Causes & Treatment of Depression
Depression is associated with an imbalance of neurotransmitters.
Within the brain, there are special chemicals called neurotransmitters that help transfer messages from one nerve cell to another throughout the structures of the brain. Depression has been associated with an imbalance of three neurotransmitters: serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine 2,3.
How do antidepressants work?7
Most antidepressants are believed to work by addressing the imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. Antidepressants such as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and SNRIs (serotonin, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) do this by blocking the reabsorption of neurotransmitters allowing the brain to have greater use of available neurotransmitters.
