Zoloft and Depression Blog

Self-help Books that Help

Zoloft Side Effects

Going through depression, actor and comedian Drew Carey knows what it feels like to go down the dark and lonely road. He confessed that it was not always sunny on his side of the street but he is conquering it. The negativity that he has surrounded himself even drove him to commit suicide but he realized that he needed help, and that was the time he sought for one. As he was interviewed by Nancy O’Dell, Carey said that he used self-help books to get him through depression. Medications taken together with therapy are a potent combination but mothers have filed lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies due to the severe side effects.

Like Drew Carey, many people have used these books because they want to take charge in managing their depression. Self-help books are a refreshing option for some and give people the strength to overcome the dreariness. There are many self-help books that have been published to help people suffering from depression and a good number of them are best sellers. These books help in empowering depression-stricken persons to try and find ways to ease their symptoms and ultimately cure themselves. These books were not randomly written but have been rooted from some of the therapies.

The technique upon which most self-help books are based is cognitive behavioral therapy which entails evaluating the thoughts and feelings that are associated in any action. “How does that make you feel?” is one of the famous questions used by psychiatrists to provoke thoughts and examination to patients. There are many approaches that can be used for cognitive behavioral therapy and it is even time-efficient compared to other types of therapies. Coping skills are then learned by patients while they master the art of self-evaluation. They begin to rationalize the situations that they are in and would slowly do away with the negativity.

Another theory used in most self-help books is the psychodynamic theory which tries to find the missing experiences or stages that were missed as the person was growing up. The missed stage would directly affect the person because they would find ways to fill that void. This theory employs the thought of ego, superego and id which was conceptualized by Sigmund Freud. The role of psychodynamic theory in self-help books basically is they seek to interpret why the person feel, acts and thinks the way he or she does. The use of medications like Zoloft and other antidepressants would be minimized. People would know more about themselves as they use these books and would avoid experiencing Zoloft birth defects.

URL References:
societymd.org/famous-people-who-suffered-from-depression.html
societymd.org/famous-people-who-suffered-from-depression.html
nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm

 

 

Depression in Women

There are many contributing factors to depression, medical experts say. In women, the contributing factor may vary from reproductive hormones to social pressures as response to stress as well as hormonal balance or imbalance  which is evident during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, as well as after giving birth or experiencing a miscarriage.

Considered as the contributing factors of depression are hormone fluctuations occurring in the monthly menstrual cycle of women probably contribute to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), a severe syndrome marked especially by depression, anxiety, and mood swings that occur in the week before menstruation and interfere with normal activities.

When young, middle-aged and elderly women gets first-hand information about fighting depression, especially from their doctors it will help minimize the risk of depression among women.  Clinical studies shows that   Zoloft, an antidepressant drug , is not being recommended right away for people experiencing depression because it is suspected to worsen the condition of the patients.

Depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and premenstrual dysphoric mood disorder (PDMD) are the common illness among patients which uses Zoloft, the antidepressant drug  as treatment.

Sertraline hydrochloride, also known as Zoloft, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which increases the amount of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain as it blocks the resorption of serotonin from synapse.

The side effects which are commonly expressed is headaches, drowsiness, nausea, insomnia, and dryness of the mouth. However, there are other side effects that may not subside until the use of the drug is discontinued, such as decline in sexual performance, mainly ejaculation-related problems, as well as Zoloft birth defect.

Depression is not "one size fits all," most particularly when it comes to the genders.  The effect of depression in men and women is not the same in pattern and symptoms to which women are more prone to depression compared to men.

Statistic shows that depression among women is more common than men and has the tendency to develop clinical depression as men.  There are about 15 million depressed people in the United States and majority of them are women which nearly two-thirds do not get the help they need.

Instead of automatically depending on antidepressant medication, it is recommended that psychotherapy and antidepressant therapy should also be considered to lower the number of   women suffering from depression.

