The principal measures taken by doctors for the treatment of depression are connected to the prescription of antidepressants. It is critical to understand the way they work in order not to harm patients. Such antidepressants as MAOIs can be useless in patients with Parkinson’s disease, whereas selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors proved to be more efficient (Zhuo et al., 2017). The reason is the difference in the way these two types of antidepressants work. MAOI is effective when people do not have enough neurotransmitters in the brain, whereas SSRI affects the level of serotonin.
Antidepressants are associated with an increase in suicides in specific demographic groups. However, such a claim has not been supported by research, as most of them are focused on the choice of an appropriate medication corresponding to the condition of a patient (Zhuo et al., 2017). Antidepressants can be indirectly related to the increase in the level of suicide as the result of the prescription of wrong medications without considering the patient’s precondition of developing depression.
Doctors recommend stopping taking antidepressants under medical supervision as depression accompanies other health conditions. It is a lengthy process rather than an abrupt termination of their use. It is proved that their inclusion in therapy has a positive effect on the overall state of patients (Zhuo et al., 2017). Doctors usually manage to reveal the best appropriate treatment with antidepressants for patients’ conditions (Zhuo et al., 2017). Moreover, a change in activities and environment is crucial for treating depression as it influences neurotransmitters connected to one’s cognitive abilities. In this way, cognition and neurochemistry are interrelated and should be both considered. The challenge is in an individual approach to prescriptions as well as further recommendations as patients with similar conditions may react differently.
Reference
Zhuo, C., Xue, R., Luo, L., Ji, F., Tian, H., Qu, H.,… Tao, R. (2017). Efficacy of antidepressive medication for depression in Parkinson’s disease: A network meta-analysis. Medicine, 96(22), e6698.