DepressionCrisis.com – Diagnose Your Depression & Learn About The Latest Effective Treatments

Summary: Prozac is a drug used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and premenstrual dysphonic disorder. It is a popular drug for treating depression.

Prozac which has the generic name Fluoxetine is a drug used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and premenstrual dysphonic disorder. Doctors also prescribe this drug for alcohol dependence, obesity, and cataplexy. It belongs to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) class of drugs. It is one of the most popular drugs in the world used for treating depression.

Neurotransmitters of the brain are found to have clear impact on mood of a person. This drug helps to restore the chemical balance of the neurotransmitters thus reducing depressive symptoms. Prozac enhances serotonin action in the brain.

Intake of this drug is found to improve the mood, energy levels, sleep and appetite of the patient. It helps to restore the interest of a person in day-to-day activities. Its intake is found to decrease anxieties, obsessions and compulsions. It helps lessen irritability, increased appetite, and depression that precede menstruation. It also helps decrease purging and bingeing behaviors associated with bulimia. Research has found that intake of this drug is very effective in teenagers who undergo depression. It helps to prevent reoccurrence of the symptoms.

You can take the medication orally in the form of pills or as a liquid. Improvement can be seen in about 2 week’s time. The drug is usually taken once during the day. Doctor might advise you to take the drug in the morning and at noon, if you are taking it two times.

Side-effects of the drug include erectile dysfunction, anorgasmia, lack of interest in sex, insomnia, anorexia, somnolence, nausea, tremors, anxiety, nervousness and asthenia.

Complications may arise for some patients leading to rashes, vacuities and even death. Stopping the medication all of a sudden is not considered safe. Withdrawal symptoms include persistent dizziness, somnolesence, etc. It is always better to discuss with your health care professional, slowly reduce the dosage, and stop the medication once you are cured of the illness. Like other antidepressants, Prozac may increase the risk of suicide for patients below the age of 25.

Certain types of medications should not be clubbed with Prozac. Also, alcohol consumption along with the medicaine is considered dangerous. Hence, inform your doctor about the medications you are currently taking before going for an anti-depression treatment with Prozac.

Prozac is a prescription drug. It can be bought from medical shops in you residential area. You may also order them online. However, discuss with your doctor your medical conditions before taking the drug.

Summary: Lexapro is considered very efficient in treating depression. They are used by health care professionals for treating major depressive disorders. It is prescriptive drug. It should be taken after seeking advice from your doctor.

Lexapro, with the generic name escitalopram, is a depression medication used for treating major depressions. It belongs to the selective serotonin class of drugs. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which helps in regulating one’s mood, eating and sleeping patterns. Lexapro increases the level of this neurotransmitter. It is considered the quickest growing medication in the market. It is a well-tolerated drug. It is considered very efficient in treating symptoms of depression.

Major depressive disorder should not be confused with normal depression symptoms. Major for depression to be termed as major depressive disorder, depression may occur almost every day for a minimum of two weeks. It should include at least five of the given symptoms: changes in sleeping patterns, low mood, and loss of interest in day-to-day matters, agitation, lethargy, significant change in weight due to loss of appetite, feelings of worthlessness, slowed thinking, lack of concentration, fatigue and thoughts of ending one’s life.

Lexapro can help control these symptoms by acting on serotonin in the brain. Doctors usually prescribe 10 mg per day for treating major depressive disorders. It takes about half a month for the effect of the medication to be observed. Before taking lexapro inform your doctor about all your medical conditions, especially if you have kidney or liver problems, mania, seizures or bleeding disorders. It is not approved for children below the age of 12.

Those individuals who were not getting any cure after taking other anti depressive medications like Celexa, Paxil, and Prozac switched to Lexapro and started feeling better. However, it is better to discuss this with your physician before switching medicines.

The side effects linked to Lexapro are somnolence, sleeping disorders, nausea, anorgasmia, ejaculation condition, elevated perspiring, low energy, urinary tract infection and decreased sexual libido.If any serious side effects arise like shaking, high fever, confusion, rigid muscles, etc call your doctor immediately.

