Depression - is not just a bad mood, it's a disease that can "knock a man out of the saddle" for a long time. That depression is the leading cause of suicide - people do not see no hope ahead, all painted black What colors combined with black: less darkness and pathos . So the treatment of depression should be entrusted to a specialist, and to treat it with the utmost seriousness.

What causes depression and its main manifestations

Depression or persistent low mood can occur as a response to stress or very high loads. But very often depression occurs without any apparent cause. Depression can develop in almost all mental illnesses, depression is characterized by cyclical occurrence of manic-depressive syndrome, when depression gives way to euphoria (high elevated mood), or vice versa develops after her. It is believed that one of the leading mechanisms of depression is the lack of monoamines (serotonin and dopamine) in the synaptic cleft (at the transmission of nerve excitation neuron to).

Depression often begins with fatigue, weakness, inability to prove willful effort to improve their condition. At the same time there is irritability, anxiety. But the main symptom of depression is a seal, a longing and a complete lack of hope for improvement. The patient gradually ceases to sleep, eat, completely disconnected from the outer life. Everything that used to be the man for the important after the beginning of the depression is no longer interest him - comes complete apathy. Hopelessness breeds thoughts of suicide (suicide).

How to treat depression

Treat Depression Depression   better in the hospital in order to exclude the possibility of suicide. For the treatment used as medical methods and more - psychotherapy, reflexology Reflexology: restoring the body's bio-energy , Physiotherapy, aromatherapy and so on.

Drug therapy is performed with antidepressants - drugs designed specifically for the treatment of depression. Selection of antidepressant - not easy: in patients with the same as if, manifestations of depression can come different antidepressants - largely their selection is an individual.

Drug treatment of depression

The main effect of antidepressants is that they suppress the decomposition by the enzymes monoamine monoamine oxidases (MAO), or block the reuptake of the monoamine neurons (nerve cells). By monoamines include serotonin, dopamine and other substances which are neurotransmitters (substances with which the jitters is transmitted from neuron to neuron) and cause a feeling of happiness and satisfaction. The disadvantage of the dopamine and serotonin leads to depression. Antidepressants induce an increase in the concentration of these transmitters in the synaptic cleft, thus enhancing their effects. Some antidepressants have an effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, reducing the degree of reactivity.

All antidepressants are divided into several groups:

• agents that block neuronal uptake of monoamines indiscriminate blocking the neuronal uptake of serotonin and norepinephrine (imipramine, amitriptyline), selective blocking the neuronal reuptake of serotonin (fluoxetine) to block neuronal uptake of noradrenaline (maprotiline);
• monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), non-selective and selective (Nialamide, transamin, moclobemide);
• monoamine agonists - noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants, specific serotonergic antidepressant.

To pick up a patient antidepressant often used classification, which takes into account the clinical effects of antidepressants:

• antidepressants with sedative effects - trimipramine, doxepin, amoxapine, amitriptyline, azafen, mianserin, trazodone, fluvoxamine, buspirone;
• antidepressants balanced (removes all the negative effects associated with depression) action - maprotiline, tianeptine, sertraline, pirazidol, clomipramine, venlafaxine;
• with the stimulating effect of antidepressants - imipramine, desipramine, nortriptyline, fluoxetine, moclobemide and other MAOIs (except pirazidola) Heptral, reboxetine, bupropion.

Do the side effects of antidepressants?

Of course, there is. That is why antidepressants may appoint a doctor. Many antidepressants cause a decrease in blood pressure, seizures, heart palpitations a heart rhythm disorder, violations of blood (decrease of the blood levels of white blood cells, platelets), dry mucous membranes, violation of motor activity of smooth muscles of the bowel (constipation) and urinary tract infection (urinary retention), and so on .

Treatment of depression - not an easy task, so it is necessary to trust the doctor.

Galina Romanenko

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