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The class name can be misleading. It suggests that an antidepressant should simply “lift mood” or is only relevant to severe depression.

Sertraline is an SSRI, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. In the US prescribing information it is indicated for major depressive disorder, panic disorder, PTSD, social anxiety disorder, OCD, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder.

Escitalopram is often described as a “gentle” antidepressant, almost as if side effects were rare.

Fluoxetine is one of the best-known SSRIs. Its defining feature is not being “stronger” or “weaker” than other antidepressants, but its long half-life: active metabolites remain in the body for much longer, so blood levels change more sl…

Paroxetine has a broad range of official indications, including major depression, OCD, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and PTSD.

Citalopram is a classic SSRI officially used for major depressive disorder in adults. Its profile seems straightforward, but one feature makes the idea “more dose equals more benefit” particularly problematic: dose-dependent QT-interval…

Venlafaxine is an SNRI, affecting reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine. It is often discussed after an incomplete response to an SSRI, but the slogan “two neurotransmitters means twice as strong” is not clinically meaningful.

Sometimes a person presents with depression while much of daily life is already organized around pain: neuropathy, fibromyalgia, or chronic musculoskeletal pain.

“I finally sleep eight hours, but now I want to eat all the time.” That sentence captures much of mirtazapine’s reputation.

Depression is not only sadness. Many people describe it as having a “cotton-wool brain”: reading becomes difficult, thoughts are hard to hold, and planning or decision-making feels unusually demanding.

Bupropion often sits between two internet myths: “it never causes sexual side effects” and “it always makes anxiety worse.” Both statements are too absolute.

Trazodone has an odd reputation: officially it is an antidepressant, yet many people first hear its name after complaining about insomnia.

Agomelatine is often described with the appealing phrase “restores circadian rhythms.” Its mechanism really is different from SSRIs: it acts at melatonin MT1/MT2 receptors and blocks 5-HT2C receptors.

“I need something for anxiety, but I do not want dependence or constant sedation.” Buspirone often enters exactly this conversation, and it can disappoint people who expect an effect within twenty minutes.

When someone with generalized anxiety is offered a drug from the antiseizure class, the reaction is often predictable: “But I do not have epilepsy.” Pregabalin is a good example of how a drug’s original pharmacological category does not…

Hydroxyzine can act faster than an antidepressant, cause drowsiness, and reduce physical tension.

Benzodiazepines can do something SSRIs cannot: reduce anxiety noticeably within a short period of time.

The word “ketamine” tends to trigger either excitement — “depression can disappear in hours” — or fear because of associations with anesthesia and recreational use.

“My doctor added an antipsychotic — does that mean they think I have psychosis?” The reaction is understandable.

Online discussions make antidepressant selection look like a simple table: escitalopram is “gentle,” venlafaxine is “strong,” mirtazapine is “for sleep,” and bupropion is “for energy.” Real prescribing does consider these profiles, but a…