Antidepressants are used to cure psychological conditions like stress, anxiety, depression, and other chemical imbalances of the brain. The number of people who pop antidepressants are increasing steadily. Most of these medications aid in releasing serotonin in the brain. Antidepressants are prescribed by doctors whenever there are changes in a person’s sleep patterns, hunger pangs, moods, and behavior.
SSRIs that help nerve cells absorb serotonin better are of the most popular variety. MAOIs and Trycyclics ease out your moods and temperament. However, due to their many benefits, it is easy to get addicted to these tablets. But one should be wary of addiction, abuse or misuse of these drugs. The side effects of taking antidepressants can be mild, moderate or even acute.
1. Prescription
First, ensure that you have obtained the prescription from a seasoned practitioner, mostly a psychiatrist. If the duration and dosage are not correct then it can lead to abuse. Refrain from approaching a general practitioner for an antidepressant prescription. Even more important is to assess if you actually need it. It is better to look for solutions to your life problems yourself before turning to pills. Also, they should be prescribed after considering a patient’s medical history. And patients should never take more dosage than recommended. Self therapy can turn out to be dangerous.
2. Watch out
Pregnant women should avoid taking such medicines. They can harm the baby and if taken in later stages of pregnancy, it can lead to development of withdrawal symptoms post birth. Also, many of these drugs can cause you to lose weight. This also may tempt you to pop a pill more often. But this easy way out has its own set of pitfalls. Instead, stick to a healthy diet and exercise daily.
3. Side effects
Intake of antidepressant definitely has side effects, especially if you rely on them for a long time. Body pain, insomnia, and dizziness are the most common woes associated. They can also make one high strung and impulsive. In extreme cases, it can even lead to mania. A heavy overdose of antidepressants can even cause heart failure. Also, some medicines make patients violent, aggressive, and suicidal. Wellbutrin and Prozac along with their imitations like Effexor, Serzone, Paxil, Luvox, etc. are drugs that can lead to such symptoms.
4. Addiction
Addiction of these happy pills is quite common. Some find it difficult to stop using them after they have been recommended by a doctor. While, others source them illegally and get hooked. In such cases patients can pressurize the doctor to give them more prescriptions or sometimes even mislead doctors into believing that they are still in need of these pills. Side effects can intensify when you are trying to wean off antidepressant drugs. So you will require a strong will power to discontinue its usage. If you are an addict, then get yourself treated under the supervision of a medical professional.
The risks of getting hooked to these pills is almost the same as getting addicted to illegal drugs. It can have a long term impact on your life.
