You’ve been battling depression for too long and just want relief, so you turn to antidepressants. Unfortunately, these medications aren’t helping, leaving you frustrated and still struggling to regulate your moods. You’re not alone. Studies demonstrate that one of the more common antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), doesn’t work for 30% of people with major depression.
While there may be some comfort in knowing that others struggle with antidepressant resistance, you still want to figure out the reason, which is why the team here at Vital TMS therapy is taking a closer look at the issue here. We also want you to know that you shouldn’t lose hope, as there are other treatment options.
How antidepressants work
The most commonly prescribed antidepressant medications aim to alter the chemicals in your brain to help regulate your moods. There are four main types of antidepressants, including:
SSRIs
These medications prevent serotonin from reabsorbing, leaving more of the “feel-good” chemical available in your brain.
Tricyclics
Tricyclics prevent your brain from reabsorbing serotonin and norepinephrine.
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
SNRIs work by preventing the reabsorption of serotonin and norepinephrine by the nerve cells in your brain, leaving more available for improved mood regulation.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
These medications increase the dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels in your brain by stopping the enzyme that breaks these chemicals down.
As you can see, each of these medications is a variation of the overriding goal — controlling chemicals in your brain.
When antidepressants don’t work
Several factors can play a role in the efficacy of depression medications.
There may be several reasons that people who have successfully taken the medications find they stop working after a while.
For example, some people build up a tolerance to these medications, rendering them ineffective over the long haul and allowing depression symptoms to return. Or, perhaps you have new stressors in your life that overwhelm the ability of these medications.
Lastly, drugs, alcohol, and some medications you may be taking for other health issues can also interfere with the effects of antidepressants.
If you are just starting out with these medications but aren’t seeing any improvements in your depression, you’ll likely be frustrated by our answer as to why this is happening: We’re not exactly sure.
Mental health researchers are continually studying antidepressants, and they’ve come up with a few theories that might explain the resistance in some. These complicated theories involve the structural and biochemical differences in nerve cells and in serotonin receptors.
While the research continues, however, you’re left feeling more hopeless, and we want to assure you that there’s hope for treatment-resistant depression.
A great option for treatment-resistant depression
At our practice, we specialize in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy, which is fast gaining acceptance as a major treatment for depression. With TMS, we deliver impulses into areas of your brain associated with depression to create new neural pathways and alter the biochemistry in your brain.
TMS treatments are noninvasive and work quickly to reduce symptoms of depression, especially in people with treatment-resistant depression.
If you’re finding that depression medications aren’t working for you, it’s time to change tactics. To get started, contact one of our locations in Washington, DC to schedule a TMS consultation.
