Some patients report that SSRIs are helpful – even essential – in the management of mental health. Others, however, complain of being turned into zombies. Psychotherapy is an effective alternative.
Rachel A. Davis, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
This rare procedure is offered by only a handful of centers in the US and around the world and should be used only when less invasive treatment options for OCD have been tried.
A recent review of studies concluded depression is not caused by a lack of serotonin in the brain. But this doesn’t mean antidepressants, which work on serotonin, aren’t effective.
Certain SSRIs can inhibit the breakdown of opioids in the body.
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Drugs can interact with one another in ways that are harmful. A study finds that taking oxycodone with certain SSRIs can make an opioid overdose more likely.
There’s buzz about MDMA – yes, the same ingredient in the street drug known as Ecstasy – being a game changer in the treatment of PTSD. A psychiatrist who treats PTSD says, “Not so fast.”
Tryptophan, found in food, is an important ingredient in the neurotransmitter serotonin. But is that enough to support it as a possible mood booster? The research is decidedly mixed.
The increasing placebo response rate in depression is likely driven by an increasing expectation that treatment will work.
St John’s Wort has been proven to be as effective as medicinal anti-depressants in treating mild to moderate depression.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources/Flickr
The flowering tops and aerial parts of the St John’s Wort plant are used medicinally in the form of tinctures and tablets to treat a number of conditions affecting the nervous and immune systems.