How it works

• When someone is depressed, his or her brain chemistry stops working properly. Antidepressants work to restore proper balances of different chemicals in the brain.
• There are three main types of antidepressants: MAOI, Tricyclics and SSRIs. Other antidepressants (which have less severe side effects) are Effexor, Serzone and Trazodone.
• Although people taking antidepressant medications usually take them for several months, they are not addictive.
• Antidepressants cannot make a healthy person high. They only work to restore proper brain chemistry in those individuals who are depressed.

(Source: familydoctor.org)

Laws

These drugs are regulated under the Canada Food and Drugs Act.

Where to go for help

If you need more information on depression or antidepressants, talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. If you have questions or concerns, you can also contact the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or ask one of their counsellors a question online. Information about antidepressants can also be found in Health Canada’s Drug Product Database.

Books

• Understanding Teenage Depression: a Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment and Management by Maureen Empfield and Nicholas Bakalar
• The Antidepressant Sourcebook : a User’s Guide for Patients and Families by Andrew L. Morrison
• Depression and Antidepressants: A Guide by James W. Jefferson and John H. Greist

Links

Harvard Medical School’s Intelihealth – Drug Treatment for Depression
Blue Pages: Information on Depression and Treatment