Anti-depressants. Who are they for?

[MadHatter]

Are they meant to only be taken by those who are clinically depressed (ie Chemical imbalance in their brain), or those who are just having a shit of a time (or both)?

[Chief Crunch]

Antidepressants are for endogenous depression. (Chemical imbalance.) They really aren't supposed to be used to treat exogenous or reactive depression (i.e., your girlfriend breaks up with you.) They're more of a long term treatment.

[oldscratch]

Although girlfriend breaking up with you can trigger borderline personallity disorder, or other forms of depression. Then they put you on meds.

[porcupine]

A lot of antidepressants are used to treat other things - migraines, for example.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

the new selective seritonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are also being found helpful in such previously difficult to treat disorders such as obsessive-compulsive behavior (continuous hand-washing or hair pulling), and anhedonia (relative inability to experience pleasure).

[Guinastasia]

OCD isn't just handwashing. It basically consists of total irrational fears-even when the person KNOWS that they are irrational-and then compulsions-trying to protect oneself.