Brain Health and SSRIs: How These Medications Work in Your Brain

Whenever you hear someone mention antidepressants, chances are that they are talking about SSRIs. Of course, this wasn’t always the case, given that this particular class of antidepressants is fairly newer. But, they have become extremely popular due to their effectiveness, so popular that they have sort of become synonymous with antidepressants. Understand it all better here.

Anyway, if you have been prescribed these, you are likely to be a bit curious about how they actually work. You want to know how they affect your brain, how they precisely work inside it, and what it is, thus, that you can expect when you start taking them. It is not uncommon for people to be a bit worried about all of this, especially if they have never taken antidepressants before, so it is no wonder that you have gotten curious and that you want to get your facts straight before you start taking your SSRIs.

So, you undeniably have some important questions on your mind here. All of which are connected to brain health and SSRIs. You want to know what these medications are and how they work in the brain, and that is precisely what we are going to be talking about today. Keep on reading, therefore, to find out what you need to know, and then become more informed about the actual drugs you are supposed to take.

What Exactly Are SSRIs?

Okay, we are clearly going to begin with the very basics here. So, what exactly are SSRIs in the first place? Called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, these are a class of antidepressants that work by preventing the reuptake of serotonin, as the very name says it. This means that the levels of serotonin in your brain and body will increase, which can have quite some positive effects on various processes inside of us.

Understand the role of serotonin: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091305701006700

Why Is Serotonin So Important?

The above, of course, brings us to the next question. You know that SSRIs target serotonin primarily, but you may now not be entirely sure about why it is that serotonin is so important in the first place. And, well, it is time to get to the bottom of that. You’ve probably heard that it is a natural mood booster, but you want to get a bit more specific about this and figure out why it really matters.

To say that serotonin is the “happiness chemical” would be a gross oversimplification. It is much more than that, and it actually acts more like a stabilizer, than an enhancer. It helps regulate various things, from our mood, memory, appetite and sleep cycles to emotional reactions, impulse control, stress response and anxiety.

So, healthy serotonin activity has an important impact on your overall health. It helps you think more clearly, as well as be more emotionally stable. On the other hand, when serotonin signaling isn’t working that well, then you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed, anxious, hopeless, and generally stuck in some negative patterns. Therefore, healthy serotonin signaling is important for our overall functioning and brain health.

How Do They Work in Your Brain?

Okay, onto the next question. What you want to know now is How SSRIs Work in Your Brain and how they affect it, so as to understand what to expect when you start taking them. As you probably get by now, neurons send messages in the brain using this neurotransmitter called serotonin. When the neurotransmitter does its work, special proteins that are known as transporters take it back to the cell from which it has been released. That process is known as reuptake.

What SSRIs essentially do is they block the reuptake process. This further means that the serotonin will remain in the synapse longer, and that more of it will be available to the actual receiving neuron. So, the communication between cells becomes stronger and smoother. And I am guessing you understand why this is important, especially for people struggling with certain disorders such as stress, anxiety, PTSD and more.

Another thing to know is that these drugs don’t act immediately in the brain. Meaning that you may not start feeling the effects right away, and that it can take weeks for you to notice some improvements in your mood, sleep and all the other things that serotonin can impact. You will notice the improvements gradually, which is why you should be patient.

Furthermore, SSRIs promote brain neuroplasticity. This means that they support the brain’s ability to grow, change, as well as develop new connections. And, this is precisely why calling them “happy pills” is not accurate, because they don’t make any changes to your brain themselves, but they instead support your brain’s proper functioning. In the long run, apart from promoting neuroplasticity, they can support your brain health by reducing inflammation, protecting it from stress-related damage, as well as improving emotional regulation networks.