There are many places in the world that hold mysteries and unanswered questions, but perhaps none of them are as intriguing as the human psyche. Even for adults, controlling mental states can be a difficult task, and it becomes monumentally more difficult when there is a problem or issue that affects us. Though there is still much for us to learn about keeping our mental health in check, we have found one solution that helps millions of people – antidepressants.

Antidepressants are a category of drugs useful in treating depression and other mental health conditions, including anxiety disorder, OCD, eating disorders, different forms of pain, and many other problems in individual cases. Antidepressants come in many different varieties and subcategories, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Most of the time, however, they are referred to by their shortened forms: SSRIs, TCAs, MAOIs, SNRIs, etc. Although all of them have their own mechanisms of action, most function by affecting the body’s serotonin receptors, which play a crucial role in managing our mood.

Most of the time, antidepressants are prescribed to people that have mental health issues severe enough to affect their daily lives. Depression, the most problematic of them, is notorious for reducing a person’s self-esteem, depriving them of pleasure from typically joyful experiences, and decreasing the amount of energy and vitality they have. The effects of antidepressant treatment are not instant, and may take weeks and months to manifest, but most patients experience a serious improvement in their mental health.

The statistics of antidepressant use clearly show that this is not an obscure trend, but rather a much-demanded solution. In fact, these are the second most-prescribed drugs in the USA, and the primary form of treatment for over 60 percent of depression sufferers. While this popularity and widespread use certainly proves that the drugs are effective in their actions and appealing to consumers, this is not a one-size-fits-all solution. There is a very specific group of people who are fit to take antidepressants, and even these parameters may vary from person to person. The same can be said of dosage: every patient should consult a doctor or medical professional to determine the right dosage and treatment regimen for them.

Getting an antidepressant is usually a straightforward task that requires a prescription and a substantial sum of money, but there are also other options available. For example, cheap generic drugs feature the same qualities and effects as their overpriced counterparts, yet are much more fairly priced and significantly easier to obtain.