You should not club this medication with certain other drugs. Antidepressants which belong to the class of MAO inhibitors like Parnate, Marplan and Nardil should not be clubbed with this medication. It may cause serious reactions. You might go to a state of coma. It is even fatal. Also avoid taking alcohol with the medication.

It is a prescriptive drug and is available as tablets of 5, 10, and 20 mg. You may buy them from local medical shops at your locality. It is also available to purchase them online through websites that deal with drugs.

Summary: Ativan is a pill used for short term anti anxiety treatment. They have very few side effects if taken with care. They are easily addictive and should be taken with care.

Ativan or lorazepam is a tranquilizer medication that is generally used for short term anti anxiety treatment. It belongs to benodiazepine family of anxiety drugs. This medication is also used to treat conditions of insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome, tension, vomiting and nausea due to alcohol withdrawal, acute seizures and also various bipolar disorder symptoms.

Ativan acts as a depressant on the patient’s central nervous system. They act by enhancing the effect of GABA, a neurotransmitter to the brain, thus reducing the activity of the brain. Doctors usually prescribe 1 mg tablet to be taken three times a day. The dosage may be increased depending on the condition of the patient. Elderly people are generally advised to take a lesser dosage. In case of insomnia, doctors prescribe a higher dose.

Ativan do not have many side effects and hence is popularly used. The side effects that may arise while taking the drug are drowsiness, dizziness, unsteadiness, stomachache, slurred speech, sweating, poor appetite, etc. These symptoms occur in the 1st week of the treatment. They usually subside with time. In any case, if any undesired consequence arises like hallucinations, seizures, low blood pressure after taking the drug, contact your doctor immediately. It is easily removed from the blood and hence there are very less chances for concentration of the drug in your blood.

If you have been on this medication for more than a month, you should not stop taking them all of a sudden. Discuss with your doctor and stop them slowly. Various withdrawal symptoms associated with the drug are ringing in the ears, muscle cramps, insomnia, sweating, diarrhea, mood depressions, etc.

Long-term usage of Ativan is not recommended due to the rapid development of drug tolerance and drug dependency. For treatment of everyday life stress, do not go for this medication. This drug gives a feeling of well being and euphoria as it contains high potency benzodiazepine. Hence, it can be addictive and it is often abused by patients. You should not combine Avitan with alcohol. An overdose of the drug may lead to symptoms like sedation, speech problems, breathing difficulty, confusion and even loss of life.

Avitan, a prescriptive drug, can be bought form medical stores in your locality. You may also buy them from websites that sell drugs. However, it always better to discuss with your doctor you medical conditions before using these drugs.

Summary: Klonopin belongs to the benzodiazepine group of anti-anxiety medications. Its scientific name is clonazepam. The drug is useful for the short-term management of panic and other anxiety disorders.

Klonopin is a brand name for a particular class of drug used to treat anxiety and panic attacks. The generic name of this drug is called clonazepam and is part of the benzodiazepine class of anti-anxiety medications. Other popular drugs in this class include: valium and Xanax. Panic attacks occur due to a stimulus that causes excessive brain activity that leads to anxiety disorders and eventually psychiatric diseases.

The drug Klonopin acts by increasing the properties of the neurotransmitter GABA or gamma aminobutyric acid in the brain. GABA is a chemical in the brain that neurons use to get in touch with one another. The drug’s enhancement of the effects of GABA produces the calming effect to alleviate the symptoms of panic attacks.

When you take the drug by orally, it takes about six hours for you to metabolize and excrete it from your system. The rate by which the drug is metabolized is affected by the following factors like: the person’s age, body mass, amount of Klonopin ingested and the frequency at which someone uses the medication.

When Klonopin is taken for panic attacks and other anxiety disorders it presents a potential for dependency because of its highly sedating effects. Klonopin is very effective in alleviating the effects of panic disorder like immediate tension, anxiety and hyperventilation. This is also the reason why some users take the drug for recreational purposes.

Klonopin is available in tablet or wafer form. For people suffering from panic disorders the correct dose is 0.25 mg two times per day. Depending on the patient’s tolerance, the dosage can be increased to 1mg after three days. The dosage should not exceed twenty milligrams per day. Patients are not advised to stop the drug abruptly without attenuating the dosage as advised by a physician due to the possibility of causing seizures. Klonopin is effective for the short-term treatment of panic disorders because of its increased potential for drug dependency. The drug should only be used as an adjunct while awaiting therapeutic levels of anti-depressants to kick in which takes about three to four weeks after first dose.

