Most people don't understand or even attempt to understand depression.
That's why I've named this the IFAQ (as opposed to FAQ: Frequently Asked
Questions) page. Hopefully this page will help you learn something you don't know
about depression and antidepressants such as Prozac.
What is Prozac?
Prozac is the first of a new class of antidepressnt
compounds called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRI's. Hailed as a
miracle drug by millions of patients and numerous psychiatrists, trumpeted on the
covers of magazines such as Newsweek and New York, and made notorious by the
Church of Scientology's attacks, Prozac has become the best-selling
antidepressant of all time. Its generic name is fluoxetine hydrochloride.
Who takes Prozac?
You'd be amazed. Since its introduction, over 11
million patients worldwide and 6 million in the United States have taken Prozac.
These people cover the gamut from children to adolescents to the elderly, from
lifelong depressives who, with the help of Prozac, are beginning for the first
time to structure their lives in responsible ways, to many highly successful,
productive people who have had from one to numerous bouts of depression in their
lifetime. In fact, you probably know someone who is taking it or has taken it.
Is there more than one type of depression?
Yes. Here is a list
of the primary types of depression:
*Major depression, also known as
unipolar or clinical depression, is a disorder that is usually recurrent, with
repeated depressive episodes alternating with normal periods.
*Dysthymia is a type of depression in which symptoms are relatively
mild but present most of the time and persistent for at least two years.
*Manic-depressive (bipolar I) disorder is characterized by dark
periods of moderate to severe depression alternating with manic highs, which are
often severe enough to require hospitalization.
*Manic depressive
(bipolar II) disorder involves periods of major depression interspersed with
mildly manic - or hypomanic - episodes, which are usually pleasurable or
irritable in nature.
What are some symptoms of depression?
Symptoms include: lack of
energy, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, loss of concentration, anxiety,
loss of interest in life, feeling "down": sad, empty, alone, change in weight,
feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, guilt and worthlessness, and feelings of
irritation or agitation. All or some of these symptoms may be present in varying
degrees for varying periods of time.
What causes depression?
It does not take a life-shattering
event for someone to become depressed. It is a medical disease, just the same as
cancer or kidney failure. Depression is caused by an imbalance in the number of
neurotransmitters that travel between the nerves across the synapses in the brain.
Fieve, Dr. Ronald R., Prozac: Questions and Answers for Patients, Family, and Physicians Avon Books: New York, 1994.
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