...Since the 1980’s the use of antidepressants in the United States has skyrocketed, increasing by 400%(Derrow, Paula). Approximately 10.4% of Americans are being prescribed some type of antidepressant today(Derrow, Paula). These numbers are causing many to wonder whether antidepressants are overprescribed or if the rise in antidepressant use is justified. To answer this question we have to consider many factors such as if the people who need them are receiving them, what the side effects are like, and if the antidepressants being prescribed are working effectively. Antidepressants are not overprescribed. They have worked wonders for many people and have allowed them to live again. One of the most important things to know about antidepressants is whether or not they work. In many cases of severe depression antidepressants have often made a big difference in patients’ recovery processes(Hall-Flavin, Daniel K.). Antidepressants...
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...society today. People turn to many things to fill the void that depression causes in their lives. One of the major things people turn to is antidepressants. Antidepressants are used to treat and reduce some of the symptoms that come with depression. While they do not heal the depression completely, they can give a patient temporary relief from their symptoms. While antidepressants work for some...
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...Presented here it is a critical evaluation of biological approach for treatment of depression. Antidepressant are the most common biological treatment for this type of disorder, but treatments such as Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), alteration in sleep patterns following body temperature cycle are also used to relief the symptoms of depression. However antidepressant drugs provide an effective and inexpensive help, studies have found that the behavioural effects of these drugs could take over two weeks before showing any benefit and any perceived effect before this period would be a placebo effect (Kalat, 2001). Some studies proposed the existence of a two models markers for depression: Biological/endogenous & psychological/reactive depression. Based on this assumption an endogenous depression would only respond to a pharmacological treatment while a psychological depression would only respond to psychological treatment (Free & Oei, 1989). Further we will evaluate the effectiveness of a combined (cognitive-behavioural therapy and antidepressant) intervention in order to achieve a better outcome on treatment of depression. Depression is one of the most common illnesses and is characterised by symptoms such as loss of energy, sadness, difficulty in concentration and in the most serious cases the patient can contemplate or commit suicide. Research found that women are more likely to suffer from depression, with depressive episodes more probable to occur between 25 to 44 years...
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...are less harsh and destructive. In the middle ages people who suffered from a mental illness were taken care of by family members, in the 18 and 1900’s people were put in institutions similar to jails and treated worse than animals, now there are treatments and medications found to be more effective than shoving someone into an asylum and shocking their brain into getting better. Like most children I was happy, outgoing and full of life, but as i got older things started to change my mood became hard and disconnected, leading me to do some...
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...Drug Classifications Sarah Castle Marion Technical College Many people in the United States suffer from some form of anxiety. Anxiety is a natural reaction to stress, but when anxiety starts to get out of control in response to minimal or no stress, an anxiety disorder is often diagnosed (Fortinash & Holoday Worret, 2012). Anti-anxiety medications are then prescribed to help the treat anxiety disorder. The most common anti-anxiety medications are benzodiazepines. They work by increasing the effect gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), a chemical found in the brain, has on controlling the way the neurons in the brain react to each other, decreasing the activity, which then helps to decrease the feeling of anxiety (Manning & Rayfield, 2011). Clonazepam (Klonopin) is classified as a benzodiazepine, as well as an anticonvulsant. It works directly on GABA to suppress neurotransmitter activity. Some common side effects that occur when taking this medication are drowsiness, sedation, ataxia (the lack of coordination of the muscles), dry mouth, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. If a patient were on this medication the nurse caring for them would want to monitor for signs of suicidal thoughts or ideas in depressed individuals. Patients on long-term therapy may experience physical and psychological dependence. Some signs and symptoms of overdose include confusion, irritability, muscle and abdominal cramps, and diminished reflexes (Shannon, Sheilds, & Wilson, 2012)...
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...Depression Treatment: The Natural Way There is a lot of controversy about appropriate treatments for depression. Today antidepressants are among the most prescribed medications in the world. Despite their popularity, research has suggested that antidepressant medications may not be as successful as people had imagined in counteracting depression (Johnson & Kirsch, 2008, p. 1). Extensive research and studies show that natural remedies are better than antidepressants for treating depression because there are fewer side effects, more health benefits and according to most studies, antidepressants are no more effective than placebos. Although there are many natural remedies for treating the symptoms of depression, this paper will focus on St. John’s Wort, omega-3 fatty acids, SAM-e and exercise. These four natural remedies are the most widely used and studied alternatives to treating depression. Side Effects According to Dr. Hyla Cass (2007) and a study done in 1998, prescription medication puts more than one million people in the hospital every year. The study also states that prescription medication kills more than one hundred thousand people per year. Doctor Cass (2007) states that there are almost no deaths from herbal use and that the side effects from herbs are usually mild. One report says that for every one million people prescribed antidepressants in a year, 30.1 of them will die from an overdose. Doctor Cass (2007) quotes Norman Farnsworth, Ph.D., (as cited in Cass,...
