I did a post on top searched health conditions that you don't talk about a little while ago and depression was the No. 1 searched condition. Depression is no joke. According to Mental Health America, approximately 15 percent of people hospitalized for depression eventually take their own lives.They also state that depression is a common condition in the U.S. More than 19 million Americans have clinical depression. More interestingly, one in eight teens and one in 33 children have clinical depression. Now that's scary.
I was also surprised to read on their Web site that less than half of those who suffer from depression seek treatment. People who don't seek treatment generally feel embarrassed or view it as a personal weakness rather than an illness. The good news is, depression is treatable -- 80 percent of people who seek treatment show improvement.
So for the post today, I've listed the top searched antidepressants on AOL Search. It seems that I see at least several ads a day for antidepressants (maybe I just read too many health articles!) and I'm sure you do, too. Before taking any medication, especially for a serious condition, you should always do your research.
You can read more about depression on AOL Body and search for depression treatment on AOL Search.
Top searched depression medications on AOL Search:
1. Lexapro
2. Cymbalta
3. Zoloft
4. Wellbutrin
5. Effexor XR
6. Prozac
7. Paxil
8. Celexa
9. Trazodone
10. Remeron
See sponsored links for: depression symptoms, antidepressants, depression medication.
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 18)
41. If you think that thinking happy thoughts or chanting will take away depression, then you have never truly experience depression. Of course, meds are not the only answer, but for those who experience chronic and persistant depression, they are part of the solution. Those things can be part of a larger solution; exercise, nutrition, therapy, developing one's spiritual life... all play an important role.
To those of you for whom thinking good thoughts or chanting works, count yourself as very very fortunate. Until you walk in the shoes of someone for whom those things are not enough... please don't judge. Try a little compassion.
Posted at 9:05PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Jean
42. I've suffered from depression and been on SSRIs since 2000. It can be a debilitating, horrific and anguishing experience. Mine was and continues to be. In 2003, I nearly took my own life. I'm still trying to determine whether or not I should have finished the job. I have taken 5 of the top 10 medications searched. My doctor thinks I'm doing well, but I know differently. I have a high-stress career that is sometimes out of control. I drink alot. Most of the time, my life is tolerable. Rarely is it good. The meds allow me to exist and to function. Nothing more, nothing less.
Posted at 9:06PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Deepest Darkness
43. americans used to see a depressed person and encourage them and help them out of their depression. however we live in the latter years where men are lovers of selves, unloving, uncaring, unforgiving, proud, boastful, faultfinders, gossips and busybodys, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. we have to turn to a pill for help because we cant depend on our neighbor. distressing times
Posted at 9:07PM on Aug 12th 2007 by brian
44. alochol seems to be the only that works for me. I have taken it all. I look forward to drinking 12 beers a day and I am happy for serval hours.
Posted at 9:11PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Robert
45. I have to say that my I am not a depressed person. But my husband is. He has been like this his whole life and struggles with it constantly. Work or exercise may help but is not the sole answer. He is physically fit. Just not mentally fit. Finding the right meds is difficult sometimes. But they do make a world of difference. His employees, friends, and family notice the difference in him when taking meds. When he is off the meds it is such a dramatic change. Very snappy, paranoid, and can't sleep. It is very difficult for those who live with it or live with others who have it.
He recently put himself into a clinic for a week because he realized how bad he was getting. The doctors took him off the meds saying he didn't need them. Now he still off the wall and he hates himself for it but can't control it without the meds. Usually doesn't even realize how he is being at that point. I think meds work. It's just finding the right one for you.
Posted at 9:12PM on Aug 12th 2007 by jennifer
46. My daughter suffered with BiPolar for years and all the antidepressants we tried caused awful side effects including suicidal thoughts. We now have her on Omegabrite 3/day and she is like a different person. It is expensive but well worth it. My whole family now takes it and we handle stress really well.
Posted at 9:12PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Ellen
47. medical qigong has a form for releasing challenges past, present and future. i used to work in a jail with youth waiting trial for murder and it worked with even them. if you would like a copy of the bridge form. email at emiton1@aol.com. it requires time to learn but when it is mastered it works every time.
Posted at 9:13PM on Aug 12th 2007 by jim
48. What's right and who’s right about this dialogue is "everyone". There are as many different cures for depression as there are people who suffer from it. But you do have to be extremely careful and I don't believe people are careful enough and use meds as an easy fix. Severe depression is a serious condition and does need a very complete evaluation and a long term plan for treatment. Many milder conditions should be looked at very carefully and diet, exercise and environment should be considered as first line of treatment and meds second.
