If you are considering treatments for depression, you may be wondering if you should take antidepressants.
Well, this is a question that is best answered with an in depth consultation with your doctor.
It's important that you, first, receive a confirmed diagnosis before beginning any course of treatment.
If a doctor prescribes an antidepressant without thoroughly examining you, you could be asking for trouble.
You see, depression takes the form of many symptoms...
not all of which are experienced by everyone, every time.
Some people's symptoms are physical, some emotional, and others can experience a combination of both.
Symptoms can range from mild to severe.
The point here, is that depression is a highly individualized condition that must be treated with individualized therapy.
In recent years, advances in drug research have expanded the choices of antidepressants and improved their effectiveness.
In the past, Prozac was the drug of choice, but has been joined by drugs such as Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Paxil, Luvox, Lexapro and Celexa.
Because of the wide range of symptoms and severity, response to these drugs varies among individuals.
Some people find they have to try more than one medicine before hitting upon the one best suited to work with their specific brain chemistry.
Side effects must also be considered before starting any type of drug therapy.
Your doctor should advise you about any and all side effects you can expect with a particular antidepressant.
Just like symptoms of depression, individuals will experience different side effects with different levels of severity.
You can expect side effects to disappear after a short time.
However, if you can't tolerate them at any level, be sure to tell your doctor.
Antidepressants have proven to be effective treatments for depression.
However, it isn't advisable to solely rely on them for improvement.
Your doctor may also recommend behavioral therapy and some simple lifestyle changes, to enhance the speed and effectiveness of recovery.