Annotated Bibliography

Primary Sources:

Basu, Suparna. Telephone interview. 15 Dec. 2019.

This primary source was an interview with a psychiatrist. It was helpful as she addressed my

questions pertaining both to Prozac/SSRIs in general and the impact of Prozac/SSRIs in modern

time. This psychiatrist was also able to give me a unique perspective of my topic, pertaining to

how she used Prozac/SSRIs in her practice.

Breggin, Peter R. Talking Back to Prozac.

This book explored the many unique aspects of Prozac, and the many viewpoints

regarding this

medication. The book also talked about the controversial issues with Prozac. It helped me

understand Prozac's popularity to a greater depth.

Carey, Benedict. "Antidepressants and Withdrawal : Readers Tell Their Stories." The New York Times,

17 Apr. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/04/17/health/antidepressants-withdrawal-readers.html.

Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

This source discussed how people underwent withdrawal when they were on

antidepressants, and

it was primary since it did this through small interviews with people on these

medications. In

particular, people discussed the unique withdrawal effects they received. This article

helped me
 better analyze the negative side to taking antidepressants, and how it impacted the users'

daily

life.

Carey, Benedict, and Robert Gebeloff. "Many People Taking Antidepressants Discover They Cannot

Quit." The New York Times, 7 Apr. 2018,

www.nytimes.com/2018/04/07/health/antidepressants-withdrawal-prozac-cymbalta.html.

Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

This article reviewed an interesting aspect of taking antidepressants - the difficulty of

trying to

stop taking them. This was a primary source because it told patients' personal stories

through

mini interviews, and these stories particularly pertained to the patients' hardships when

taking

antidepressants. This helped me explore the negative side to antidepressants more.

Gould, Hallie. "6 Women Discuss Their Honest Experiences With Antidepressants." Byrdie, 6 July

2019, www.byrdie.com/antidepressant-stories. Accessed 9 Dec. 2019.

This website was primary because it contained a list of brief interviews with women on

antidepressants. These women talked about their experiences with the medications,

regarding the

emotions they felt while on the medication, how performing daily tasks felt like, and how

their

family reacted to their mood disorder. This website helped me learn about the unique and
 personal impact of antidepressants on different individuals.

Kaushik, Saurabh. Telephone interview. 10 Nov. 2019.

This primary source was an interview with a psychiatrist. It was helpful as he

addressed my

questions pertaining to both Prozac/SSRIs in general and the impact of

Prozac/SSRIs in modern

time. This psychiatrist was also able to give me a unique perspective on my topic,

pertaining to

how he used Prozac/SSRIs in his practice.

Kaushik, Saurabh. Telephone interview. 15 Dec. 2019.

This primary source was an interview with a psychiatrist. It was helpful as he addressed

my

questions pertaining to both Prozac/SSRIs in general and the impact of Prozac/SSRIs in

modern

time. This psychiatrist was also able to give me a unique perspective on my topic,

pertaining to

how he used Prozac/SSRIs in her practice.

Kirsch, Irving. "Do Antidepressants Work?" Interview conducted by Peter Jaret. AARP, 7 May 2010,

www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-05-

2010/do_antidepressantswork.html. Accessed

14 Nov. 2019.

This source was primary as it was an interview with Irving Kirsch a lecturer in medicine who is

the Associate Director of the Program in Placebo Studies. He used to prescribe antidepressants
 frequently to patients, but upon conducting experiments on the effectiveness of antidepressants

compared to that of placebos, he found that antidepressants might not really treat depression.

This interview also gave me an interesting perspective showing that perhaps antidepressants are

not as effective as they were once perceived to be.

Kirsch, Irving. The Emperor's New Drugs. Unabridged ed., Ashland, Blackstone Audio, 2012.

This source was my most helpful source when studying the stigma concerning

antidepressants.

The book discussed in detail experiments and studies that had been done to show that

antidepressants are no more effective than placebo. This source enabled me to understand

why

the stigma around antidepressants existed to a much greater depth.

Kramer, Peter D. Listening to Prozac. 1993. Accessed 15 Jan. 2020.

This book was written by a psychiatrist who frequently prescribes Prozac. He wrote about

the

mood-lifting effects Prozac had on many of his patients, and what a difference the

medication

made in his career. Thus, this source helped me learn more about Prozac's impact.

Mateo, Ashley. "Women Are Ditching Their Antidepressants at Higher Rates Than Men—The Reasons

Are Complicated." Glamour ,

www.glamour.com/story/women-are-ditching-their-antidepressants-at-higher-

rates-than-men.