Some of the most common side effects associated with Klonopin use include confusion like inability to operate a car or heavy machinery, decreased muscle coordination, agitation, impulsivity, constipation and an increase in potential seizures for patients taking the drug to control seizure episodes. All patients taking Klonopin should do so under the supervision of the proper health care professional.

Summary: Chemical imbalances in the brain, circumstances and even your genes are responsible for your depression.

Depression, a growing scourge globally is caused by a number of reasons and this condition is known to affect all age groups now. It is a general feeling of sadness that leaves you with very low spirits and exhausted most of the time. Studies have shown that the three main causes of depression are low serotonin production levels in the body, unfortunate circumstances and even genetic reasons.

Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter and the lack of it tends to make a person’s moods swing from time to time. However, the question that remains largely unanswered is : Why is it that some people don’t react to their unfortunate circumstances and fall prey to depression whereas clinical depressives tend to hit their lowest at the slightest provocation?

A major cause for depression in certain individuals is a feeling of guilt for something that he/she is not directly responsible for. An accident may have happened on its own leading to the loss of a dear one and the depressive starts thinking that he is directly responsible or could have prevented it. The puzzling thing is that people often fall prey to depression for no apparent reason, despite having good jobs, stable families and financial security.

Personal trauma is often considered to be a principal cause for depression. This, however, may be temporary and the person may overcome it by his strength of mind or through plain counseling also. It is also often seen that a particular family has a depressive streak in it and most members are known to have fallen prey to it at some point of time in their lives or another.

The cause for this is generally considered genetic and the person is said to be born with a ‘depressive gene.’ It’s only certain circumstances that trigger the depressive condition that may turn manic later on. Loneliness brought about by age or prolonged disease are also known causes of depression, specially among the old or elderly.
A feeling of isolation, which is common among old people, usually leads to a condition where there is a self-withdrawal from society at large. People living in old age homes are more likely to have this and supportive group therapy here, helps substantially. Physical ailments or terminal illnesses are also major causes of depression and the person gives up all hope of living and sinks further into the blues with each passing day.

Summary: There are numerous ways of dealing with depression and these include a combination of the right diet, activities, medication and therapy.

If you feel that you have been depressed of late and the condition continues to persist in a manner which is affecting your personal life and work, it’s about time you sought treatment. Psychiatric counseling and advice is the most advisable way to deal with depression where a trained therapist will sit and talk to the patient for prolonged periods of time and find the cause for his depressed condition and accordingly suggest a remedy for it.

Depression can be both manic and chronic and the former is known to lead its victims to suicide even. This is on the rise globally and one needs to understand that depression by itself is a disease which cane be treated and cured effectively. Therapy, therefore, helps people to look at things more positively and eliminates the root cause for depression.

A trained and qualified psychiatrist is essentially a medical person who will also prescribe certain psychosomatic drugs to help you deal with your depression. There are many such drugs in the market and are known to elevate your spirits when you feel low. These drugs are known to work on the brain receptors that control normal emotions. But remember that these drugs are to be taken under proper medical supervision only and never on your own.

The right exercise combined with the appropriate diet is also an effective remedy for your depression. Isn’t it said that if you walk a mile, you’ll always smile? Exercise and the right diet gives you the required amount of energy and helps fight exhaustion, a common symptom in depressives. Exercise also boosts hormonal levels in the body and gives a feeling of freshness and high spirits that are required to combat depression.

A change of environment is also often recommended to deal with your depression. Why not take a short vacation and simply relax? If your depression or sadness is purely circumstantial i.e. due to the sudden loss of a dear one, then in all probability, you will get over it after a period of time. However, if it is clinical, antidepressants are advised to correct chemical imbalances in the central nervous system.

Serotonin, a notable neuro-transmitter and its low levels are generally believed to cause depression and controls your moods. The use of antidepressants only increases serotonin levels, thus helping improve your mental condition. Joining self help groups which counsel members and help them to interact with each other for mutual support also helps.

