The best treatment for depression is comprehensive. A specialist (psychotherapist or psychiatrist) creates an individual treatment plan and, based on the examination, selects only those components that correspond to the indications and contraindications. Typically, these are antidepressants combined with some other medications for depression, stress, and anxiety. The patient takes prescribed medications for depression until there is a therapeutic effect or stable remission. Treatment of depressive conditions takes quite a long time. As a rule, therapy lasts from 1.5 to 7 months.
Features of prescribing drugs to calm nerves and against depression
Medicines for depression and anxiety have a pronounced effect; these are potent drugs that have a number of contraindications and side effects if the doctor’s prescription and instructions for use are not followed.
This is why you cannot buy medications for depression without prescriptions in our country. It is impossible to either prescribe or stop taking anti-depression medications on your own; this can affect mental health and lead to the development of depressive conditions and even suicidal thoughts. Therefore, it is very important to follow all the doctor’s recommendations, take medications for depression and stress in the dosage in which the doctor prescribed them. Even if a person’s mood improves after a week and the main symptoms disappear, they cannot stop taking the medicine.
The drug method is quite effective for anxiety-depressive disorders and neurotic conditions. It is important that the diagnosis of depression be made by a specialist, since taking medications simply to lift your mood in the absence of mental abnormalities can only cause a number of side effects. Antidepressants, antipsychotics and tranquilizers are potent drugs that are prescribed only with a doctor-confirmed diagnosis. Self-medication is unacceptable. Next, we will consider the main medications for stress and depression that are prescribed to patients.
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How to strengthen your nerves
In addition to medication, correction and strengthening of the nervous system should be carried out from the intrapersonal, spiritual, and mental side. After all, medications are a cane that will help you survive stress and put your nervous system in order, but then you need to “learn to walk” on your own.
Thoughts, like emotions, directly affect the level of stress in life. The world knows thousands of cases confirming the power of influence of thought on human life. Both positive and negative. And in this case, too, there is a cyclicity of states. Once we make an effort, then take specific actions to improve our mental state (exercise, meditate, change our thinking and take care of our body by taking the missing vitamins), our hormonal levels stabilize, stress levels decrease, feelings of joy and satisfaction take over, and I want to do even more for my life.
Emotional Intelligence Training
Emotional intelligence is a person’s ability to identify and adequately experience their emotions. Correctly perceive and adequately understand the emotions, intentions, motivations of actions and desires of other people, along with your own. But the most important thing is the ability to manage your emotions and the emotions of other people in order to overcome life situations and solve current problems.
The presence of emotional intelligence in a person is a decisive factor in the formation of personality, quality and standard of living. In the full sense of the word, it determines the vector of our life. And like a muscle in the body, it can be pumped up, improved and curbed.
Training and developing emotional intelligence is not just about controlling emotions. This is not suppressing emotions. This is a management process. Quite as concrete as managing a large enterprise for the sake of its prosperity and profit. And there are very specific methods for achieving success in this matter.
Meditation
The technique is by no means mystical and is quite accessible to the simplest and most ordinary person who does not have superpowers. It lies in being able to learn to be in the “here and now” state. If you wash dishes, don't think about anything other than that plate. This is roughly the general idea of meditative practice. Deep relaxation, internal concentration, deep and even breathing and complete emotional and mental order. Meditation can significantly improve the quality of your life, give strength, inspiration, and peace. Many practices and meditation techniques can be found on the Internet, fortunately they are now widely available. Daily practices and very soon you will notice significant changes in your life.
Sport
In a sense, sport is the same as meditation. Only reinforced. An undoubted advantage of physical exercise is the increase in the production of endorphins (hormones of joy).
But these hormones are not released during any activity. In order for endorphins and dopamines to begin to be released, the load must be above average. It should be a little hard for you, only then the body will begin to “encourage” you. Moreover, exercises on coordination, game tactics, and dancing can have a greater impact on the brain and increase brain activity and fight stress. A few times a week can do wonders not only for your body, but also for your life. Give it a try.
Reading
Many will say that the pace of today's life has so replaced simply reading books that they have been completely replaced by the Internet and social networks. However, reading good books is extremely necessary for us. Learn to read. Reading can not only quickly and effectively work as an antidepressant, but also contribute to the development of your emotional intelligence, memory, and imagination. What will only have a positive effect on the functioning of the brain, and after a while, make the brain work differently, in an anti-stress mode. Love books, because in them you will definitely find answers to all questions.
Study and Hobby
No, this is not studying at school or college. This is self-education. It is the constant improvement of your skills and abilities, the ability to adopt productive experience from mentors, teachers and coaches, that is the key to living in anti-stress mode. The fact is that mastering new skills reinforces the corresponding psychological attitudes in your mind, which directly affect your self-esteem.