 

Refences:

http://helpguide.org/mental/depression_women.htm

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-women

 

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Zoloft for Post Partum Depression a Good Idea or Not

For new mothers there are many things that can lead to post partum depression, the uncertainty of motherhood bears particular significance to this. There would be many doctors who would prescribe Zoloft, since Zoloft is the number one prescribed brand in its market and is being used to treat Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), this is probably an issue worth looking into for many moms that plan to nurse.  One of the biggest concerns of nursing mothers is that if they take Zoloft their babies maybe exposed to the drug through their breast milk, thereby causing them to potentially have withdrawal symptoms once they stop Zoloft or breastfeeding.

 

Experts say that about 1 in every 8 women suffer from post partum depression, this depression is largely caused by the change of hormones after delivery.  The symptoms of post partum depression can begin any time within the first 3 months of the infant’s life; this type of depression can do serious harm to both mother and child. Post Partum depression can make things like breastfeeding and bonding with the baby difficult for the mother.If the mother begins to show any symptoms of post partum depression it is important that she sees her doctor as soon as possible.

 

Treatment of depression depends on your doctor, some doctors will advise you visit a therapist while others will prescribe an antidepressant like Zoloft. A lot of new mothers maybe against taking Zoloft while nursing their young, as it may harm the baby through the mother’s breast milk. Recent studies have shown however that Zoloft absorption percentage into the mothers breast milk is very small and most of the time the baby will not show any ill side effects of Zoloft intake.

 

Taking Zoloft for post partum depression is a decision that both you and your doctor must agree on Zoloft does carry the potential to cause Zoloft withdrawal symptoms in infants exposed to the drug, however. If you would like more information on your legal options, visit with a Zoloft Lawyer as soon as possible, many Zoloft lawyers will give you a free consultation and not charge you unless you get compensated in your case.

 

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Study of Anti-depressants show Zoloft as One of the Top Drugs

Zoloft Antidepressant

A recent study done by Andrea Cipriani, M.D., of the University of Verona in Italy gave results showing that Zoloft is one of the best drugs currently on the market for treating depression. The study included analysis of 12 drugs, with two coming out as the most effected and best tolerated as first line treatments: sertraline (Zoloft) and escitalopram (Lexapro).  Venlafaxine (Effexor) and mirtazapine (Remeron) were also included in the top for effectiveness, but venlafaxine was also among the four drugs patients were most likely to quit taking because of side effects.  The 12 drugs that had been included in the study were: bupropion, citalopram, duloxetine, escitalopram, fluoxetine, fluvoxamine, milnacipran, mirtazapine, paroxetine, reboxetine, sertraline, and venlafaxine.During the study there was no funding from any of the drug manufactures used by the authors. 

This study used a new technique called multiple-treatments meta-analysis to make head-to-head comparisons among the 12 drugs, incorporating 117 randomized controlled trials including 25,928 patients in all.  Dr. Cipriani states that “There has been little scientific evidence of the relative effectiveness of these drugs, because most studies compare one against a handful of others or a placebo, and are often funded by the maker of a particular drug, which can bias the findings in its favor.”   Dr. Cipriani goes on further stating “that the findings of this study don't mean that everyone should be put on Zoloft or Lexapro, and they shouldn't be seen as suggesting that people who are on other drugs should go off them.”   

In fact Zoloft has several side effects that users must be aware of, Zoloft use has been linked to several birth defects which include: Craniosynostosis, enlarged heart, Gastrochisis, clubbed foot and cleft lip or palate to name a few. Use of Zoloft should not stop abruptly as well as users of the drug may begin to show symptoms of severe withdraw if stopped. 

Zoloft’s supposed use it to treat depression, and although the study done by Dr. Cipriani does show that it is effective for its supposed use, Zoloft is actually a serious drug and you should consult your doctor before starting a regiment of Zoloft.  If you or someone you know has been injured by the use of Zoloft then visiting a Zoloft lawyer can be the next step in any potential legal action you may take.Many Zoloft lawyers will give a free consultation and not charge you unless your case receives compensation.