Experiencing the symptoms of depression? Being depressed can be disruptive to your regular routine. Symptoms like chronic sadness and feeling unmotivated are common. These feelings might make it difficult to maintain your responsibilities.
When you are experiencing these symptoms, finding an effective treatment is important. Medication is a common choice for people experiencing depression. Medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can help reduce your symptoms. Some antidepressants may also be able to help boost your energy and improve your motivation. Their effects, though, are often short-lived. Looking for more lasting improvement? The best antidepressants for boosting energy and motivation might not be traditional medications.
Certain alternative treatments can offer rapid and reliable results. To find the best and most effective mental health care, evaluating many options can be key. Discovering how various treatments compare can help you decide what is right for you.
Traditional antidepressants
- SSRIs — SSRIs are a common first-line treatment for depression. Have you received traditional mental health treatments? If so, you have likely already had an SSRI prescription. Common SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft). As some of the most common antidepressants, these medications can sometimes offer improvement. SSRIs work to increase the levels of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is a natural feel-good chemical. By increasing your serotonin levels, SSRIs can help stabilize your emotions. One downside is the lengthy wait for results. SSRIs can take several weeks to produce noticeable effects. These meds can also come with side effects such as nervousness and weight changes.
- SNRIs — SNRI is short for serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Like SSRIs, these medications can help manage serotonin levels. They differ by targeting norepinephrine as well, another important brain chemical. Both chemicals act as neurotransmitters and hormones. SNRIs can sometimes be more “activating” than SSRIs which can help target decreased energy and motivation. They still have the downsides that come with many other medications, though. SNRIs such as duloxetine (Cymbalta) can cause side effects like headaches and insomnia.
- TCAs — Have other antidepressants been ineffective for treating your condition? Tricyclic antidepressants, or TCAs, are often prescribed as a second line of treatment. Like other meds, TCAs work to prevent the reuptake of certain chemicals. Preventing reuptake can increase the quantity of key chemicals in your brain. One popular TCA is doxepin. This medication can help ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Side effects can include drowsiness, constipation and weight loss. Like some other antidepressants, TCAs can also cause dependency.
Best antidepressant alternatives for energy and motivation
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) — Has your depression resisted traditional treatment? TMS is a non-medication, noninvasive solution designed for treatment-resistant depression. When you receive TMS therapy, magnetic pulses will be used to stimulate neural activity in your brain. TMS uses special MRI-like technology to precisely target certain regions of the brain. This can help ensure that regions associated with mood are stimulated. TMS therapy can deliver great long-term results. TMS also has minimal side effects. Given the benefits, TMS can be among the best antidepressant alternatives for energy and motivation levels.
- Talk therapy — Talking about your mental health with a professional can offer relief and a sense of direction. In cognitive behavioral therapy, you can work with a therapist to break free from negative thoughts and behavior patterns. Your therapist can help provide strategies for short-term coping and long-term improvement. For many patients, talk therapy synergizes well with other treatments like TMS. Working with your therapist, you can find a treatment plan geared toward achieving your mental health goals.
Active Path Mental Health can help you find renewed motivation
Looking for the best antidepressant treatments to improve your energy and motivation? Active Path Mental Health can help. We offer several treatment methods tailored to the needs of each patient. Besides TMS and talk therapy, we also provide Spravato (esketamine) treatments. Spravato can help boost the effects of traditional oral antidepressants. For our team, your health and wellness is the first priority. With our help, you can take the next step toward feeling more energized.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
