Anti-Depressant Drug Addiction and Rehabilitation

   Jun. 23, 2015
   22 minute read
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Last Edited: March 15, 2020
Author
Claudia Rose
Clinically Reviewed
Jim Brown, CDCA
All of the information on this page has been reviewed and certified by an addiction professional.

Dangers of Antidepressant Abuse

For many people who are prescribed them, Antidepressants are an important medication. When taken as prescribed by a professional, Antidepressants can be incredibly useful to individuals who suffer from depression. Of course, like any substance, Antidepressants can be quite dangerous if abused. Abuse of Antidepressants isn’t incredibly common as most are not addictive, though it does happen.

Wellbutrin is prone to abuse, for example, most likely because it is a reuptake inhibitor of Norepinephrine and Dopamine. It is known that excess Dopamine can cause feelings of euphoria. This is an anomaly, though, as most Antidepressants are reuptake inhibitors of one or some combination of the neurotransmitters Serotonin, Norepinephrine, Noradrenaline, and Acetylcholine.

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Abuse of Antidepressants can be habit-forming and can, regardless of the type, be detrimental to a person’s health. In rare cases, especially when abused with other substances, it can be fatal. Some long-term consequences include: heart problems, high blood pressure, impotence, and kidney failure.

Types of Antidepressant

There is are many different types of Antidepressants. Older types of Antidepressants tend to cause a host of unpleasant side effects, such as extreme sedation or drowsiness. They can also cause problems with the liver or kidneys.

The older types of Antidepressants are increasingly seldom used. These include MAOIs and tricyclic Antidepressants. Some older types have begun to be used for other purposes, such as sleep aids.

Newer and more commonly prescribed Antidepressants tend to be either SSRIs (Select Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors), SNRIs (Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors), or a non-typical Antidepressant such as Wellbutrin. SSRIs include the most famous of Antidepressants, including Prozac, Lexapro, and Paxil. SNRIs include Cymbalta.

Antidepressant Effects

Different types of Antidepressants have different mechanisms of action. All Antidepressants aim at the same goal, namely to ease symptoms of depression. Some Antidepressants also work to ease anxiety, pain and symptoms of OCD.
Newer Antidepressants tend to have fewer side effects than older versions. SNRIs are known to help with systemic pain from conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis. SSRIs help with depression while causing fewer side effects than it their predecessors.

Older Antidepressants are phasing out for treatment of depression due to their side effects. MAOIs are counter indicated for nearly every other medication on the market. Tricyclic Antidepressants are famous for causing severe side effects including weight gain, sexual dysfunction, and REM sleep.

Warning signs of Antidepressant abuse in a loved one

Substance abuse is a serious condition that can lead to devastating consequences, including death. Identify the signs of substance abuse can be exceptionally difficult. For starters, the signs of abuse may vary significantly between substances. Alcohol, the most widely abused substance, manifests differently than many prescription or illicit drugs. There are some general signs and symptoms of abuse that you can look out for. These include:

  • Withdrawing from society, friends and family. Substance abuse can be extremely time consuming and illicit feelings of guilt and shame. For example, someone who drank too much the night before may wake up in pain and unable to attend scheduled events.
  • Financial problems are often associated with substance abuse. The monetary cost of maintaining a substance abuse problem can quickly add up. Alcohol, especially if consumed while in restaurants or bars, can quickly run hundreds of dollars for one night.
  • Frequent illness or physical ailments preventing your loved one from participating in events he or she normally attends is another warning sign. Substance abuse may cause such issues as headaches, fatigue, mania or just about any other hindersome symptom.

Factual Dangers: Antidepressant

Antidepressants are generally safe and effective when taken as prescribed. The newer drugs are generally safe and one would have to consciously try to abuse them past the point where they are safe. Older Antidepressants may have more potential for abuse, they are becoming increasing rare in the high doses required to treat depression. When used for insomnia, these older Antidepressants are often prescribed in doses one one-hundredth the strength used for depression.

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