatment options for racing thoughts may include: Antidepressants: Many people who take medication for depression report experiencing an increase in motivation, excitement, confidence, and ability to concentrate.
In time, the brain readjusts and people should experience a return to their normal state. If depressive symptoms do arise and gradually worsen, it's best to consult a psychiatrist or doctor, if they don't improve within a few weeks or if they become severe.
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.
Oftentimes, patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) complain of concentration difficulties that negatively impact their day-to-day function, and these attention problems are not alleviated by current first-line treatments.
Some antidepressants, such as imipramine, desipramine, and bupropion have been effective in treating major depression, anxiety disorders, and ADHD in adults. Tricyclic antidepressants have not been as effective in treating MD in children and adolescents; however, they can be used to treat adults with ADHD and MD.
When you're benefiting from antidepressants, you should feel: A mood that is less depressed, less irritable, happier, and more content. Excitement for and pleasure in everyday activities and events. An ability to regulate your eating patterns without eating too much or too little.
These drugs target serotonin, a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and has been dubbed the 'pleasure chemical'. 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.
It's usually recommended that a course of antidepressants continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition recurring when you stop.
Clinicians generally recommend staying on the medication for six to nine months before considering going off antidepressants. If you've had three or more recurrences of depression, make that at least two years.
This is because antidepressants can increase your energy and motivation levels, which may be very low while you are depressed. Early in your treatment, you may experience more energy and motivation before your feelings of depression have started to lift. This might mean you have enough energy act on suicidal urges.
It can take up to 2 months before they reach their full effect. If you do notice an improvement in your symptoms in those first couple of weeks, this can be a sign that your antidepressant is a good fit for you. On the other hand, if you haven't noticed any benefits in the first month, don't give up.
If you've been taking your antidepressant long enough for the side effects to peak and then decline, but you're still feeling depressed, there's a good chance your dose is too low. If that's the case, talk to your healthcare provider about increasing your dose or switching to a different medication.