In this blog post, we are going to answer the question, “Which antidepressant is right for you?”. Antidepressants are medications which can be used in the management and treatment of mild to severe episodes of depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and several other mental health-related problems.

These meds are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and there are a number of different classes of antidepressants available. However, it is important to figure out which one is the best one for you. This is all we are going to talk about in this blog.

Which antidepressant is right for you?

Determining the right antidepressant for you is not that easy and simple to do. There are seven to eight major classes of antidepressants and they all have a couple of antidepressants in them. Choosing the right one is crucial to managing your mental health condition as not every single antidepressant will do wonders for you.

A 2017 survey indicated that depression causes variable symptoms in people. For instance, some people suffer from insomnia or the inability to fall asleep. No matter what they do, nighttime somehow becomes an unbearable battle for them.

Even if they manage to fall asleep, they continue to wake up in the middle of the night after short intervals. Some people, on the other hand, suffer from a condition called hypersomnia. They sleep 10 to 12 hours a day, or even more.

They don’t feel like engaging in any activity or going to work, and just want to stay asleep all day long. Excessive sleeping is their means to escape the messed up reality, while some people stay awake and keep thinking about their problems.

There are a huge number of other examples that can explain what people feel when they are depressed. The point of mentioning it here is to make you understand how depression affects people differently and so do antidepressants.

If an antidepressant increases your energy levels, like Bupropion, it can do wonders for depressed people who sleep excessively. However, it may not be a good choice of antidepressant for a person who stays awake all night and suffers from insomnia.

Selecting the best antidepressant depends on a huge number of factors. Some of these are

The severity of your symptoms
Your age
Your body physiology
Your tolerance level
Your lifestyle

When you get diagnosed with depression for the first time, your doctor may prescribe you an antidepressant-like Sertraline or Escitalopram, but you can’t predict how your body will react to these meds.

Sometimes, even the simplest and safest of antidepressants don’t work well for some people. The drug is either too mild for your condition or it just doesn’t hit the right spot. It is a known fact that depression does not progress overnight.

This nerve-racking illness slowly creeps inside your mind and then starts to corrupt your perspective, goals, motivation, and optimism. It slowly kills away your mood.

The point is that it does not harm you overnight. Similarly, the treatment of depression does not treat your depression overnight. It can’t. Antidepressants take at least 4 to 6 weeks to just kick in.

That’s when they slowly start to balance the levels of excitatory neurotransmitters in your brain and counteract the symptoms of your depression. On average, a human being ends up changing his or her antidepressant at least 3 to 5 times in their lifetime.

This is because not everyone can bear these meds and there is no way to just predict which antidepressant is the best one for you. In order to figure it out, you actually have to take them. This is why antidepressants are usually started from the lowest effective dose.

Once your doctor becomes certain that you’re responding well to the antidepressant, that’s when your dose is increased gradually. Introducing antidepressants in life is not an easy task to do. Your body can take up to weeks to become adjusted to these meds.

However, it is crucial for you to stay strong. Some people simply stop taking antidepressants after a week or two and claim that their current antidepressant is not the right one for them. This is a wrong practice. You need to give your antidepressant for at least 4 to 6 weeks.

Before this time duration, you can not claim that the antidepressant doesn’t work. It is not supposed to work in just a week.

Yes, if your antidepressant makes you miserable or causes terrible and unbearable side effects, then you can ask your doctor to discontinue the treatment, but you have got to give these meds enough time to be sure whether they work or not.

Whatever you do, it should be done under your doctor’s supervision. Even if you’re suffering from side effects, reach out to your healthcare provider. Do not stop antidepressants abruptly.

What important questions related to the depression quiz do you need to ask yourself?

In order to determine the best possible antidepressant for you, you first need to answer some questions to know where you stand. Let’s discuss some of these questions.

What are your symptoms?

The kind of symptoms you are having is the biggest key to determining the best possible antidepressant for you. As stated earlier, depression causes different symptoms in everyone. These symptoms decide the best possible antidepressant for you.

This is exactly why you should monitor your symptoms properly and write them down in your journal so that you won’t forget to mention them to your doctor. Your healthcare provider will prescribe the medication based on your symptoms.

This is why you should properly let them know what you’re actually suffering from and how frequently. Again remember, do not miss anything out, no matter how minor.

Can you distract yourself, physically and mentally?

