How Does Prozac Control Behavior?

Do you want to know how does Prozac control behavior? Prozac is a widely used medication for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Symptoms of depression include loss of interest, feeling sad or worthless, trouble sleeping, anxiety and thoughts of death or suicide. Some examples of obsessive-compulsive disorder are when a person hoards things, washes their hand repeatedly or refuses to leave their home for fear of harming someone. When symptoms like these persist longer than three to six months, treatment with Prozac can help to reduce or eliminate symptoms of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Prozac is considered a selective serotonin, which is a reuptake inhibitor that acts on serotonin in the brain by making it more available to the nerve cells. This in turn decreases the transmission of messages without disrupting the brains chemistry. Treatment with Prozac to control behavior usually takes six to eight weeks for patients to see an improvement in symptoms. In some instances, patients have reported that a full twelve-week course of treatment was needed in order to get relief.

Prozac works to eliminate symptoms of depression and return someone to a full functioning life. Feelings of worthlessness, anxiety and suicidal thoughts should lessen over the course of treatment, as the brain adjusts to the increase in serotonin. Patients may still feel the effects of depression or other symptoms, but they should be greatly reduced. For this reason, patients should keep a journal and monitor their progress on a daily basis. This is a great tool for the physician to use when conducting follow-up appointments and charting progress. This can be done with a simple calendar noting good days and bad days, and it will help determine if your course of treatment is effective or not.

Be honest about how Prozac controls your behavior, and tell your doctor about any new symptoms as they arise. Physicians can only provide help if they know what’s going on. Some patients on Prozac still exhibit depressive symptoms, but fail to mention it to the doctor. A good physician will be able to detect any changes in your tone of voice and body language, which can be signs of reoccurring symptoms. Ultimately, it’s the patient’s responsibility, so make sure you are completely honest and upfront with your physician about how Prozac is working for you.