What do anti-depressants do?

Question

What exactly do anti-depressants do?

Answer 1

So I am an MD/PhD psychiatrist and I do some research on the mechansim of action for antidepressants and I can tell you that no one really knows but there are probably three good theories:

1. Is called the neurotrophic theory. Basically there are a group on nerve cells in a part of your brain called the hippocampus that can replicate. Stress seems to decrease their replication and decrease the size of the hippocampus. Antidepressants seem to increase nerve growth factors and increase nerve cell replication and hippocampus size.

2. The epigenetic theory. So your DNA has genes which express proteins and the proteins basically run your cells. Chronic stress clearly alters the expression of these genes by tightly coiling the DNA so that genes can not be expressed. Antidepressants seem to normalize the expression of genes by 'unwinding' the DNA so that genes can be expressed.

3. The electrophysiology theory. Nerve cells work by sending electrical impulses along the surface of the neuron. Chronic stress alters the ability of nerve cells to generate electrical impulses. Antidepressants may normalize this electrical activity.

Probably more information than you wanted to know.

Answer 2

they make you forget what a loser you are and how messed up your life is.  

Answer 3

They block the re-uptake of seratonin.  They are called selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI).  They interfere with brain chemistry.  They only work for a little while, until your body gets used to them.  Then it's really difficult to get off them.  It's harder than getting off street drugs because you take them so regularly and your body has compensated for them.  

There was a study done that determined that anti-depressant drugs were no more effective than a placebo.