SSRI’s - what the f**k are they? (antidepressants)

ARE THESE FAMILIAR????

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Take a look in most peoples medicine cabinets & you will likely find Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, some plasters of the wrong size & quite often Sertraline/Citalopram/Prozac or a variety of other antidepressants or SSRI’s.

But why are we all so depressed & what the F**k is an SSRI?

There are so many factors & triggers that can cause us to feel depressed, this could be things like unemployment, relationships, divorce, bereavement, finances, being unhappy in your work, not being able to see your children, alcohol just to name a few.

In the UK between 2023 - 2024 8.7 million people were prescribed antidepressants & they are in the top ten most prescribed drugs in the UK .

I took various different antidepressants for 13 years off & on without knowing what they were or how it is thought they work. Having suffered with my metal health for such a long period of time I thought I would go down the rabbit hole & try & see what I could find out.

Disclaimer here…. I’m not a doctor & I never will be, so all the information I’m passing on is to the best of my knowledge correct as I’ve researched it in various places to make sure of this.

So what is an SSRI???

An SSRI is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor - & you can bet your bollocks to the barn dance that you are still clueless like I was.

Well… they were developed in the 1970s to treat depression by increasing serotonin levels in the brain as it is suggested that depression is caused by low levels of serotonin. To this day it isn’t 100% known how they actually work yet they are the most prescribed antidepressants in the world.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that carries information from the presynaptic neuron to the postsynaptic neuron. (you may find it easier to watch the video at this point)

On the presynaptic neuron there is a transporter protein that wants to gobble the released serotonin back up to reuse it (the reuptake) from the synapse which is the junction between the two cells.

The SSRI blocks the ability of the transporter to scoop the serotonin back into the cell making more serotonin available in between the cells, this improves the communication between them which is thought to improve mood.

Does it work or is it just a placebo effect?

Up to 2/3rds of people with depression experience some relief with SSRI’s, I have to say that they did work for me & I found myself much calmer whilst taking them especially in reactive situations. SSRI’s are also used for OCD, anxiety, & panic disorders.

Are there any side effects?

Yes there can be. I had to change tablets a few different times before I found the ones that suited me the best. Quite often the symptoms are intestinal like an upset stomach, nausea, shitting bricks or shitting soup, a loss of libido is quite high on the list too…. but if you read the pamphlet you could experience 1000 symptoms.

It is recommended that if you do take SSRI’s that you take them for no less than 6-8 months as it can sometimes take 4 -8 weeks for them to properly take effect.

There are other things that can be done to help with depression like talking therapy & trying to understand triggers. Exercise has been a massive help to me over the years, whether its a good gym session, a walk, a run, a swim or what ever can get your endorphins pumping! Not drinking alcohol as it is a depressant, eating healthily & looking after your gut as 95% of the serotonin in your body is made in your gut…. think on that next time you are thumbing processed sausage rolls & cock sausages in to your mouth!

I’m going to end on some figures that have horrified me whilst carrying out my research.

1 in 5 people have suicidal thoughts.

1 in 14 people self harm.

1 in 15 people attempt suicide.

This information was gathered from people aged 16 & above in private housing & excludes people in hospitals, prisons, sheltered housing & those that are unfortunately homeless so the true numbers are probably much higher!

lets get this subject talked about so we can try & get a better understanding of how to help each other.

stay safe

be kind always

Bob x

A brief explanation of SSRI’s, what they are and how they work.