Do antidepressants prevent depression?

[Another bipolar bear]

Do antidepressants prevent depression as well as help it when there?

or does it just help the depression symptoms present?

[rowan77]

Yes, Anti-depressants are meant to prevent depression from recurring after the initial episode has been treated. Note I said MEANT TO.

[olga]

I think a better word is "treat." ADs treat depression, but they don't cure it and sometimes the treatment isn't effective. The word "prevention"makes me think of vaccines and other medications that actually prevent an illness from taking hold in your body.

olga

[HAL9000]

I've read a pile of books and they say that taking antidepressants improve your chance of recovery from depression. Or in other words if you take them and stop its more likely that you will be "cured"

I also read that discontinuing them too early is a problem. I think the books said one year. *Or was it 6 months minimum? And I think almost everyone would agree that you don't just stop taking your meds on your own. Talk to your doctor and follow the instructions on how (or if) you should wean yourself off the meds.

Don't let it bother you if they say you need to stay on them. I know I was weirded out that MI was just an indication that I was a weak weirdo. Depression etc is real. They have developed some kind of CAT (type) scan that shows a clear readout of MI. And btw when treated (meds etc) it shows a healthy scan.