Do anti-depressants cure depression over time?!


Question:

Do anti-depressants cure depression over time?

I took Psychology 1, 2 and AP while in high school with a psychologist who did both pharmacy psychology and council psychology as well as being a college professor.

I was just informed that you could, supposedly, take anti-depressants for a period of time and it will "correct" the chemical imbalance thats present in the mind.

Can anybody clarify whether this statement is true or not. It would be greatly appreciated.

-Jamie

Additional Details

2 weeks ago
I was under the same impression...it masks the problem. I've never heard of it balancing out the problem and eventually fixing it.

I've known a ton of people who take medication for stuff like that and nobody ever told me it fixed the problem eventually.


Answers:

It depends - is the patient experiencing depression because of trauma, stress or loss? There are people whose depression is short-term and they'd eventually get past it themselves, but the A/D helps them through the healing process. These are the people for whom "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" and "Happiness is a Choice" are helpful.

If the depression is caused by a chemical imbalance, the A/D can only smooth out the bumps in the road. It's possible to learn to overcome depressive thought patterns, but if the depression is related to serotonin, norepinephrine or dopamine levels in the brain, find the right meds at the right doses and get comfy. It's gonna be a long ride.




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