Health and Awareness

The exact way that these changes in neurotransmitter activity lead to an improvement in depression symptoms is not completely understood. The "chemical imbalance" theory, which posits that depression is simply due to a lack of certain neurotransmitters, is an oversimplification. Instead, it's thought that the changes in neurotransmitter levels lead to adjustments in brain circuits and systems that regulate mood, which over time results in an improvement in depressive symptoms. It’s also important to note that antidepressants typically don’t work immediately. It often takes several weeks of treatment before a person feels their effects, suggesting that the changes in neurotransmitter levels set off a chain of biological changes in the brain that contribute to alleviating depressive symptoms.