f serotonin-reactive antidepressants commonly used for the treatment of depression. First are monoamine oxidase inhibitors, which block the enzyme monoamine oxidase. Monoamine oxidase metabolizes seratonin into an inactive form. By blocking this reaction, serotonin remains longer than usual at the synapse, generating antidepressive effects. Secondly there are tricyclics, which prevent the reuptake of serotonin to the presynaptic neuron, thus keeping the neurotransmitter in a usable location longer. These drugs also work on other neurotransmitters such as catecholamines (Kalat, 1998).The newest of the three antidepressants are selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors, which are specific to serotonin alone, and thus have less chance of side affects. The most popular is fluoxetine (Prozac). These new serotonin selective drugs have more predictable and less harsh side effects, and, therefore, are more likely for patients to voluntarily take, as side effects are the primary reason for an individual to stop taking a prescription. If the side effects are perceived as worse than the primary effect, the patient will often quit taking the drug, which can have profound implications. If the patient stops taking the drug, he or she may slip back into a state of depression, which, in the worst case, may lead to the patient taking his or her own life (Kalat, 1998).Other methods for controlling depression include cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal psychotherapy (Kalat, 1998). Psychotherapy is very costly and is not available to everybody, therefore drug therapy is the most common method for treatment.We have clues to the biological and behavioral aspects of depression and suicide, but no clear cut method stands out as a unanimous cure. Depression can lay dormant for years, then reappear. Mental health professionals have many tools to fight depression, but the path is ambiguous. One treatment may work for one patient, but prove worthle...
