Posted by CamW on March 4, 2013, at 13:52:02
In reply to Re: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/better-antidepr, posted by B2chica on March 4, 2013, at 13:33:46
B2chica
We've known for a long time that a lack of serotonin is a symptom of depression, not the cause. What SSRIs do is like a bandage, they seem to "put a floor" under your feet allowing you to function reasonably normally. They retrain the body to produce normal levels of serotonin, and it usually takes up to a year for this to occur. That is why you have to take SSRIs for at least a year.
As well as taking antidepressants, one should also have counselling.
The reason that the dopaminergic drugs we have aren't used as first line treatments for depression is because they are addictive. Opiates, amphetamines and the like do increase dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, but we cannot use them long term because of addiction potential, and they tend to cause tolerance, so one has to keep increasing the dose.
That said, researchers are looking for molecules that will immediately relieve depressive symptoms. There is a ketamine analog that is in development.
I hope that this is of some help. - Cam
poster:CamW
thread:1039509
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130222/msgs/1039553.html