New knowledge and skills are reflected in our habits, attitudes and plans, character. In our sense of ourselves in society. They define our goals and aspirations. And if an ordinary average education is the key to survival, then self-education is the key to freedom. Always learn. Increase your erudition, learn to build productive relationships with others, then stress and negative emotions will not be your story.
Antidepressants
Should I take antidepressants for severe depression? Many people believe that such drugs are addictive. If previously drugs that could cause addiction and drug dependence were used in psychotherapy, today new generation drugs are used that affect the human body and psyche more gently and sparingly.
Among the reasons for mistrust in the use of antidepressants for depression is the fact that if the course of treatment is interrupted, a person may feel worse. If withdrawal symptoms occur, this indicates incorrect discontinuation of the prescribed drug. You should not perceive this reaction of the body as dependence on pills.
If you stop the artificial synthesis of brain neurotransmitters, their quantity in the human body will drop sharply. Patients feel that their depression or anxiety disorder is returning as anxiety increases. Any changes in your condition should be reported to your doctor. The specialist knows how to smoothly discontinue the prescribed medication. In combination with psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy works well, giving long-term results.
There are several groups of medications for anxiety and depression.
Tricyclic
The first group includes medications that have a three-cyclic structure; they are not sedatives and prevent the immediate breakdown of neurotransmitters (serotonin and norepinephrine). They do not disappear from the nerve endings, their synthesis increases, as does the amount of serotonin. These medications have a number of contraindications; they are not recommended for people who have kidney and liver diseases, glaucoma, atherosclerosis, or use of narcotic substances.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)
MAOIs are monoamine neurotransmitters that regulate our emotions, as well as a number of processes in the brain: attention, cognitive functions, memory, arousal. Due to the inhibition of leasing, the amount of monoamines increases and their accumulation in nerve endings. Some groups of these drugs are contraindicated for pregnant women and people with work that requires concentration, as well as for hypertensive patients.
Selective serotonin uptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
The third group of drugs for the treatment of depression includes selective serotonin uptake inhibitors.
Medicines are prescribed to replenish “happiness hormones”. Do not think that this happens quickly; the process of restoration of neurotransmitters is gradual. SSRIs have one important advantage - when the drugs are abruptly stopped, there is no withdrawal syndrome. Contraindications to their use include diseases of the genitourinary system, as well as alcoholism and drug addiction. If a person has developed alcoholism due to depression, he should not take antidepressants, since alcohol increases the side effects of the medication for depression. Symptoms of the disorder may increase significantly and the condition may worsen. Quite often, psychological reasons cause the development of alcohol dependence; the risk of depression in alcoholics is several times higher than in healthy people. The first group of anti-depression drugs is especially dangerous to combine with ethanol, as this leads to a sharp increase in blood pressure.
Which antidepressant is best for anxiety and depression? Your doctor will answer this question; the choice of medications should always take into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s body.
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Contraindications and side effects
Drugs that relax muscles are prescribed when patients experience severe pain (cutting, pulling, aching), even at rest, radicular syndrome, sudden muscle wedge when bending over or sneezing, neuralgic disorders. The list of symptoms is quite wide, and when to use this particular group of medications is decided by the doctor at his own discretion.
You cannot buy medications at your own discretion, since, in addition to benefits, they can also cause harm to the body. They should be prescribed by a doctor, based on the tests obtained and after studying the patient’s medical history. Their use is unacceptable in the presence of the following pathologies:
- kidney failure or liver disease;
- regular drug use or alcohol addiction;
- mental disorders;
- epilepsy or Parkinson's disease;
- tendency to neurasthenia or psychosis;
- increased seizure activity;
- ulcerative colitis and gastrointestinal pathologies.
Drugs that relax the muscle structure are not prescribed during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. If you violate the order of administration or use drugs with contraindications, unwanted side effects may develop. Most often, patients complain of general weakness, severe headache, depression of consciousness, surges in blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances, depression or insomnia. There may also be problems with the digestive tract.
Tranquilizers for depression and neurosis
Kinds:
- sleeping pills;
- sedatives;
- muscle relaxants.
In the first case, there is a significant reduction in anxiety, the quality of sleep improves and the duration of sleep increases. Doctors do not recommend taking sleeping pills for a long time or independently extending the period of use prescribed by a specialist, since drugs in this group can cause drug dependence. Because of this feature, sleeping pills are popular among pharmacy drug addicts.
Sedatives have a positive effect on the central nervous system; they can be either herbal or synthetic and have a rather mild effect on the central nervous system. They help restore balance between the excitation and inhibition systems, enable a person to react more calmly to stressful situations and eliminate sleep problems.
Muscle relaxants are medications that reduce the tone of the skeletal muscles and reduce motor activity. They block H-cholinergic receptors and stop the supply of impulses to the muscles, due to which they stop contracting.
