Medication therapy is a common treatment for depression. Often combined with other therapies, antidepressant medication can help control depression symptoms so you can begin to reclaim your life.
Most antidepressant medications work by altering chemical reactions in the brain. The goal is to affect neurotransmitters, the chemicals that help brain cells communicate with each other.
Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that affects mood, sleep, inhibition, and other important brain functions, is the target of most depression medications. Often called the “feel good” neurotransmitter, serotonin helps promote elevated mood and feelings of euphoria. Many experts link depression to low levels of serotonin in the brain. Therefore antidepressants inhibit serotonin from being re-absorbed into the neurons in the brain.
