If you have been suffering from anxiety and depression for months, visiting your doctor might be a good idea. When you talk to your doctor about the way you feel, he or she might decide to prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to help you with the way you feel. While SSRIs can help you feel better, it's important to realize that they will not solve the root problem that is causing you to feel depressed and anxious. Here are a few things to understand about SSRIs for the treatment of anxiety and depression.

What Are SSRIs?

SSRIs are antidepressants, and they are designed to help the brain produce more serotonin. Serotonin is a natural chemical found in your brain that has the ability to control a person's moods. When the brain has a lot of serotonin in it, a person will feel happier and less depressed.

With depression, the brain often absorbs all the serotonin in it, and this is often the reason a person will feel sad. In order to treat this issue, SSRIs are used. SSRIs block the brain from absorbing the serotonin, which means there is more of this important chemical working inside the brain.

SSRIs are often used instead of other antidepressants because they typically have fewer side effects, but it is also important to realize that it takes time for them to work. After you start taking these pills, it may take several weeks or longer to feel any relief from your symptoms.

Why Should You Also Seek Counseling Services?

If you want to feel better faster, taking SSRIs might help, but seeking counseling services in addition may offer even more relief. This is because SSRIs do not always address the underlying reasons you are feeling so depressed, whereas counseling does.

Through counseling services, you might be able to really find out what is causing you to feel this way and be able to work through these feelings. In time, you may find that you feel happier in general, and you might even be able to stop taking your medication for depression. Keep in mind that counseling services also do not offer immediate relief. It will take time for you to work out the problems you have, and you will need to dedicate time to this if you want to feel less anxious and depressed.

If you are interested in finding out if SSRIs and counseling services would help you, you may want to schedule an appointment with a mental health facility today for additional reading.