Depression Medication
Anyone can develop depression. But, treatment for it is only effective in about 80% of identified cases, when treatment is provided. Psychotherapy and medication are the two primary treatment approaches. Antidepressant medications can make psychotherapy more effective, for some people. Someone who is too depressed to talk, for instance, can't get much benefit from psychotherapy or counseling; but often, the right medication will improve symptoms so that the person can respond better. Self-medication can be dangerous. There are a number of different types of antidepressant medications available. They differ in their side effects and, to some extent, in their level of effectiveness. Tricyclic antidepressants used to be the most commonly used medications for treatment of major depressions. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) were often used for "atypical" depressions in which there are symptoms like oversleeping, anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias. More recently, newer antidepressants have been developed. Several of them are called (SSRIs). Some examples of SSRIs are fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft).