Antidepressant medications are most commonly used to help relieve the distress of depression or anxiety. They are also used to help with other conditions such as bulimia and chronic pain. Antidepressants can take up to several weeks to be fully effective. Early signs that the medication is working include improved sleep, appetite and energy. Improvement in mood usually comes later.

Meet with a prescriber who can diagnose and treat anxiety and depression with or without medication online. Your care team talks you through your treatment and offers psychological support with regular video or phone visits. We understand how you feel and we’re here for you. Our doctors and nurse practitioners are available now to help get you feeling better as soon as possible.

Our medical team will work with you to find the best anxiety medication for your unique situation, and we’ll monitor your dose to make sure it’s delivering the relief you need. Plus, we’ll offer lifestyle suggestions to jumpstart your anxiety treatment and healing process. Together, we can beat this. You’re not alone.

Antidepressant medications increase the activity of chemicals called neurotransmitters in the brain. Increasing the activity of the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine seems to help lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, the brain is a very complex organ and the reasons why these drugs work are not yet fully understood.

We do know that these drugs help to relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety in up to 70 per cent of people who try them. This rate is even higher when people who don’t get relief with one type of antidepressant try a second type.