Monoamine Antidepressants
Bathing, cooking, and shopping; these routine activities are seemingly second-nature for the majority of people. But for the more than seventy-nine million Americans, including myself, who have been diagnosed with either an anxiety or mood disorder, performing these tasks can seem like impossible feats to accomplish (“U.S. and World Population Clock”). With a combined lifetime prevalence of 24.6% (31.6% for anxiety disorders and 17.5% for mood disorders) and a combined lifetime morbid risk of 36.2% (41.7% for anxiety disorders and 30.7% for mood disorders), mental illness is undoubtedly one of the gravest social issues that humanity has ever faced (Kessler 175–177). Accordingly, the medical and scientific communities have long argued over the
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Although pharmaceuticals are now commonly prescribed to those with anxiety and mood disorders, until the 1950's, herbal supplements like St. John's wort (which has been verified as a genuine treatment for major depression), were the only available option. This all changed upon the advent of the first-generation of antidepressants. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) were the first medication to be approved in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. They were followed shortly thereafter by the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and later on in the 1970's the closely related tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs). These early treatments were rife with side effects, the monoamine oxidase inhibitors were notorious for interacting with a wide range of drugs and foods to produce the potentially fatal condition known as serotonin syndrome, an excess of the neurochemical serotonin, which in the proper amounts is crucial in managing mental illnesses. Likewise, the tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants were infamous for their sedative effects, increased susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, and, most importantly, the increased risk of suicide during their adjustment phase. Nevertheless, these drugs did help those with anxiety and mood disorders to cope with their predicament, and are still used today as a last resort in the management of treatment-resistant anxiety and depression (usually in an inpatient
Although pharmaceuticals are now commonly prescribed to those with anxiety and mood disorders, until the 1950's, herbal supplements like St. John's wort (which has been verified as a genuine treatment for major depression), were the only available option. This all changed upon the advent of the first-generation of antidepressants. Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) were the first medication to be approved in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. They were followed shortly thereafter by the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and later on in the 1970's the closely related tetracyclic antidepressants (TeCAs). These early treatments were rife with side effects, the monoamine oxidase inhibitors were notorious for interacting with a wide range of drugs and foods to produce the potentially fatal condition known as serotonin syndrome, an excess of the neurochemical serotonin, which in the proper amounts is crucial in managing mental illnesses. Likewise, the tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants were infamous for their sedative effects, increased susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, and, most importantly, the increased risk of suicide during their adjustment phase. Nevertheless, these drugs did help those with anxiety and mood disorders to cope with their predicament, and are still used today as a last resort in the management of treatment-resistant anxiety and depression (usually in an inpatient