Coming off antidepressants is known to trigger physical symptoms, such as restlessness, fatigue, and excessive sweating, but new research published in the journal Health Expectations suggests people can also experience emotional and social difficulties, and changes in their thinking patterns when they stop taking antidepressants like Prozac. This is especially true when people don’t ‘taper’ their medication but instead stop taking it suddenly, and when the process is not adequately supervised by a doctor. Challenges reported by study participants included feeling overwhelmed by their emotions, finding social situations less enjoyable, and feeling detached and less empathetic towards others. The participants also reported that withdrawal affected their cognitive functioning. *** A new study published in Psychopharmacology found that propranolol, a medication that treats high blood pressure, can also help lower anxiety for kids and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Given that some individuals with ASD tend to struggle with anxiety at a far greater rate than their neurotypical peers, the new finding can significantly help such individuals with ASD. *** In a comparative effectiveness trial of behavioral activation psychotherapy (BA) and antidepressant medication management (MEDS), both treatments significantly reduced depressive symptoms by nearly 50% with no statistically significant differences between treatments. BA recipients experienced better physical health-related quality of life, fewer emergency department visits, and fewer days hospitalized. The study findings, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that patients with heart failure could be given the choice between BA or MEDS to ameliorate depression. *** and others.
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