This is the most important question you need to ask yourself. If your answer is yes and you can distract yourself physically and mentally in other activities, you may not need a strong antidepressant or antidepressant at all.

I know you may not agree, but what do you suggest? A better and healthier lifestyle that can fix you or medications that may or may not work in your favour? If you feel dull, but you are able to distract yourself when you engage in different activities, then you don’t have clinical depression.

Yes, you may need to push yourself first to start doing such things, but once you do, you go on with the flow. If you engage in your work, your family and friends, or other activities you like, then you may not need antidepressants at all.

You can try simple things or home remedies that can help boost your energy levels. You can even try some natural tips to increase the amount of excitatory neurotransmitter serotonin in your body, like working out, getting enough sunlight, eating good foods, etc.

However, if your answer is no and you can not distract yourself from your depression and related symptoms, this indicates that you have clinical depression and you need an antidepressant.

Always remember, the best diagnosis is essential for determining the best choice of antidepressant for you. You don’t have to take any antidepressant, you have to take the one that suits you and your symptoms.

How does your current antidepressant make you feel?

If you have already been diagnosed with depression and your doctor has prescribed you an antidepressant, you need to know if your current antidepressant is the right choice for you. In order to do so, you should at least give your antidepressant its required time to work.

I know, it can become extremely hard to manage the symptoms of depression as well as the early side effects caused by antidepressants, but you still have to push through to make sure if your antidepressant is the one.

However, if you have been taking it for weeks now and you still feel miserable, that’s a clear sign that your current antidepressant is not the right choice of antidepressant for you. It doesn’t even necessarily have to cause side effects to show you that it doesn’t work.

Not seeing any difference in your mental health condition is enough to figure it out. Even if it happens, it is not recommended to stop taking your antidepressant without your doctor’s approval. It may not work that well, but your body is used to getting it now.

If you’ll take away the med suddenly, your body may not be able to handle it that well and you may suffer from antidepressant withdrawal syndrome. This is why you should remain in touch with your healthcare provider to ensure the safe and effective treatment of your depression.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have discussed how to determine the right antidepressant for you. Antidepressants are medications which can be used in the management and treatment of mild to severe episodes of depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and several other mental health-related problems.

However, it is important to figure out which one is the best one for you. There are seven to eight major classes of antidepressants and they all have a couple of antidepressants in them.

Choosing the right one is crucial to managing your mental health condition as not every single antidepressant will do wonders for you. Make sure you should remain in touch with your healthcare provider to ensure the safe and effective treatment of your depression.

FAQs: Which antidepressant is right for me quiz

How do I know which antidepressant is best for me?

What is the number 1 prescribed antidepressant?

Zoloft is the most commonly prescribed antidepressant, almost in the entire world. It is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It works by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin by blocking serotonin transporters (SERT). Zoloft is generally well tolerated and it has changed many lives, but it may cause serious side effects in some individuals. Make sure you ask your healthcare provider before using Zoloft.

What is the most well-tolerated antidepressant?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are one of the most well-tolerated antidepressants in the entire world. Even in the case of major depressive disorder, some doctors prescribe two SSRIs in combination, mostly Sertraline and Escitalopram, to help relieve the disturbing symptoms associated with persistent depression. SSRIs basically inhibit the reuptake of serotonin by blocking serotonin transporters (SERT).

What are the top 5 antidepressants?

The top antidepressants include:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Atypical antidepressants
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
Dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (DNRI)
Monoaminoxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

What is the best antidepressant for energy and motivation?

The best antidepressants for energy and motivation include:

Wellbutrin (Bupropion)
Prozac (Fluoxetine)
Effexor (Venlafaxine)

Wellbutrin is considered one of the strongest antidepressants to elevate your mood and energy levels. The distinct mechanism of action of this antidepressant is the reason why it stands out from the other antidepressants when it comes to increasing your energy levels. Wellbutrin is a dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor.

References

The most effective antidepressants for adults revealed in major review https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/the-most-effective-antidepressants-for-adults-revealed-in-major-review/
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554406/
SNRIs: their pharmacology, clinical efficacy, and tolerability in comparison with other classes of antidepressants https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16142213/
Tricyclic antidepressants https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557791/
Monoaminoxidase inhibitors https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK539848/

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Which antidepressant is right for you? (3 depression-quiz questions)