Tranquilizers are used for depression and panic attacks, sleep problems, as well as for:
- behavioral and mental disorders;
- neuroses;
- psychosis;
- personality disorders;
- causeless fears;
- schizophrenia;
- when relieving abstinence from alcohol and drug addiction;
- eczema;
- anorexia;
- bulimia;
- arrhythmias;
- hypertension.
In some cases, these psychotropic drugs are prescribed to children.
Medicines of this group should not be used by people with alcohol or drug intoxication. Doctors do not recommend medications for the treatment of neuroses and depression and for work involving increased concentration, including for drivers. As with the treatment of depression with antidepressants, to reduce the risk of withdrawal symptoms when stopping the medication, it is necessary to reduce the dosage gradually. Your doctor should tell you about this. In addition, a long course of its use is fraught with the development of drug dependence, so the course is divided into short periods. Pregnant and lactating women should not use tranquilizers.
The drugs help cope with stress, make it easier to endure traumatic situations, eliminate fears, phobias, and panic attacks without suppressing cognitive functions. Often tranquilizers help eliminate sleep problems, frequent awakenings, insomnia at night, and drowsiness during the day. In the treatment of psychosis, these medications are used as part of complex therapy that help eliminate the side effects of antipsychotics. But the drugs themselves have various side effects, including muscle weakness, lethargy, decreased concentration and reactions, libido, memory impairment, drop in blood pressure, and nausea.
Tranquilizers are quite dangerous drugs, some of them are classified as pharmaceutical drugs, since if the duration of treatment and dosage are violated, psychophysical dependence can occur. They are also known to be used for recreational purposes. If you notice that your loved one has been taking the same medication for a long time, you should seek help from the Center for Healthy Youth. We work throughout Russia. Application is free and anonymous.
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Antipsychotics for depression and anxiety
Today, drugs such as antipsychotics are actively used in the treatment of depression and neuroses. They eliminate panic fears, anxiety, and normalize sleep patterns.
Doctors classify them depending on their chemical structure.
- Dibenzazepines are necessary to combat psychotic manifestations, they are perfectly combined with other medications, but they have a minimal sedative effect and have quite a few adverse reactions.
- Aliphatic phenothiazines have a greater sedative and calming effect and eliminate sleep problems.
- Phenothiazine derivatives are used in the presence of pain and problems with blood vessels.
- Butyrophenones are drugs that are used in medicine to combat delusional disorders and hallucinations; they have practically no sedative effect.
There are 2 types of antipsychotics: typical and atypical (as well as those with prolonged and non-prolonged action). In the first case, these are drugs that are already a thing of the past; they did a really good job with their main task - relieving psychotic symptoms, but had a fairly large number of undesirable side effects.
In the second case, the use of atypical antipsychotics is more modern. These are the latest generation drugs, antipsychotics, which have virtually no side effects. If drugs have a prolonged effect, this means that they have a long-term effect on the body, for example, for a month.
Principle of action and scope of application of muscle relaxants
Based on their chemical structure, centrally acting muscle relaxants can be divided as follows:
- Glycerol derivatives - Meprotan, Isoprotan, Prenderol and others.
- Benzimidazole derivatives – Flexin and so on.
- A group of mixed muscle relaxants - Mydocalm, Baclofen, Fenaglycodol and others.
Central muscle relaxants block polysynaptic reflexes by inhibiting the activity of interneurons of the spinal cord, while they have virtually no effect on monosynaptic reflex actions. Along with the central relaxing effect, muscle relaxants are also endowed with other types of effects, due to which they are widely used in medical practice:
- in neurology for diseases accompanied by increased muscle tone;
- for diseases with impaired motor activity of patients;
- in surgery to relax the abdominal muscles;
- for complex hardware diagnostics of certain diseases;
- during electroconvulsive therapy;
- in anesthesiology without stopping natural breathing;
- for the prevention of post-traumatic complications and so on.
Peripheral muscle relaxants are divided into:
- Non-depolarizing - Arduan, Tubocurarine chloride, Mellictin, Pipecuronium, Diplacin and others.
- Depolarizing - Ditilin and so on.
- Mixed muscle relaxants - Dixonium and many others.
All of them have an effect on the cholinergic receptors of skeletal muscles, so they are used for local relaxation of muscle tissue, as well as reducing pain and muscle spasms. They gently relieve muscle tone during microsurgical interventions and reposition of bone fragments, and facilitate tracheal intubation. Muscle relaxants with a peripheral mechanism of action create conditions for immobilization during straightening of dislocations and in drug therapy for sprains, during endoscopic manipulations and artificial hypothermia.
Nootropics for depression and asthenia
Nootropic drugs, also known as cerebroprotectors or neurometabolic stimulants, are an effective means for a specific effect on higher mental functions. It increases the resistance of the central nervous system to the effects of negative factors of traumatic episodes. Nootropics have a positive effect on a person’s intellectual and cognitive abilities, help them improve memory, concentrate on what’s important, increase learning ability and stress resistance.