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...illness'. This factsheet relates to depression, the illness. This confusion is made all the worse because it is often difficult to tell the difference between feeling gloomy and having a depressive illness. Doctors make a diagnosis of depression after assessing the severity of the low mood, other associated symptoms and the duration of the problem. Depression is very common. Almost anybody can develop the illness; it's certainly NOT a sign of weakness. Depression is also treatable. You may need to see a doctor, but there are things you can do yourself or things you can do to help somebody suffering from the illness. What you cannot do is 'pull yourself together' – no matter whether this is what you think you should be able to do or what other people tell you to do. People who have experienced an episode of depression are at risk of developing another in the future. A small proportion may experience an episode of depression as part of a bipolar affective disorder (manic depression), which is characterised by episodes of both low and high moods. Who gets depressed? • Depression is very common. • Between 5 and 10 per cent of the population are suffering from the illness to some extent at any one time. • Over a lifetime you have a 20 per cent, or one in five, chance of having an episode of depression. • Women are twice as likely to get depression as men. • Bipolar affective disorder is less common than depressive illness...
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...Procaz/Fluoxetine Brian Wai PC6250/Psychopharmacology Argosy University Spring 2014 Prozac is also known as Fluoxetine Hydrochloride, the most media exposure of any psychiatric medication in the history, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors antidepressant that affects chemical in the brain to reduce depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms. The effect of Prozac is to block the absorption of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. It regulates the amount of serotonin to help brain cells transmit messages to each other, resulting in a better and more stable mood. Back to 1970s, Fluoxetine was developed by Bryan Molly, David Wong and Roy Fuller of the Eli Lilly corporation in 1973. It was the first product in a major new drugs for depression and introduced to the American market in 1988. They roughly took about two years to gain reputation and most prescribed status around the nation. Fluoxetine was not discovered accidentally but was designed specifically to block the reuptake of serotonin back into the pre-synaptic neuron. The patients whose taking Fluoxetine indicated the improvement of decisiveness, increase self-esteem and quickness of thoughts. They did not have a loss of mood or motivation. (Kruger, 1995) In fact, it enabled them to see their problems in a more objective manner and actively seek solutions. It was mainly to cue depressions but the reports also indicated Fluxoetine could...
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...Antidepressants Work, so what’s the Problem Kurt Anderson Utah Valley University Course: Online English 2020 Instructor: Robert Crane Abstract Efficacy of antidepressants is under such scrutiny by the general public, because of a few scientists. Antidepressants are the most researched substance worldwide. The long history of research analysis proves the efficacy of antidepressants, but there are those who will falsely interpret clinical trials, or pool together selected studies to justify their claims. Scientists will agree that there are many flaws with antidepressant research, but with ever increasing new ways to re-test old research, the evidence of positive improvements are becoming harder to deny. This report shows that even though scientists are trying to disprove the effectiveness of antidepressants, the evidence of the scientific facts prove that antidepressants work for depression. Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables iv Glossary of Terms v General Information vii Thesis Statement vii Report Audience vii Author’s Purpose vii Argumentative Requirements Fulfillment Statement vii Introduction 1 Americans and Depression 2 Background of Depression and Antidepressants 4 Depression 4 Antidepressants 5 Depression Scale 5 Clinical Trials 6 Claims..................... 6 The Truth ......................................................................................................................................6 Prescribing methods...
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...Peter R.Breggin, M.D. First of all I was attracted to this book by the name medication madness which made me to be curious to know what the book is all about. Madness, we know is a state of mental imbalance and when attributed to medication, it calls for interest. I came to understand that medication madness is an extreme expression of medication spellbinding leading to people to behave in ways that they would otherwise reject as hazardous or wrong (Breggin, 2008, p.19) .This book motivated me because it has elements of factual information, according to the author Bregggin, who is a psychiatrist that the stories are “true stories”. Breggin establishes reflection on the physical impairment due to drugs. In overall I was thrilled by the standard of effective educative communication by the author. Topic of interest: Medication Spellbinding One of the things that made the greatest impression on me is the word medication spell binding which “describes how drugs mask or hide their harmful mental and emotional effects from the people who are taking them” (Breggin, p.18). I always think that anti psychotic or antidepressant drugs are given to have a positive tranquil effect on patients not knowing that it could cause suicidality or make one violent without being aware of the consequences. The spell binding effect can be exhibited in different ways ranging from being easily angered, irritable, indifferent, less focused, anxiety, suicidal, and depression (Breggin p.19). Consider this man...
