3 ms·
>SSRIs raise extra-synaptic serotonin levels within the first hour of taking them. However, their efficacy against depression takes weeks or even months to mani
by carlmr 4y ago
>SSRIs raise extra-synaptic serotonin levels within the first hour of taking them. However, their efficacy against depression takes weeks or even months to manifest. We've known this for decades, and as a result the "chemical imbalance" theory of depression hasn't been a real contender in depression research for a long, long time.
This for me doesn't seem logical. It could be that a long term imbalance makes you depressed, and reverting that imbalance takes time to affect the thought processes towards the positive. Only because the reaction is delayed, it doesn't mean it's not causal.
- malfist 4y agoThere's a lot of evidence around hippocampus size in depressed patients. They tend to be smaller than average. After 6 months to a year of treatment with antidepressants the hippocampus grows to a larger size. It's speculated that hippocampus size might be one of the driving components of depression, but who knows. Mental illness is complex.