If you are on depression medication and you are not incorporating the good holistic practices such as exercise, diet, meditation, good environment (eliminating things and people that upset you) no brainer conclusion there, you will never get better.
Just got off meds myself and feeling great, good luck and good mental and emotional health you everyone and God bless.
Steve
Posted at 9:14PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Steve
49. Depression is Bad! Every day is a struggle but so worth it. We lost a 20 yr old son to the disease, suicide. So we KNOW how bad it can be. Antidepressants are life savers if you can find one that works for you along with a good Dr. AND FAITH IN THE LORD. Please never give up hope that you can feel good again. I PRAY for anyone who suffers this horrible disease. GOD BLESS.
Posted at 9:14PM on Aug 12th 2007 by kathy
50. I AM 45 BEEN TAKING VITAMINS ALL MY LIFE & EATING WRIGHT BUT NEVER HELPED MY DEPRESSION BUT I HAVE BEEN DEPRESSED FORE ONLY 2 YEARS AND TAKING EFFXORE-LITHIUM-WELLBUTRIN EVERY DAY FOR 10 MONTHS I FEEL ALOT BETTER -BUT I STILL GET DEPRESSED ABOUT 1-2 DAYS A WEEK.BUT NOT EVERY WEEK AND AS FAR AS ADDICTION THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN AND AS FARAS HOLDING BACK ANGER THAT NEANDITHAL IS FULL OF CRAP!
Posted at 9:15PM on Aug 12th 2007 by BOBBY FISHER
51. Good for You, vitamin B and St John's Wort just got me out of a funk I never thought I would see the end of. I am a recoverig addict, working in a Rehab, what a joke, give them legal meds and they will be better? They don't take their meds, go back to street drugs and they only get worse. time and again. I did Hospice care for my mom in the house, don't do it unless you have a great support system.I'm just glad I used the alternatives, they worked for me.....
Posted at 9:16PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Ann Marie
52. While I am glad for those people who have been fortunate enough to improve by taking medications, I have not been so lucky. I have suffered from severe depression all my life, & attempted suicide several times. I have seen so many shrinks in the course of 22 years that I cannot even count them. Some truly cared & did everything they could for me, while others were even more messed up mentally than some of their patients & it's scary to me that these people are allowed to practice. I have been on every medication ever manufactured to no avail. I'm sure that my illness is caused by both biological & environmental factors. Life is really hard for me, & I feel guilty saying that when people in parts of our country & in others are faced with such adversity. But I've come to realize that, when you feel like you don't even have a soul & you are hurting so badly inside that you want to die, you are suffering worse because atleast those people have an intense will to survive. Anyway, I don't want to offend anyone who has benefitted from anti-depressants, but my personal opinion is that Western cultures are used to getting everything immediately & pills are administered like candy. I think our values are screwed up & that is why so many Americans are so depressed. I also feel very strongly that the "candy epiemic" is happening because of pharmaceutical companies who are paying doctors to prescribe this stuff to patients & they are all getting really rich by taking advantage of people who are suffering. It seems that the effects of these so-called safe drugs inevitably end up having the potential to significantly harm one's health. And I can attest to that. In fact, if you take these pills long enough, your brain will stop producing these neurotransmitters itself & you will end up going through a long, horrible withdrawal that may never go away. I have found that embracing Eastern philosophies such as meditation, eating healthfully which includes Omega-3 supplements, exercise, & creative outlets such as writing or artwork help me.( But that's when I do them! The problem is that I am usually too depressed to try or work at these things, & when you feel like dying, the last thing you are thinking about is being healthy! So it's a vicious cycle.) My advice would be to try anti-depressants & experiment until you find one that helps. However, if nothing helps after a considerable amount of time, they never will. And the side effects SUCK, so it isn't worth it. I wish the best for anyone out there who is in pain. I only wanted to express how difficult it's been for me so that others who aren't afflicted with this curse can understand that it is pure torture, & so that other people who are suffering may learn from my mistakes & won't have to go through the same experiences with anti-depressants that I have. Best of luck.
Posted at 9:17PM on Aug 12th 2007 by mylifestory
53. i have had depression for most of my life ....been on meds for years..... finally been off meds since april.....have also had a major amount of talk therapy which also helps.... depression is a major battle ... some of us have to fight with it on a daily basis....but GOD says we are healed by HIS stripes ...we must all find our way ..what works for us ...i have had some major life unpleasant events happen .....life has knocked me down ....i am fighting to stand up without meds on a daily basis....good luck to all of us...