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... The illness affects all people, regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing. Women are two to three times more likely than men to suffer from depression. Some depression seems to come out of the blue, even when things are going well. Others seem to have an obvious cause such as a marital conflict, financial difficulty, or some personal failure. Most psychologists believe depression results from an interaction between stressful life events and a person’s biological and psychological vulnerabilities. Depression runs in families also. Genetically identical twins raised in the same environment are three times more likely to have depression in common than fraternal twins, who have only about half of their genes in common. In addition, identical twins are five times more likely to have bipolar disorder in common. Studies have shown that certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters play an important role in regulating moods and emotions. Neurotransmitters involved in depression include nor epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Studies have also suggested a relationship between neurotransmitter levels and depression. An imbalance of hormones may also play a role in depression. Many depressed people have higher than normal levels of hydrocortisone (cortical), a hormone secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress. In addition, an underactive or overactive thyroid gland can lead to depression. Depression can take several other forms. In bipolor...
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...the time. We would not be humans if we were happy all the time. What separates depression from regular sadness is the amount of time it last. People who suffer from depression experience long term periods of sadness, those lasting anywhere from two weeks or longer. It prevents them from being able to complete daily activities due to a lack of desire or motivation (Depression, University of Maryland). Depression is a common disorder that affects 21% of women and 12% of men (Depression, Depressiontoolkit.org). Depression can be treated depending on the severity of the illness, an alternative medicine used to treat depression is St. Johns Wart. St. Johns Wart efficacy seemed to be based on the area where the studies where done. When they were conducted in Germany where the herb had a long history of medical use the study yielded more positive results. A systematic review was done on 29 clinical studies. The studies used St. Johns Wart, a placebo, and antidepressant...
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...Depression: Unipolar Vs. Bipolar Rebecca M. Azurmendi Psychology 270 July 14, 2013 Professor Moore Depression: Unipolar Vs. Bipolar Depression is sometimes not taken seriously or is misunderstood. Key emotions in mood disorders are depression and mania. Depression is an overwhelming feeling from the challenges of life and a low, sad state in which life seems dark. Mania is an exaggerated belief that the world is for the person’s taking. Unipolar depression is a form of depression that does not have a history of mania. Bipolar disorder is marked by the mixture of periods of mania and depression (Comer, pg. 194). Unipolar depression is often mistaken for clinical depression. Severe unipolar depression is twice as severe in women as it is in men. Between young boys and girls unipolar depression is similar (Comer, pg. 194). We have all experienced a form of depression at some point in our lives. The signs and symptoms are all different depending on the individual. Some symptoms can be less severe than the others. Symptoms of unipolar depression feed off emotionally, motivationally, behaviorally, cognitively, and physical categories of symptoms. Emotionally individuals feel sad, miserable, and unwanted. The lose most if not all pleasure in most things. Their sense of humor tends to fade away and many of them experience anxiety, anger, and agitation. Some individuals feel humiliated and dejected (Comer, pg. 195). The motivation symptoms of depression usually lead to...
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...disorder and face consequences in families, individuals, and society. The world’s main issue is that many people are not seeking treatment for it. There are several resources and services for individuals with mental illness such as the development of new medications, treatments, and community-based services. Back in the day, people diagnosed biologically with a mental illness didn’t have sufficient...
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...MY Role in the medication world Mental health counselors do not usually have essential knowledge and training to recommend medications. Certainly, I have no legal right to prescribe them. Prescribing medications must be left to a trained professional with drug- prescribing licensure, although with training, I may assist the prescriber by making recommendations. Because as the counselor comprehensive understanding of the client's circumstances, the prescribing professional may benefit from my assistance (King & Anderson, 2004). Referring the client to the appropriate medical professional is in the client's best interest, especially when the counselor suspects a biological basis for presenting behavior. Specifically, the trained counselor may well recognize the client's need for prescription medication but making recommendations to the client for such treatment is the exclusive responsibility of the prescribing professional. Considering the significant role of pharmacology in contemporary mental health care, maintaining a balance of understanding its significance as well as using caution in its application is essential (King & Anderson, 2004). Depending on the particular client need, the appropriate referral for prescription medication may be directed to a psychiatrist, a psychologist with prescribing rights, the client's primary care physician, or other medical professional. It is not unusual to include specialists, depending on the health concerns. The counselor is...
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