Antidepressants are special drugs that help to fight depression, relieving its symptoms. They were first officially used in 1950s and are widely prescribed nowadays.

Antidepressants’ mechanism of action is not completely discovered yet, but their impact is based on the stimulation of neurotransmitters activity. Neurotransmitters are chemical substances that pass signals from one brain to another, and the two of them - Noradreline and Serotonin are responsible for our mood and are directly involved in depression.

Antidepressants are generally used to eliminate or moderate the following disorders:

• Panic attacks and excessive anxiety;

• Sleeping and eating disorders;

• Post traumatic stress;

• Chronic pain.

As a rule general condition improvement is visible after 6 month of taking antidepressants and it is advisable to continue treatment for half a year more to eliminate the risk of depression come back.

There are four main types of antidepressants that are available today:

• SNRIs (Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors)

• MAOIs (Monoamine oxidase inhibitors)

• SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)

• Tricyclics