Antidepressants are medicaments which are chiefly used to combat depression. A depression (from the Latin depressio, a downward pressure) is a generally transient psychic disturbance of which the main symptoms are lowness of mood, an inhibited drive, loss of interest and pleasure in life and a distorted feeling of self-worth.
The exact way in which antidepressants work has still not been completely explained. As far as is known today, they have an effect on the synaptic transfer of brain stimuli by inhibiting the resorption of the neurotransmitters serotonin and/or noradrenaline. Antidepressants do not work immediately – they can take days or weeks to have an effect. The reasons for this are not clear, as the increase in the neurotransmitter concentration kicks in after just a few hours.
Antidepressants can fundamentally be used without reference to the severity of the depression. The average responder ratio (indicating favourable response to the drug) is something like 70%. Antidepressants are not a substitute for psychotherapy, above all in severe cases, but they can be a necessary preparation for psychotherapeutic treatment – a successful therapy will depend on dialogue, and in cases of depression patients are frequently unapproachable.
As the treatment takes a while to get under way and the effect fades away slowly, there is a clear argument in favour of phytopharmaceuticals with a high tolerance level which can be taken over a long period. Cesradyston® 425 mg, Cesra’s solution for depression, is based on the properties of the St. John’s wort. It has been used for many years now with excellent effects.
