What does serotonin do for depression?

Answer 1

Serotonin is a brain chemical which we all have in our brains. It has 3 actions in the brain: 1. It gives us self-confidence, a feeling of safety and security.

2. It causes us to feel sleepy.

3. It increases our appetites. The part of the brain where it does each of these 3 things is a different part of the brain from the part where the other 2 things occur. Thus, for example, increasing serotonin in the part of the brain where self-confidence is will increase your self-confidence, but not your sleepiness. Unfortunately, we have no medications to increase only the serotonin in one part of the brain. This explains why medications to increase serotonin in the brain can also cause increased appetite and sleepiness. Medications which increase serotonin in the brain (SSRI's such as citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline and SNRI's such as venlafaxine and duloxetine) give us more self-confidence, and a feeling of safety and security. By the way, serotonin also exists in our gastrointestinal tracts. In this location, it stimulates digestion. This is why such medications can cause gastrointestinal upset. But they can also help constipation.

Answer 2

Serotonin actually makes you happy. However, there are some drugs that release ALL (or too much) of your serotonin at once, making you really happy... but afterward, because all your serotonin went through your system and your body doesn't have a chance to make more fast enough, then you are living life without any serotonin at all, which can make you incredibly depressed. It is important to stick with legal drugs when you are talking about mood controllers, and to take them exactly the way they are prescribed by the doctor, because people can do crazy things when they are depressed.

Answer 3

yes, but mostly with sleep and tired