So do antidepressants work as a permanent cure for depression? No, they do not, and the reason for this lies in how they work. While they cause changes in brain chemistry, this effect is only temporary. When you stop taking the antidepressant, your brain chemistry will return to its previous state.
It is well known that harms caused by SSRIs can be long-lasting [18] and there are indications that they can even be permanent, e.g. for sexual disturbances [39, 40]. Withdrawal symptoms are also drug harms, and they can also persist for a long time [18].
In time, the brain readjusts and people should experience a return to their normal state. If depressive symptoms do arise and gradually worsen, it's best to consult a psychiatrist or doctor, if they don't improve within a few weeks or if they become severe.
Some people who take SSRIs will stay on them indefinitely while others are able to stop taking it after a few weeks or months. The best way to stop taking your medication is not by abruptly stopping, it's by slowly tapering the medication while under a doctor's supervision.
For people with chronic or severe depression, medication may be needed on a long-term basis. In these cases, antidepressants are often taken indefinitely. That is, in part, because depression is not an illness that can be cured.
When treatment is eventually stopped, there will be fewer receptors than before and a short-term deficiency of serotonin activity. The body will typically correct this, but there will be a period of adjustment until the system normalizes.
For most people, antidepressants are the main cause of emotional blunting. In most cases, feelings of numbness go away when you stop taking the antidepressant that is causing you to feel this way.
And, since depression is often a long-term disease, people needs long-term treatments for it. “There are clear differences between a healthy brain and a depressed brain,” Dr. Katz says. “And the exciting thing is, when you treat that depression effectively, the brain goes back to looking like a healthy brain.”
During long-term SSRI therapy, the most troubling adverse effects are sexual dysfunction, weight gain, and sleep disturbance.
Some believe it is unlikely that antidepressants cause any permanent changes to brain chemistry in the long term. The evidence seems to indicate that these medications cause brain changes that only persist while the medication is being taken or in the weeks following withdrawal.
When depression is treated, you can reverse the damage. With successful treatment, brain scans will likely show you an average, healthy brain.
Cognitive behavioral therapy can help produce new cells in the hippocampus. “It can reverse the effects of cortisol on the hippocampus, especially in people who have anxiety,” says Dr. Danoun.
Other studies suggest apathy improves after the discontinuation of SSRIs or augmentation with dopaminergic agents such as bupropion.
Quitting an antidepressant suddenly may cause symptoms within a day or two, such as: Anxiety. Insomnia or vivid dreams. Headaches.
The primary effect of SSRIs is reduced processing of negative stimuli rather than increased positive stimuli. Emotional blunting is related to SSRI dose,9,10 and possibly serotonergic effects on the frontal lobes and/or serotonergic modulation of midbrain dopaminergic systems projecting to the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
Those who took antidepressants in higher doses for a longer time have more intense symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms typically persist for up to three weeks. The symptoms gradually fade during this time. Most people who quit taking their antidepressants stop having symptoms after three weeks.
The summary relapse prevalence in the antidepressant group indicated that 16.4% (95% confidence interval 12.6% to 20.1%) of the patients relapsed.
The return of depression or anxiety usually takes longer – typically weeks or months. Some antidepressants, like fluoxetine, take a lot longer to leave the body. So, with these, symptoms can start days or even weeks after stopping or reducing your dose.
It's usually recommended that a course of SSRIs continues for at least 6 months after you feel better, to prevent your condition coming back when you stop. However, if you've experienced previous episodes of depression, a 2-year course may be recommended.
Many people with depression continue taking antidepressant drugs for months or even years after their symptoms have resolved. This so-called maintenance therapy aims to reduce the risk of relapse. The numbers of people taking maintenance therapy for depression is increasing.
So do antidepressants work as a permanent cure for depression? No, they do not, and the reason for this lies in how they work. While they cause changes in brain chemistry, this effect is only temporary. When you stop taking the antidepressant, your brain chemistry will return to its previous state.
Anxiety Therapy is one way to rewire the brain. It helps you build new neural pathways that are healthy and help control anxiety symptoms. Mindfulness is another way to rewire the anxious brain. Mindfulness helps retrain the brain through mindfulness meditation, which will effectively help with anxiety.
Each person's recovery is different. Some recover in a few weeks or months. But for others, depression is a long-term illness. In about 20% to 30% of people who have an episode of depression, the symptoms don't entirely go away.