SSRIs and Depression Glossary of Terms

1. Understanding Depression Slideshow
2. Take the Depression Quiz
3. Benefits of Depression Treatment

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Alprazolam: A benzodiazepine sedative that causes dose-related depression of the central n...

Amitriptyline: An antidepressant medication. In some patients with depression, abnormal l...

Antidepressant: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

Antidepressants: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

Anxiety disorder: A chronic condition characterized by an excessive and persistent sense o...

Benzodiazepines: A class of drugs that act as tranquilizers and are commonly used in the t...

Bipolar disorder: A mood disorder sometimes called manic-depressive illness or manic-depr...

Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Critical care: The specialized care of patients whose conditions are life-threatening and ...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

Dysthymia: A type of depression involving long-term, chronic symptoms that are not disabli...

Elavil: See: Amitriptyline.

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Food and Drug Administration: An agency within the US Public Health Service that provides ...

Generalized anxiety disorder: Abbreviated GAD. A condition characterized by 6 months or mo...

Herbal: 1. An adjective, referring to herbs, as in an herbal tea.
2. A...

Hypertension: High blood pressure, defined as a repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceedi...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Lithium: A naturally occurring salt that, in purified form, is used to treat certain psych...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Low blood sugar: A low blood level of the sugar glucose. Also called hypoglycemia.

Major depression: A disease with certain characteristic signs and symptoms that interferes...

Manic: In a state of mania.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Neurotransmitter: A chemical that is released from a nerve cell which thereby transmits an...

NIMH: Stands for the National Institute of Mental Health, one of the National Institutes o...

Panic: A sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought or action. The wor...

Panic disorder: An anxiety disorder that is characterized by sudden attacks of fear and pa...

Pharmacist: A professional who fills prescriptions and, in the case of a compounding pharm...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Photosensitivity: Oversensitivity of skin to light. Photosensitivity can be a side effect ...

Postpartum: The period just after delivery, as with postpartum depression. Postpartum refe...

Postpartum depression: A form of severe depression after delivery that interferes with dai...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

Psychiatry: The medical specialty that is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, and tr...

Psychotherapy: The treatment of a behavior disorders, mental illness, or any other conditi...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Receptor: 1. In cell biology, a structure on the surface of a cell (or inside a cel...

Reuptake: The reabsorption of a secreted substance by the cell that originally produced an...

Serotonin: A neurotransmitter that is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Sero...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Sodium: The major positive ion (cation) in the fluid surrounding cells in the body. The ch...

SSRI: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, one of a family of antidepressant medication...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Suicidal: Pertaining to suicide. the taking of ones own life. As in a suicidal gesture, su...

Sumatriptan: A triptan drug for the treatment of migraine. Marketed under the brand name I...

Sunburn: Sunburn is an inflammation of the skin that develops in response to exposure to u...

Sunscreen: A substance that blocks the effect of the sun's harmful rays. Using lotions tha...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

Tremor: An abnormal, repetitive shaking movement of the body. Tremors have many causes and...

Tricyclic antidepressants: One of a class of medications used to treat depression. The tri...

Warfarin: An anticoagulant drug (brand names: Coumarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) taken to prev...

Xanax: See: Alprazolam.

Zolmitriptan: A triptan drug for the treatment of migraine. Marketed under the brand name ...