These psychotropic medications are divided into the following groups:
- true;
- neuroprotectors;
- primary action;
- secondary action;
- neuroregulatory.
They have various effects: anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant, mnestic, antihypoxic, help with ischemia and intoxication, improve metabolism and metabolic processes in the central nervous system, and neurotransmitter metabolism.
Contraindications include pregnancy and lactation, stomach ulcers, kidney and liver diseases, and allergic reactions to the components of the drug. Before prescribing them, the doctor examines the patient and takes a urine test during the course of therapy to obtain accurate data on the results of treatment.
Effective drugs for depression
Phenazepam
This is perhaps the most common drug in addiction medicine and psychiatry.
However, it is popular not only because it is highly effective in the treatment of anxiety disorders, but also because it is a dangerous pharmaceutical drug that causes addiction. That is why the duration of the course of treatment and dosage are controlled by the doctor. You cannot buy Phenazepam at a pharmacy without a doctor's prescription. This is a benzodiazepine that affects the central nervous system and is a potent drug. Today, the tranquilizer is used less and less, as it has a fairly large list of side effects, including drug addiction. It has a sedative and hypnotic effect.
Afobazole
An innovative modern drug is used for depression and neurosis. It eliminates anxiety, restlessness, relieves tension and stress, does not cause drowsiness, and has a minimum of side effects. The medication is a neuroprotector, protects nerve cells, stabilizes GABA receptors.
Mexidol
The purpose of antioxidants is to protect the body from dangerous substances that damage cells and adversely affect human health. The drug is prescribed to patients after a head injury, in the presence of abnormalities in the cerebral circulation, or stress. Mexidol is used in the treatment of encephalopathy, ischemic heart disease and VSD.
Magnesium
Our body cannot function normally without magnesium. This substance is involved not only in metabolic processes, but also affects the functioning of the central nervous system. That is why it is necessary to compensate for the existing magnesium deficiency in cases of depressive disorders.
Quetiapine
The drug affects serotonin receptors to a greater extent than dopamine receptors. Therefore, for depression it is prescribed quite rarely, or in minimal doses. Most often used for more severe illnesses, dementia, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Contraindications are oncology, hypotension, heart attack, diseases of the cardiovascular system and liver.
Amitriptyline
The drug increases the concentration of norepinephrine and serotonin and inhibits their reuptake. It is used in the presence of psycho-emotional disorders, psychosis, anxiety, insomnia, depression. It is not recommended to take if you have binge drinking and alcoholism, gastrointestinal diseases, or pregnancy.
Atarax
Inhibits the work of the central nervous system, is prescribed for mental disorders, psychomotor agitation, nervousness, anxiety, irritability. Do not use during pregnancy or individual intolerance to the components of the drug.
Treatment for depression without a prescription
Don’t think that you can buy medications for stress and depression without prescriptions. Also, do not be mistaken about self-medication. Depression is not just a bad mood or blues, but a real mental disorder that can be treated not only with medications, but also with long-term work with psychologists, psychotherapists or psychiatrists. If you regularly have thoughts of suicide, have no appetite, or have disrupted sleep patterns, you should consult a specialist.
However, you can improve your mood and avoid illness if you use the following as preventative measures:
- sport;
- trips;
- breathing exercises;
- creative activities;
- bathing in hot baths;
- drinking green tea;
- aromatherapy;
- meditation.
Physical education and physical exercise help synthesize new neural connections that have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system and a person’s mood. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day and you won't be in a bad mood. Dancing is no less beneficial for the activity of brain cells. Art therapy helps to get rid of negative emotions, relieves stress, breathing exercises help to better supply the brain with oxygen. Green tea or tomato juice will help cope with stress. Inhaling essential oils also regulates mood. A hot bath will help you relax and normalize your emotional state before bed.
Nerves and emotions
Nerves and emotions, emotions and nerves are a vicious circle, the cycle of life, the state and proper circulation of which determines the quality of our life and the level of stress in it.
Emotions are undoubtedly of a physical and spiritual nature, influence and shape character, and are transformed over time and throughout life. But the most important thing is that they can be controlled and corrected. Thanks to which the nervous system is strengthened and the level of depression, blues and stress is reduced. This is interesting: emotions are born as a combination of the physical properties of the body, the flexible brain, the environment in which a person is located, as well as his culture and upbringing. But humans also have an emotional brain - the most ancient type of brain cells that has been with us from time immemorial. This is the limbic system in the very center of the brain. It is believed that this part of the brain is responsible for communication with the higher self, for the spiritual component of the personality. So if you want the quality of emotions to be at high vibrations, spend time on your culture, the environment you are in and self-education.