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Last Updated: Oct 23, 2019
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Depression - How To Combat It?

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Dr. Sudeshna BiswasPsychiatrist • 27 Years Exp.Post Graduate Diploma in Psychological Counselling (PGDPC, Diploma in Psychological Medicine, Certified NLP Expert (California, USA), MBBS
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What are antidepressants and mood elevators?

Often depression or mood changes are caused by the imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. Anti-depressants or mood elevators are medications that are prescribed to patients with depression to alleviate their symptoms. Anti-depressants are not solely used for the treatment of depression, it is also prescribed in other psychiatric conditions which includes anxiety disorders, social anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), dysthymia (mild chronic depression) etc.

With time, the use of anti-depressants has been on the rise. Although, anti-depressants do not cure your depression, it relieves the symptoms of the same. Anti-depressants come in various types. The first one you try may not benefit you; however you must consult your doctor and find the right choice of medication for your condition.

Anti-depressant adherence
Non-adherence to anti-depressants can have major consequences on your health. It also majorly contributes to the under treatment of anxiety and depression in maximum cases in the population. The reasons why people do not comply with their therapy or treatment are various; forgetting to take the medicine being the primary one. Other factors that contribute to non-adherence of anti-depressants include-

  1. Fear of addiction
  2. High cost of medications
  3. Fear of drug-induced sexual dysfunction
  4. Delayed onset of action of the medication
  5. Poor instructions and protocols given by the doctor
  6. Fear of side effects

Adherence to the medication with proper guidance from the doctor has seen to decrease the symptoms of depression in the patients, leading them get back to their normal life. Under-treatment of depression can become fatal. If the depression escalates, suicidal tendencies can follow. Apart from these, suddenly stopping the medication has been associated with withdrawal symptoms which can get fatal in severe cases. In recent times, depression has become a common problem with the rise of fatalities caused by depression. As important as it may be to consult a doctor to get your symptoms diagnosed and get the right treatment, it is of equal importance that one adheres to the therapy and abides by the guidelines.

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