Posted by Viridis on April 12, 2003, at 3:09:40
In reply to Re: Klonopin works for unipolar depression, posted by Questionmark on April 12, 2003, at 1:28:56
It's pretty clear that there are many causes and kinds of depression (nothing new there); some respond positively to treatment with certain benzos, some negatively, some not at all. Klonopin definitely alleviates anxiety-induced depression for me, and this is the worst kind of depression that I experience, so K is the best AD I've found. Xanax also has powerful antidepressant effects for me (perhaps even better than Klonopin). Various peer-reviewed papers have been cited in previous posts here that support the use of benzos as ADs for some people.
If your depression has a different biochemical basis, then of course benzos may be ineffective or even detrimental. It's no different from the range in responses that people experience to different "true" ADs. Even with benzos, I experience bouts of what is (for me) a milder, more "lethargic" form of depression which is best treated with amphetamines. SSRIs, SNRIs, etc. are great for some people, but those I've tried have been terrible for me.
Depression (even when restricted to the "unipolar" type) is much too complex a subject for generalizations, because it's extremely unlikely that it represents a single condition with a single cause.
poster:Viridis
thread:218635
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030411/msgs/218732.html