PETER KINDERMAN is professor of clinical psychology at the University of Liverpool and former vice-president of the British Psychological Society
There are several types of antidepressant medication, most of which act on neurotransmitters in the brain to affect the availability of serotonin, which is thought to contribute to motivation and our brain’s reward mechanisms. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, such as Prozac) are commonly prescribed, and the theory is that SSRIs prevent serotonin being reabsorbed after being used to trigger a nerve signal in the brain, so there’s more of it available for the next neural activity. In reality, we’re not entirely sure how they work or whether they’re genuinely effective as there is no way to test serotonin levels in the brain and lots of chemicals can raise mood.
Usually, people take medication for many months to address loss of motivation or low mood, but also for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive problems, checking in with a GP or psychiatrist regularly. When a patient or doctor decides it’s time to stop, the dose is gradually lowered to help the brain recover. Some people recommend microtapering, where they shave a tiny amount off the dose each day over a long period.