Overview Of Antidepressants

Common Uses

Antidepressants are typically used to treat moderate and severe cases of depression, and they may also be prescribed as part of a combination treatment for patients with severe anxiety and panic attacks. Doctors may also use antidepressants in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and social anxiety disorder. Before being prescribed an antidepressant, patients will undergo a screening test to ensure they meet the criteria for clinical depression. The test asks the patient a series of questions about how often feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or emptiness have occurred in the past two weeks (as well as longer). Patients who take antidepressants for the treatment of depression should let their doctor know if their symptoms are getting worse. In these cases, doctors may need to add another antidepressant to the patient's medications, and the dosage of the original antidepressant might be increased.

Get familiar with uncommon uses for antidepressants next.