Antidepressant Detox and Withdrawal
Antidepressants are medications often prescribed to ease depression, both major and chronic, and other mood disorders. They are also some of the most abused medications, with about 118 million prescriptions made in the United States alone to patients 12 years old and above. This means that millions of Americans also have the potential to suffer from antidepressant addiction and withdrawal symptoms..
Antidepressants: What Are They?
Antidepressant is a term used for various groups of medications designed to alleviate mood disorders that affect normal daily activities. These groups are:
- Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (NRIs)
- Norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors (NDRIs)
- Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
- Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs)
- Noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NASSAs)
- “Augmenter” antidepressant drugs
In the brain, there are several substances called neurotransmitters which work together to maintain balance. Depression and other mood disorders can cause an imbalance in these neurotransmitters, namely serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Antidepressants work by altering or correcting the imbalance between these substances. There are patients who feel better when they take these antidepressants because it seems to restore the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. However, not everyone who takes an antidepressant really needs one, thus making their condition worse and leading them to abuse this medication. If this happens to you, you may need to seek help from antidepressant detox centers.
Risk Factors of Antidepressants
Taking antidepressants is already a risk factor in itself. However, there are other people who have a higher risk of acquiring more serious side effects from the use of antidepressants:
- Patients ages 65 years old and above are at risk for fractures, bone loss, and falls.
- Teenagers and adolescents have a higher risk for suicidal tendencies.
- Newborns may experience withdrawal symptoms such as restlessness, tremors, and mild respiratory problems when delivered from pregnant women who take antidepressants.
- Patients with bipolar disorder may make their condition worse.
Withdrawing From Antidepressants
If you are tired of taking antidepressants that do not help you and just keep you from enjoying your life, there are ways to stop taking them that are safer and easier on the body. The first and most important step is the decision to stop. Next is to choose which withdrawal method to use. You can elect to do withdraw abruptly; however, it’s not recommended that you do this without a doctor’s supervision. Withdrawal symptoms may occur; these symptoms may include:
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Vertigo
- Profuse sweating
- Sexual dysfunction
- Dizziness and confusion
- Tremors
- Sensations similar to an electric shock
- Aggression
- Thoughts of suicide
- Insomnia
- Increased depression
- Symptoms similar to flu
- Abdominal cramping and pain
Abrupt cessation of antidepressants may also cause fatigue, restlessness, and even crying spells to occur. Sometimes, your depression may even feel worse, which may lead to taking further antidepressants, so instead of getting rid of the drugs from your system, you end up taking more. Antidepressant withdrawal treatment facilities have the ability to help you stop this dependence and lessen the severity of withdrawal symptoms.
Treating Antidepressant Dependence
“If you feel you cannot stop taking antidepressants on your own, consulting a medical practitioner such as a psychiatrist, general practitioner or addiction treatment professional is important to help you taper off.” If you feel you cannot stop taking antidepressants on your own, consulting a medical practitioner such as a psychiatrist, general practitioner or addiction treatment professional is important to help you taper off. A psychiatrist will assess your condition and determine the best way to get you off antidepressants with the least pain and discomfort possible. Your dosage will first be reduced for a week or two, until your body gets used to the lowered amount. It will then be reduced periodically until you are not taking any medication anymore. This will help you withstand its withdrawal effects. Within this time, you just have to be patient. You just cannot rush tapering off antidepressants. Choosing to stop during a less stressful time in your life will also help withstand the withdrawal effects.
Joining support groups for those with antidepressant dependence can also make a difference in your life. There are often parishes, centers, and hospitals that hold weekly meetings to help people overcome their addiction. Narcotics Anonymous or NA is a group which is known to give support to people with this kind of addiction.