Order Description
Read the below forum and answer the following question:

what was surprising to you as a psychology student and a consumer. What aspects of these drugs were comforting to you? What aspects did you find concerning? Why?
Foroum

This week I choose to write about one of the oldest and most efficacious medications used in the treatment of depression; Sertraline (brand name Zoloft).

Sertraline in classified as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and is used in the treatment of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), premenstrual dysphoric disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder (WebMD, 2016).

The mechanism of action of sertraline is presumed to be linked to its ability to inhibit the neuronal reuptake of serotonin. It has only very weak effects on norepinephrine and dopamine neuronal reuptake. At clinical doses, sertraline blocks the uptake of serotonin into human platelets (Pfizer Canada, 2014).

The putative therapeutic target of SSRIs is the human serotonin/5-HT transporter (hSERT/5-HTT/SLC6A4), an integral membrane protein that mediates sodium-dependent reuptake of the monoamine neurotransmitter serotonin at presynaptic nerve terminals in the brain (Rainey, Korostyshevsky, Lee, Perlstein, 2010).

Medications used in the treatment of depression and other mental/mood disorders are meant to help prevent suicidal thoughts and increase serotonin levels in the brain that may become unbalanced and cause depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms.

Side-effects associated with using sertraline vary from minor such as fatigue, decreased sex drive, or changes in appetite or weight to the more serious such as agitation, hallucinations, memory problems, tremors, and an increase in suicidal tendencies (EMedicineHealth, 2016).

A few common off-label uses of sertraline include use for the treatment of:

– Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

– Eating disorders- such as binge eating, bulimia, anorexia nervosa, or sleep eating

– Menopause symptoms- especially hot flashes

– Smoking cessation

– Premature ejaculation (Stone, Viera, Parman, 2003)

Having been a consumer of Sertraline, I personally was surprised to learn of the variety of disorders the drug is used to treat. I was also very surprised that instead of being a “last line of defense” sertraline is very quickly prescribed for individuals exhibiting even moderate symptoms of depression. I know from firsthand experience being that while serving in the military, anytime something was even remotely amiss, doctors would quickly prescribe all sorts of medications instead of addressing the actual issues or taking the time to treat the “root” of the problem instead of just the symptoms. I can’t tell you how many times I myself and or other fellow soldiers were given a prescription for Motrin only to later find out that the pain was a result of something a lot more serious.

After watching the 60 minutes video segment regarding placebos, my concerns regarding the over prescribing of medications only increased. I personally know and understand the benefits of talk therapy and feel that ESPECIALLY with depression (and I don’t mean sever cases), it should be the first line of defense as opposed to stuffing pills down someone’s throat. While most of the side-effects of Sertraline are small in comparison to others, they are risks that in many cases could be avoided all together. Unfortunately, a good majority of individuals themselves would prefer a magic little pill to fix all of their problems as opposed to talking… I suppose it’s a mindset that we perpetuate in today’s society, but those thoughts are for another post.