Medication to Treat Depression
Medication treatments for depression are most often referred to as antidepressants. Various types of these prescriptions are used to treat not only depression, but ailments that show depression as an element of that condition as well.
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Function
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Medications prescribed to treat depression work to multiply the brain chemicals that help to control emotions, therefore improving the symptoms of depression.
Types
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Common types of depression medications include tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
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Considerations
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Certain antidepressants, such as MAOIs, require a strict diet and prevent the use of other medications in order to maintain full effectiveness and avoid potentially hazardous interactions.
Benefits
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Several medications have proven to be effective and safe in treating depression by boosting the amount of serotonin, norepinephrine and, sometimes, dopamine found in the brain.
Warning
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According to the FDA, the use of certain antidepressant medications may result in suicidal thoughts and actions, most often in adolescents and children experiencing depression.
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