Posted at 9:17PM on Aug 12th 2007 by mary
54. I think some people who are writing on this topic confuse clinical depression with being sad, troubled, or having issues. I have a good life but suffer from depression and anxiety. Prozac gets me back to feeling like myself again. Prozac doesn't make me take on a personality that is not mine. It just gets everything working the way it's supposed to. I don't need counseling because I don't have any issues, just clinical depression. It's not addictive and it doesn't make me a drug addict (like some idiot said.) I took a lot of St. Johns Wort for months and it didn't do a thing. Thank you Prozac for bringing me back to life!
Posted at 9:18PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Lisa
55. This may sound too simple but it works! GOJI JUICE ! It has to be 100% pure Goji Juice and can be purchased in most health food stores or found on line. Its non-technically known as the Happy Berry, originates in the Himalyas, and it really is amazing, not only because your mood is better, but you'll see an overall improvement in your skin, less desire for sweets (lose inches - I went from a 14-16 to a 12 in about 2.5 weeks) and best of all your energy SOARS...perhaps because you're sleeping better. Up to that time I'd take 1/2 a sleeping aid nightly - now I don't need it. A bottle is somewhat costly but you only take 2 tablespoons 2 or 3x a day so it really goes far. Check it out by reading about it on the web. (The liquid gives the best and quickest results, and needs to be 100% Goji Juice with no additives or preservatives.)
Posted at 9:18PM on Aug 12th 2007 by Pat
56. I have Schizoaffective and had to fight for years with my old doctor who swore I just had Schizophrenia in order to get on anti-depressants.
I now take Seroquel and Lexapro which help me a lot.
I tried Lamictal but didn't like the sexual side effects.
Don't let the "anti-medication" or "medication-free" people fool you. Depression is life and death and must be treated to ensure survival. Medications are the best thing that ever happened to those of us who are mentally ill. Are they perfect and side-effect free? No, but Twinkies have a side-effect, they make you fat. Where's the "black-box" warning??? ;-)
Grow up and take your meds, it's for your health!
Posted at 9:19PM on Aug 12th 2007 by CSW
57. For those who live in the Royersford, Collegeville, Pottstown and King of Prussia area, we have an 8-week program, called Depression Recovery, conducted by Mensana Health Connecetions. For more info, please call (610)495-8253 or e-mail mensanahc@aol and inquire about their next program.
Posted at 9:21PM on Aug 12th 2007 by John Siregar
58. After looking at the list, I had to laugh...over theyears I've been on every damn one of them! Fortunately, Cymbalta finally came about...that and psychotherapy work really well...
Posted at 9:22PM on Aug 12th 2007 by btmmannj
59. For those individuals who believe that Depression can be remedied by the right dose of vitamins, exercise, organizational skills, time management skills, stable finances and relationships, art and music activities, relaxation techniques, pets, meditation and yoga, aromatherapy, hobbies, leisure activities … my response: you are both right and wrong!!! Those activities are enormously helpful in order to maintain ones mental health. Unfortunately, depression is not like the ordinary “blue’s”. As an individual who has tried it all, I was forced to accept that I needed help when I was no longer able to function. I must note that I am an individual, who graduated from college with a cumulative GPA of 3.8, who was not even able to get out of bed and write a coherent sentence in my darkest of days. For me, both medications, in conjunction with therapy and all of the above recommendations have enabled me to reclaim my life. I feel that every individuals experience is different and individuals should consult with a professional in order to devise the right treatment plan for their particular needs. I am no one to preach that medications and good are bad, but for me, they have been enormously helpful. I do not treat my medications as a “magic pill” that will cure all of my problems; instead, my medications alleviate my symptoms so that I can actually DEAL with my problems in a rational and coherent manner.
I highly recommend that individuals that are experiencing depression to contact their local NAMI (National Alliance For The Mentally Ill) and receive the support. Knowledge is really the key to acceptance.
www.nami.org.
Posted at 9:24PM on Aug 12th 2007 by diana
60. No wonder people are depressed. Osama Bin Laden and the rest of the "Camel Jockeys" are the least of your worries. Young, black, inner city males, ages 14 to 35, commit 86.6% of all the violent crime in America, while comprising less than 4% of the population, and contributing less than 1/8 of 1% to the gross national product. Tell Congress you want money from the homeland security budget allocated to clean up our inner cities now. Call now, before your daughter is raped, or your son is murdered just because one of these "Ghetto freaks" thought he looked at him the "Wrong way". CALL NOW!!!!!!!!
Posted at 9:27PM on Aug 12th 2007 by T. Jones Esq.