The human body resembles a chemical laboratory. It works tirelessly 24/7 to enable a person to live, feel, learn and explore the world. The brain, as the core of the central nervous system, has countless cells – neurons – that communicate with one another through extensions and create a single system for controlling and regulating all vital functions of the body.
Neurons communicate using chemical substances called neurotransmitters. These are biologically active compounds that transmit nerve impulses between neurons through synapses. They act as “messengers” within the nervous system, and are divided into excitatory (for example, adrenaline, noradrenaline, glutamate) and inhibitory (for example, GABA, serotonin).
In the context of today’s events, partuculat importance is attributed to neurotransmitters involved in regulating vital energy and mood, and whose exchange is disrupted in anxiety disorders, depression and psychosomatic conditions.
The most important of these are serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine.
In depression and anxiety disorders, signals between neurons become weaker and more chaotic.
Medications known as “antidepressants” are designed to preserve, support and restore the proper production and functioning of these neurotransmitters. Information about antidepressants is not new and is widely discussed in the media. However, despite this, their use remains stigmatised, and visiting a psychiatrist still provokes fear and shame in many people.
Antidepressants represent a large group of medications whose main effect is the stabilisation of neurotransmitter systems. Their point of action is the correction of chemical imbalance in the brain, in particular by increasing levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. This helps improve mood, reduce anxiety and alleviate other symptoms of depression, anxiety and other mental disorders.
Antidepressants work by affecting the concentration of certain chemicals in the brain. They act at the level of synapses – the contact points between neurons – thereby improving the transmission of nerve signals.
When neurotransmitter balance is restored, symptoms such as low mood, anxiety, nervous tension, and reduced mental activity are alleviated.
For example, antidepressants normalise the functioning of the serotonin system, which plays a key role in mood regulation. The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is often described as the “hormone of joy and happiness”, but its actual biological function is much more complex. It modulates cognition, reward, learning, memory, and numerous physiological processes, such as vomiting and vasoconstriction.
In the human brain, serotonin is associated with the regulation of psycho-emotional reactions, including anxiety, restlessness, aggression, obsessive thoughts and actions, phobias, impulsive urges, sexual behaviour, and control of sleep-wake cycles. This has led to serotonin being described as a mediator of well-being.
There are many myths surrounding antidepressants, so let’s examine the most common ones.
Myth 1: Antidepressants cause addiction.
This is not true, because antidepressants do not act on opioid receptors or on the brain’s reward system, and therefore do not cause drug-like dependence.
Myth 2: Antidepressants turn a person into a “vegetable”.
This statement is also incorrect, as antidepressants do not change personality, but only help reduce persistent sadness or anxiety, restore energy and renew interest in life.
Myth 3. Once you start antidepressants, you must take them for life.
In reality, the duration of antidepressant therapy depends, among other things, on genetic factors – the hereditary material people receive from their parents. Scientific research has demonstrated a genetic component in the development of depressive and anxiety disorders.
Myth 4. Low mood and anxiety can be overcome simply by willpower.
When antidepressants are indicated, it is not about low mood, but about clinical disorders associated with changes in biochemical processes. Antidepressants are not prescribed to make life more cheerful, to improve mood after some argument, during the period of sadness due to life circumstances, or simply to make someone feel happy.
Antidepressants do not change your personality and do not solve all your problems. Instead, they create conditions under which the nervous system can recover.
A serious problem today is that antidepressants are sometimes prescribed by physicians whose specialty is not psychiatry. Lack of practical experience with these medications leads to incorrect prescribing, increased side effects, reduced effectiveness, and the development of withdrawal syndrome.
The Latin phrase Bene dignoscitur, bene curatur translates as “Well diagnosed, well treated” and emphasises the critical importance of accurate diagnosis for the successful treatment of any illmess.
Correct psychiatric assessment and strict adherence to treatment principles are essential: gradual dose titration under the cover of anxiolytics, allowing sufficient time for the medication to take effect, reviewing the therapeutic dose every 3–4 weeks, maintaining an adequate duration of treatment, and gradually reducing the dose to prevent withdrawal symptoms.
Antidepressants can help a person out of the depths of depression, anxiety, and panic only when medical recommendations and prescriptions provided by a psychiatrist are followed precisely.
