Depression affects 7 percent of Americans. It is one of the most common mental disorders in the US. Antidepressants are not only taken for depression but anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is a $14 million business worldwide. Are you recently prescribed antidepressants and you have started having thoughts like what was that person’s name? What was that word? Are you wondering about the long-term effects of antidepressants on the brain? Do antidepressants affect intelligence? You must have come across situations where during a meeting and suddenly you are struggling to remember the data you knew but can’t seem to recall it at that moment.
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Understanding Depression and how does it look like?
We all have met people who smile for sake of smiling but their smile doesn’t reach their eyes. Their eyes seem hollow, lonely, and sad. Whenever you approach them and ask them anything further they would respond with “You won’t understand”. We have all heard something like this in our lives, but what have we done for them? Did you know it was a hidden cry for help?
Depression is an illness that kills all hope and crushes self-worth cruelly. It is like your world is a lonely and inescapable reality. You know there is something wrong on the inside but on the outside, everything appears to be fine. You can’t even get out of bed to brush your teeth for weeks. Your world seems to be imploding on inside and it feels worse than dying. There is this black fog that doesn’t seem to go away. It’s scary and deeply disconcerting because you are looking for answers and they don’t come.
Types of antidepressants
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
Selective-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs)
Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs)
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
What do SSRIs do?
SSRIs make you feel less
Sad
Guilty
Afraid
Pessimistic
Negative
Unassertive
Requiring assurances
Defensive
Aggressive (You perceive lesser actions as threats so you become less aggressive)
Stressed out
Hungry
Tired
Desirous of sex
What do antidepressants do?
They do not right any abnormality present. These drugs work quite differently for different individuals. If one type doesn’t suit you don’t worry, the other might work. Depression isn’t characterized only by low serotonin or low epinephrine.
However, drugs like SSRIs and SNRIs act on serotonin systems. They reduce anxiety by emotionally numbing the patient. Drugs like MAOIs and some tricyclics are more energizing or stimulating and act on noradrenaline systems. Others may act on receptors and can restore appetite and increase sleep.
Do antidepressants work?
Many studies claim that antidepressants were no more effective than placebo. If you have a minimum of five out of nine symptoms of the disease which may be a feeling of hopelessness, self-doubt, and low energy, the doctors will diagnose it and prescribe one of the antidepressants.
If there isn’t any improvement even after eight weeks of taking it, the patient would be prescribed another antidepressant till one of them works. Up to a third of the American population is suffering from treatment-resistant depression. It usually takes two months to know if an antidepressant works.
Without these antidepressants, one would become a reclusive, tired, and unhappy person, who couldn’t get out of bed no matter what.
Do antidepressants mess up your brain?
These drugs affect two important regions of the brain. The first was the anterior cingulate cortex, the part of the brain that controls and regulates mood. The other was the hippocampus where the registration and consolidation of memory take place. Depressed people have shown to have smaller volumes of these two regions compared to non-depressed people. The studies conducted found that in depressed the drug significantly increased the volume of the anterior cingulate cortex. In non-depressed, it decreased this and the hippocampus. Therefore without a thorough consultation and prescription by the psychiatrist do not consume these drugs.
Study for depression-related cognitive impairment
Over 1000 people with depression were given Escitalopram (Lexapro), Sertraline (Zoloft), or Venlafaxine – XR (Effexor-XR) and then were asked to undergo extensive cognitive testing. Ninety-five percent showed no improvement in any cognitive impairment. None of these drugs was found at improving cognitive symptoms. This was not unexpected as an antidepressant medication is mainly meant to help improve mood and increase the ability to participate in enjoyable and beneficial activities.
Do antidepressants affect intelligence?
Studies show that recurrent depression shrinks the hippocampus. Experts noted that the hippocampus was a regenerative area of the brain and the effects of the depression were reversible with the appropriate treatment.
Antidepressants and concentration
Antidepressants don’t improve memory or concentration but resolving depression may greatly improve your ability to focus and concentrate.
Is Depression treatable?
So if you or your loved ones are suffering from depression or its symptoms, you should seek professional help. Depression is treatable even though the self-help and support systems can help in symptoms alleviation none can be as helpful as consulting a psychiatrist for therapy like CBT and medication. Researches point towards the importance of environment and lifestyle in healing from depression. However, it is important to understand that with little care and understanding, your relationship with a depressed person can be salvaged.
Conclusion about do antidepressants affect intelligence?
No SSRIs don’t lower your IQ but depression impairs how well you use your intellectual assets. Antidepressants just don’t let you ponder something too much.
Antidepressants are not the solution for everyone and it is important to combine them with other options such as talk therapies and psychotherapies. However, Antidepressants do help in feeling ok when depressed. To start doing enjoyable things that make one happy. Depression makes all these activities impossible. Antidepressants work by helping us find our way back from the clouds of hopelessness and worthlessness to our normal self.
Disclaimer
The content of this article has been developed by third-party medical content writers and/or experts. The information mentioned in the article is only for educational purposes and therefore it is requested to consult a doctor/ physician before diagnosing and deciding the treatment plan.
Dr Amit Sharma is a Doctor and writer with a particular interest in mental health. He helps individuals by combining practical advice with emotional support.