Tricyclic antidepressants are used to treat depression and other diseases. Typically antidepressant effect on the body can be seen through the two to four weeks. The duration of a standard course of treatment with tricyclic antidepressants - at least six months, after which there is a complete suppression of symptoms. Side effects of tricyclic antidepressants are usually mild and pass quickly. By the end of the treatment of tricyclic antidepressants dosing regimen is gradually reduced in order to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

Tricyclic antidepressants are used not only to suppress the symptoms of depression and for treating some other disorders - including migraines, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, regular headaches, certain kinds of pain. Tricyclic antidepressants affect the balance of certain chemicals in the brain (neurotransmitters).

The efficacy of tricyclic antidepressants

In five to seven times out of ten when moderate and severe depression symptom improvement is observed within a few days after the start of treatment with antidepressants. Nevertheless, the effect of tricyclic antidepressants on the human individual. As a general rule, the more severe depressive disorder, the greater the chance that the antidepressants will act.

In some cases, improve the patient's condition has been observed for a few days after you start taking antidepressants, but, in general, to start a full-fledged action drugs should be an average of two to four weeks. In some cases, people stop taking tricyclic antidepressants in a week, because they do not see a noticeable improvement. However, doctors recommend taking a decision on refusal of tricyclic antidepressants in three to four weeks. If depression is accompanied by sleep disorders Dreams: how to understand our dreams , Tricyclic antidepressants help normalize sleep in a week.

Taking certain tricyclic antidepressants it is recommended to start with small doses, gradually increasing the amount to the full dose. If after three to four weeks after starting the drugs the patient's condition improves, the treatment of tricyclic antidepressants is recommended to continue - for the complete suppression of the symptoms of depression requires at least six months of continuous use of drugs. If you stop taking antidepressants too early, the symptoms of depression tend to quickly return. If retsedivnoy depression, whose symptoms returned regularly require a longer course of treatment.

When receiving tricyclic antidepressants is very important to follow the recommended dosage of the drug, and in any case not to stop antidepressants abruptly - it can cause the symptoms of the so-called withdrawal. By the end of treatment the dosage of tricyclic antidepressants usually gradually decreases, which helps to prevent withdrawal symptoms. The decision to decrease the dose of drugs and stop the treatment takes only a doctor - in any case it is impossible to reduce the dosage or stop treatment on their own.

Types of tricyclic antidepressants

The group of tricyclic antidepressants include imipramine, amitriptyline, doxepin, mianserin, trazodone, lofepramine. Each of these drugs is available under different brand names.

"Ideal" tricyclic antidepressants are equally effective action at every person, does not happen. The choice of a particular drug to treat depression in each case is influenced by several factors - the age of the patient, possible side effects, the previous courses of treatment with antidepressants and other medications taken by the patient, his state of health. If tricyclic antidepressants do not help suppress the symptoms of depression can be recommended another type of antidepressant.

Risks and side effects of tricyclic antidepressants

Most people taking tricyclic antidepressants regularly over a prolonged period of time, no side effects were observed - or side effects are minor and easily tested. The number of possible side effects include dry mouth, constipation, sweating, blurred vision easy. Typically, when a side effect of the treatment of tricyclic antidepressants is recommended to continue - they usually disappear on their own within a week. In some people, tricyclic antidepressants, possessing sedative effect, may cause drowsiness and lethargy - especially in the first month of treatment or when increasing the dose.

One of the most common side effects of any antidepressants, tricyclic and including - various types of sexual dysfunction, including lack of sexual desire, erectile dysfunction, inability to have an orgasm, ejaculation disorder.

Are antidepressants addictive?

Tricyclic antidepressants are a class of tranquilizers and therefore not able to be addictive. In most cases the termination of treatment tricyclics occurs without any problems, particularly with the gradual decrease in the dosage of the drug during the last four weeks of treatment. When a sudden stop receiving tricyclic antidepressants may experience symptoms of the so-called withdrawal - including dizziness, irritability Irritability - you try to control my temper Minor sleep disturbances, diarrhea, crampy abdominal pain Abdominal pain: Types and Symptoms , mood swings Mood swings in women - bad character or a disease? , A general feeling of malaise. Withdrawal occurs very rarely and only in the event of abrupt discontinuation of treatment. Symptoms of this syndrome disappear on their own in less than two weeks after you stop receiving tricyclic antidepressants.