Summary: Depression is a mental condiion that affects a person’s mood and outlook on life. It can be classified into three main types namely: major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. The common denominator among the three is a pervasive feeling of hopelessness or sadness.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV of Mental disorders by the American Psychiatric Association, depression can be classified into three distinct categories namely major depression, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder. The common causes of depression could be some form of significant emotional distress that happened in the life of the affected person like the loss of a job, a disfigurement or disability that has led to feelings of worthlessness, loss of a loved one and so on.

The first type is called major depressive disorder. It is also called clinical depression as well as the more common major depression. In order to be classified with major depression the patient must display symptoms of the disease that lasts most of the patient’s day, almost everyday for a period of at least two weeks. That person must have pervasive feelings of hopelessness accompanied with loss of interest in any pleasurable activity such as eating, sex or any activity at all. The person must at least have at least four other additional symptoms as classified by DSM IV which include: anergia or no feeling of energy, pervading feelings of guilt, insomnia or hypersomnia, inability to make even the most basic decisions, plans of ending one’s life through suicide and loss or excessive movement as seen by other people.

Dysthymia is the second type of depressive disorder. This is also called dysthymic disorder where the patient suffers has a despondent mood that has pervaded for at least a couple of years and is accompanied by at least a couple of more of the symptoms like: fatigue or loss of energy, hopelessness, very low self esteem, not being able to make up their own decisions, hypersomnia or too much sleeping or the opposite insomnia where there is a total lack of sleep. The patient may also exhibit an increase or decrease of appetite. These feelings occur in the patient but does not last for more than a couple of months at best. If you compare this with major depression, the symptoms appear to be less debilitating and less assiduous.

The third category is called bipolar disorder and includes two spectrums namely: mania and depression. There is a movement between the opposite sites of the pole hence the term bipolar. Patients have bouts of elevated mood and periods of severe sadness. Patients may have at least three other symptoms like: increase in risky behavior like unprotected sex, extreme elevated mood with accompanying talkativeness, thoughts that seem to fly, cannot maintain ones concentration, decreased need to have a good night’s sleep and obvious inflated feelings of self importance.

Summary: Depression is a mental condiion that affects a person’s mood and outlook on life. It can be classified into three main types namely: major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder. The common denominator among the three is a pervasive feeling of hopelessness or sadness.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV of Mental disorders by the American Psychiatric Association, depression can be classified into three distinct categories namely major depression, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder. The common causes of depression could be some form of significant emotional distress that happened in the life of the affected person like the loss of a job, a disfigurement or disability that has led to feelings of worthlessness, loss of a loved one and so on.

The first type is called major depressive disorder. It is also called clinical depression as well as the more common major depression. In order to be classified with major depression the patient must display symptoms of the disease that lasts most of the patient’s day, almost everyday for a period of at least two weeks. That person must have pervasive feelings of hopelessness accompanied with loss of interest in any pleasurable activity such as eating, sex or any activity at all. The person must at least have at least four other additional symptoms as classified by DSM IV which include: anergia or no feeling of energy, pervading feelings of guilt, insomnia or hypersomnia, inability to make even the most basic decisions, plans of ending one’s life through suicide and loss or excessive movement as seen by other people.

Dysthymia is the second type of depressive disorder. This is also called dysthymic disorder where the patient suffers has a despondent mood that has pervaded for at least a couple of years and is accompanied by at least a couple of more of the symptoms like: fatigue or loss of energy, hopelessness, very low self esteem, not being able to make up their own decisions, hypersomnia or too much sleeping or the opposite insomnia where there is a total lack of sleep. The patient may also exhibit an increase or decrease of appetite. These feelings occur in the patient but does not last for more than a couple of months at best. If you compare this with major depression, the symptoms appear to be less debilitating and less assiduous.

The third category is called bipolar disorder and includes two spectrums namely: mania and depression. There is a movement between the opposite sites of the pole hence the term bipolar. Patients have bouts of elevated mood and periods of severe sadness. Patients may have at least three other symptoms like: increase in risky behavior like unprotected sex, extreme elevated mood with accompanying talkativeness, thoughts that seem to fly, cannot maintain ones concentration, decreased need to have a good night’s sleep and obvious inflated feelings of self importance.