Antidepressant Medications for Better Mental Health

Many people believe that depression is a condition that has spread and gained great social significance only in the last decades but it has been known even by the antique doctors. The notable ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates described the condition calling it melancholia. He even recommended certain therapy for the patients with this diagnosis. Of course, then there hadn't been developed any antidepressant preparations yet that are utilized today but some of the methods of ancient therapy are still used. For instance, Hippocrates recommended patients’ relatives not to judge the sick person but instead encourage and cheer, he also prescribed long warm bathing and mineral water consumption from a certain spring in Crete. As it turned out many centuries later, this water contained the high level of bromine ions, magnesium, and lithium – the currently known and used elements for the therapy of depression. Besides, Hippocrates also paid attention to the fact that the condition is commonly accompanied by constipation and therefore prescribed his patients warm cleansing enemas. As a calming agent for melancholia accompanied by anxiety, he used opium tinctures.