The approach in psychology, proposed to consider the interaction between people as psychological games, he began to develop in the 1960s. He became especially popular after the book was published under the name of Eric Berne, "Games People Play".

There are many kinds of psychological games. Some of them are harmless, such as a game greeting ("Hi, how are you?" "Well, and you?" - Typical questions and typical response, which does not affect the way in fact things are going to ask the responsible) . There are less harmless games are not designed (unlike the Beck) in order to make interaction easier and more enjoyable. These games do not allow relations to develop and go to the next level - a deeper and more meaningful. There are really destructive games that people can play for the power to manipulate others, and so on. They may look harmless and spontaneous communication, but in fact they have a specific goal pursued by at least one participant in the game.

Manipulation in the psychological game can be conscious and unconscious. So, someone specially manipulated by others, and some do not even understand what is the arm - most often happens with children, but adult too, can act on the basis of their own desires, and not thinking about how it his words and actions can affect others.

Here are some of the most common games adults:

• Angle .  During this game manipulator puts the other person in a situation in which everything he does, it would be wrong .  In other words, a man driven into a corner, and his attempts to get out, again and again cut a way out .  For example: the husband persuades his wife to arrange a house party for his colleagues, citing the fact that so do all of his wife .  She agrees, the party took place, and my wife almost got out of the corner (where she stood with the stigma of speaking that it is worse than the other wives), but then her husband drives her back saying: "You served the wrong food - do not you know that my boss vegetarian? "Or" Why did not you use paper plates? Nobody uses a barbecue porcelain "- and so on .  Another example: the mother blames teen that his room is always messy, and when he finishes cleaning asks: "Why are you cleaned for so long? " .  There are plenty of possibilities to keep a person in a "corner", fueling his guilt, and increasingly reducing their self-esteem .  It is not difficult to guess that this may lead to severe psychological consequences .
• Tell me about your problems .  That proposal initiator of the game makes the other person to admit their weaknesses .  External motivation is the desire to help, but the initiator will use the recognition in their own purposes .  Example: the husband tells his wife about the situation at work, which had a good impact on him, but did not end too well for his colleagues, but guilt husband it was not .  The wife of the various hints and issues makes her husband admitted that he is unkind to this colleague .  Later, she could tell other people modified the story that her husband had deliberately arranged the problem colleague, adding that he is quite a jealous and angry man, and making it clear that without her influence it could have been worse .  In this example, the wife uses the game only in order to influence the way she looks in the eyes of others (almost heroic woman, able to keep control of a potential aggressor), but, of course, from other people's confessions can be removed and material benefit .  (We must remember that not all people who offer you to share their problems, plotting insidious psychological games) .
• Do it for me. Man wants to get something or to do, but seeks to ensure that this wish has come true for the other person. For example, if the wife nedoelo weekly dinner with parents of her husband, she can tell him about it directly. However, if she decides to play a game of "do it for me," she would say something like, "Honey, maybe you should not go now to your parents? You do still need to write a report, and if you go for dinner - will not have time to sleep. " Her husband agrees, deciding that he did not want to go to her parents, but actually performs the desire of his wife. Another common version of this game: the parents attempt to get kids to realize their unfulfilled dreams. They can enthusiastically tell the children how wonderful it is - to play football, to play music or to paint - ensuring that children believe that they want just that.
• That's your decision. Play with a common name used to absolve themselves of responsibility for certain decisions. One partner says to another: "Whatever you decided, I want this" or "Do you understand this better than me, and you decide". In fact people play the game, is very concerned about the consequences of the decision, but he does not want to answer for them. Parents often play a game, shifting onto the shoulders of the partner decisions concerning children. If all goes well, no one will tell, but if something goes wrong, you can always blame the spouse who made the decision.
• The court is. The game is usually played by the spouse in the presence of a third party. Typically, one spouse blames the other and the other is protected, but they can exchange and mutual accusations. Communication during this game aims to "judge" and not at each other, and spouses are more interested in the fact that he lived up to one of them than to find a solution.
• Victim. The initiator of this game portrays the victim, strongly implying that he had been ill treated, or - that he has invested in a relationship much more than his partner. "I gave you the best years of my life" - the classic phrase of a woman who plays the victim. However, this can be done not only by women. A man can continually complaining to his wife and other family members how much he has to work, and he gets tired, and it was emphasized that it provides the entire family (even if the work he is not alone), and the house he had only to relax, and in general it should be protected. The purpose of the "victim" - cause similar feelings of guilt, through which they will be easier to manipulate.