Antidepressant

An antidepressant is a type of medication that is used to treat people with mood disorders including depression and also to treat people with anxiety disorders. Some people take antidepressants to lower their sex drive and treat premature ejaculation.[1]

Fluoxetine, an SSRI antidepressant.

There are different types of antidepressant, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs).

Antidepressants have also been used to treat the following:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic attacks
Anxieties and phobias, including post-traumatic stress disorder
eating disorders, chronic pain, and different withdrawal syndromes
sleep disorders, including premenstrual syndrome

How they work

Antidepressants work to improve the mood. Doctors think that when someone is depressed, the chemicals in their brain are not working properly. Antidepressants balance these chemicals, lifting the depression.[2]

References

Goodman, Aviel. "Sexual addiction update: Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment." Psychiatric Times 26.6 (2009).
Cefrey, Holly (2000). Antidepressants. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 14. ISBN 0823932834.

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[1] Goodman, Aviel. "Sexual addiction update: Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment." Psychiatric Times 26.6 (2009).

[2] Cefrey, Holly (2000). Antidepressants. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 14. ISBN 0823932834.