How do antidepressants help you?

Question

do they make you feel happier do they help you forget about what was depressing you? how exactly do they work? i suffer from depression but have never took any meds because i am not honest when i go to the dr. and never wanted to explain what i am feeling! i am pregnant right now and worse off than ever with my depression but when i have the baby i am going to try to get the help i need and will probaly have to take medication but i am just curiouse as to how exactly do they help you:) thank you for taking the time to answer :)

Answer 1

They change chemical imbalances in your brain.

Sometimes it may take several weeks before you notice a difference.

It is a good idea to get cognitive therapy along with the medication.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Personally, they help me to not dwell on things and not constantly have negative thoughts.  Which in turn, makes me happier.  They have been a literal life saver for me.  You can take certain anti-depressants during pregnancy if you don't feel as if you can wait.

Answer 3

Not being honest with your doctor is a very, very dangerous thing to do. Time to wise up and be upfront and personal with your doc. Do it for your baby if you won't do it for yourself. You're no good to the kid if your dead.

As far as how they work, it is very complicating. But basically, depression is a biological thing that occurs in your head as a result of the way your chemicals react and interact in your brain. Antidepressents block off the depressive chemicals and promote the production of endorphins that make you feel better or more "clear." But that is a very simplistic explanation, really. The best thing you can do is get in to see your doctor about this immediately and let him explain in more specific terms as related to your personal circumstances and situation.

Good luck!

Answer 4

If I remember correctly, clinical depression is caused by some..."uneven" chemicals in the brain. Antidepressants help "even" it.

Your doctor's stupid. =/

Answer 5

Well the way antidepressants work is they balance the chemicals in your brain. Being depressed there is an offset in hormones which can worsen with pregnancy and this offset in chemicals causes you to loose interest in things. It will affect determination and well being. Taking anti-depressants will balance out the chemicals which will make you feel much better.  

Answer 6

Dear Isabella Julianna,

   Antidepressants are not scary like some people say they are and if you get the right ones....PRESCRIBED ONLY, and take the right dosage of those pills ONLY, they will hopefully work well for YOU, too! ( I take a generic of zoloft.....) Antidepressants help you to cope with your feelings and not feel as sad and depressed about the things going on around you.

   It's really not just that. After you take them, you may even be able to stop taking them, but that's between you and your doctor, of course.

   Just talk to a doctor, he/she will DEFINITELY HELP YOU!!!  

Answer 7

personnaly i dont like them. they make a the part of your brain and mess it up to help you not be depressed. my friend took too much and killed herself so i dont lihe them but they can really help some people

Answer 8

when you are depressed it is because something has triggered the seritonin levels in your brain not to function properly.  there is too little seritonin in the brain and therefore you feel depressed. what medication does is balance the seritonin levels in the brain so that we can function properly. You may have to take a few different kinds until you find the one that works for you. you may be bi-polar and in a down part of the disease. you really need to go see a phyciatrist and be totally honest with him or her. you do not help yourself at all by not being honest. you  have to be if you want to get better. if you are not then the doctor wont know what kind of disease you may have to help you with the medicine. so you may be able to get the help you need while you are pregnant. I am sure there are ppl. on medication that is safe for the baby. make you an appointment.... and go see what you can do/ there is no reason on earth to be depressed when you can be happy again and enjoy this baby so much more. and you have to be extra careful that you dont get post partem depression. if you are already depressed I'd go to the doc. before the baby is born so you will have a doctor already familiar with you incase that does happen to you . good luck hon, i know how you feel, and i know that medication will make you happy again so do this asap. goodluck!

Answer 9

the refill the happy  chemicals that your brain is missing

Answer 10

First of all, the reason I am answering this question is because I have been there and I am on medications now. I probably needed medication for a long time, but it was too hard to come right out and say it. Still there is a stigma. I have weighed the +'s and -'s and decided that I really need help and I don't care what others think. As far as the way the meds work, even the doctors don't know that. Sometimes they don't and new meds have to be tried. (In reality, sometimes I think that it is more the attitude of the patient than the action of the meds.)

I get really sleepy sometimes and I get kind of numb, mentally as well. This might explain what the meds do and how they help -- or not.

If you are able to face the fact that you went through something and survived, then for one thing you are a survivor and can overcome whatever it was. It will take time and as you mature it will get better. I'll tell you one thing, you are not alone. There are lots of undiagnosed people out there that self-medicate abusing alcohol and illegal drugs. Needless to say, these methods of "dealing" are disasterous and more than likely make matters way worse.

In my opinion, you have to tell the doctor who is overseeing your pregnancy that you think you know someone who is suffering from depression or something like that. You might say, "I know that my friend needs to get some help, but is there anything that can be done during her pregnancy?"

I think this is important to beat around the bushes to see how the doctor reacts. I think they will get the point. I hope that they listen. If they don't get it and you feel uncomfortable then drop it and find another doctor to talk to.

Pregnancy is a time when your hormones are going to be changing and I think that it could actually magnify your already "possible imbalance" to a difficult level. I'm thinking that if meds are not possible that talk therapy could help.

I hope that you have some type of insurance that DOES cover seeing a psychologist. This seems like the best thing to do now. Hope that is helpful :)

Answer 11

chemicals in your brain, crazy things. chocolate works, too.

Answer 12

Some of them work on the chemicals in your brain to help balance you out.  Some people do not produce enough seretonin and that makes it so the brain cells do not communicate like they should.  Some anti-depressants contain stuff that replaces the seratonin, others just make your brain better able to absorb it.  How ever they work doesn't really matter.  You should talk to the doctor the next time you are in about starting antidepressants now.  Some are safe to take during pregnancy.  

Answer 13

They supposedly correct chemical imbalances in your brain. I'm not a doctor, but it seems to me that these antidepressants fix the chemical imbalance, sure, but there's no highs with lots of happiness and no lows with sadness involved anymore, and these are both parts of a healthy lifestyle. That's why I've never been a fan of antidepressants. My experience has concluded that antidepressant=anti-mood.

If you want an unbiased opinion, I'd talk to your healthcare provider about them. They could also recommend exercise or other activities that could help with your depression if you choose not to take medication for it.

I've heard of antidepressants runing and saving lives. Make sure you talk extensively with your doctor and BE HONEST! You don't want any unnecessary meds prescribed to you. Just be careful.

Answer 14

changes ur mood and help u cope with life..... i call it my happy pill

Answer 15

Antidepressants work by making more serotonin (and sometimes norepinephrine and dopamine) available in the brain.  They don't give you more, but they do make it more available by keeping the synapses from uptaking what is already there.  Hormones from pregnancy can sometimes cause you to become depressed.  Do visit your doctor after the baby is born.  You will feel better if you do.

I sincerely wish you the best of luck!