A single dose of SSRI antidepressants such as Fluoxetine, shown here, can change the brain's functional connectivity within three hours, a new study found.
Can antidepressants cause permanent changes to the brain? Antidepressants can cause changes in neurotransmitter levels and brain function; however, these changes are typically reversible once the medication is stopped.
Antidepressant drugs are associated with the induction of neuroplasticity in structures such as the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex: there is stimulation of neurogenesis, gliogenesis, dendritic arborization and new synapse formation.
The majority of changes and damage to the brain caused by untreated depression are not believed to be permanent, but more research is still needed. When depression is effectively treated, most people commonly experience an improvement in symptoms, and their brains return to typical function and structure.
Antidepressant medications increase the activity of chemicals called neurotransmitters in the brain. Increasing the activity of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine seems to help lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
According to previous research, antidepressant-responsive patients experience not only a better mood but also better cognition (e.g., thinking, memory, attention).
Pharmacological (e.g., antidepressant medications) and nonpharmacological interventions (cognitive-behavioral therapy, exercise) may reverse stress-induced damage in the brain.
Each person's recovery is different. Some recover in a few weeks or months. But for others, depression is a long-term illness.
This type of drug blocks our neurons from the re-uptake of serotonin into presynaptic neurons. Because of this, the serotonin is able to hang around longer in our synaptic clefts, hopefully to be taken up by postsynaptic neurons. SSRIs encourage the brain to use serotonin more effectively!
Medications that doctors currently use to treat depression do not improve brain fog symptoms and can actually make them worse. Research into new ways to treat these symptoms is still ongoing, but some at-home tricks may help reduce them or make them more manageable.
Norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs) are antidepressant medications that block the action of specific transporter proteins, increasing the amount of active norepinephrine and dopamine neurotransmitters throughout the brain.
Fortunately, there is a well-researched, non-invasive, medication-free treatment that can help. It's called neurofeedback, and it allows you to optimize your brain to enhance emotional, behavioral, and cognitive health.
Specifically, weight gain seems to be a common long-term risk, especially the medications that affect serotonin levels. This could be because serotonin is associated with an increase in appetite. There is also a risk of higher blood sugar levels and diabetes with taking antidepressants long-term.
Each of the five experts I spoke with for this piece told me that long-term use of antidepressants is fairly safe. But depending on your side effects and the severity of your depression, you may not want or need to be on them indefinitely.
If you've only been taking the med for a few weeks, you may be able to reduce it in about a month. Someone coming off antidepressants after 10 years, or a higher dose, might have to gradually reduce their dose for several months.
Depression creates a sensation of isolation as if you are lost in the wilderness with no direction. The final stage is acceptance, which means you have finally made peace with the reality of your mental illness.
Clinical depression is a chronic condition, but it usually occurs in episodes, which can last several weeks or months. You'll likely have more than one episode in your lifetime. This is different from persistent depressive disorder, which is mild or moderate depression that lasts for at least two years.
New research out of Yale University shows depression can physically change a person's brain, hastening an aging effect that might leave them more susceptible to illnesses associated with old age.
Recovery is possible with appropriate treatment such as exposure therapy, attention training, and a range of anxiety management techniques that can help you manage your symptoms. You can learn the following strategies yourself (using books or taking courses, for example) or you can consult with a trained professional.
Developing new neural pathways through brain plasticity can help to rewire the brain to cope with anxiety. Brain plasticity is the ability of the brain to grow and change in response to experience.
Anxiety doesn't really vanish forever. It's just like any other feeling you have—sadness, happiness, frustration, anger, love, and so on. Just like you can't ever eliminate those emotions from your brain, you can't rid anxiety from your brain once and for all.
They found that those taking antidepressants were 33% more likely to die during the study time frame and 14% more likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event. People who already had cardiovascular disease, however, were at no higher risk if they took an antidepressant. What is this?
Around 60% of people respond by about two months to the drugs with about a 50% reduction in their symptoms - an improvement in mood, better sleep and so on.
Antidepressants Are Effective
Antidepressants are proven to be more effective than a placebo with respect to relieving depressive symptoms and shortening the length of a depressive episode. The fact that antidepressants are effective is a significant pro.