My chapter is about Since 1970, psychopharmacotherapy has become more popular as the pharmaceutical industry has started to develop and produce more medicines for psychological treatments. In 2005, antidepressants were the most prescribed drug in the US causing quite a debate among psychiatrists and researchers alike. Some argue that it is encouraging to see the increasing number of people seeking help for depression while some critique the effectiveness of these antidepressant medications. As a biochemistry major, I am really curious about the mechanisms of the drug on our nervous systems as well as the side effects. Antidepressants have been reported to cause several adverse effects, ranging from headaches or nausea to increasing behavior and thoughts or psychological withdrawal symptom. The interesting thing I found about antidepressant is that the fake happiness it has created. Even though the medicine tries to alleviate the unhappiness for the patients, it doesn't solve the real problems they are facing. The patients will have to reply much on antidepressant and do not try to fix the problems themselves.
Antidepressant - The fake happiness
Antidepressants do not claim to solve the problems the patient is facing, they only claim to regulate the chemical imbalances in their brain, which makes them more able to cope with the problems they have. As someone who is on this medication, from my experience I would definitely say that it does not create a fake happiness, the happiness is created by the patient.
As I understand it, antidepressants don't "make you happy" but decrease the symptoms of depression and set your right biochemically. The biochemistry of depression is very interesting!