Accessed 19 Dec. 2019.

 This was a primary source because in it, the author not only told a brief story of her experience

with antidepressants, but also interviewed other women on their experiences with the

medications. This article was unique as it analyzed the reasons why around 60 % of

people on

antidepressants have decided to discontinue antidepressants, and why more women tend

to do it

more than men. It also offered a modern perspective on negative opinions towards my

topic.

Meng, Brittany. "My First Month of Antidepressants, and How I've Been Coping." The Mighty, 6 Apr.

2017, themighty.com/2017/04/first-month-of-antidepressants-personal-

experience/. Accessed 16

Dec. 2019.

This post was primary for it told a woman's personal story when taking antidepressants.

She

covered both the positive and negative sides to antidepressants, including the intense

moments

she had with them. This showed me that antidepressants are not perfect, and that the

journey

while taking them can be frustrating, regardless of the end goal.

Miller, Tessa. "9 Women on Their Experiences With Antidepressants." The Cut , 9 Jan. 2018. The Cut,

www.thecut.com/2018/01/9-women-on-their-experiences-with-

antidepressants.html. Accessed

22 Nov. 2019.
 This website was primary as it held a list of brief interviews with women on

antidepressants.

These women talked about their experiences with the medications, regarding the

emotions they

felt while on the medication, how performing daily tasks felt like, and how their family

reacted

to their mood disorder. This website helped me learn about the unique and personal

impact of antidepressants on different individuals.

Nesmith, Megan. "Antidepressants Changed My Life in Ways I Never Expected." Man Repeller , 3 Apr.

2018, www.manrepeller.com/2018/04/antidepressants-ssri-guide.html. Accessed 9

Dec. 2019.

This article was primary since it consisted of a women talking about how antidepressants

drastically impacted her life. Some aspects she discussed included her reason for taking

the

medication, the pain she was going through during her mood disorder, and how

antidepressants

eased her symptoms in a powerful manner. This website helped me learn about the

unique and

personal impact of antidepressants on an individual.

Orr, Deborah. "I Took My First Antidepressant This Week. The Effects Were Frightening." The

Guardian [Manchester ], 8 July 2017,

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/08/antidepressant-effects-

psychotherapy-mental-
 health-crisis-nhs. Accessed 9 Dec. 2019.

This news article was primary since in it, a woman told her story when taking

antidepressants.

She highlighted the unexpected, frightening effects of taking her antidepressant, while

also

describing the unusual perks of taking her antidepressant. This new, unique description of

antidepressants enabled me to understand them better.

Prozac: Revolution in a Capsule. New York Times,

www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000003127845/revolution-in-a-capsule.html. Accessed 21 Jan.

2020.

This documentary was extremely helpful for understanding Prozac's breakthrough as a

medication. Multiple reviews were conducted with Prozac authors, users, and doctors. I

learned

about both Prozac's psychiatric breakthrough and its marketing one.

"Sarafem Commercial." Youtube, 1999, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TPtuPt_5Uc. Accessed 21 Jan.

2020.

This was a helpful media source that I incorporated into my website. It was an

advertisement for

Sarafem, an SSRI, when it was originally created. This helped me understand my topic to

greater

depth.
Smrz, Kathryn. Email interview. 23 Nov. 2019.

This primary source was an interview with a geriatric doctor who frequently

prescribes

antidepressants such as SSRIs to her patients. It was helpful as she addressed my

questions

pertaining both to Prozac/SSRIs in general and the impact of Prozac/SSRIs in modern

time. This

psychiatrist was also able to give me a unique perspective on my topic in the geriatric

field,

pertaining to how she used Prozac/SSRIs in her practice.

SSRIs. Antidepressants and Anxiety, www.google.com/

This source gave me a good picture of SSRI pills. It taught me important information on

this category of antidepressants. This aided my project tremendously.

Turner, Matthew. "Antidepressants changed my life, so don't let the scare stories put you off." The

Independent , 16 Aug. 2016. Independent ,

www.independent.co.uk/voices/antidepressants-depression-mental-health-scare-

stories-dont-let-t

hem-put-you-off-a7192291.html. Accessed 9 Dec. 2019.

This article was primary because it consisted of a man telling his story about how

antidepressants

positively influenced his life. He particularly addressed the stigma surround

antidepressants, and
 contradicted it through his own experience. This website gave me more reasons to

support my

viewpoint that the benefits of antidepressants certainly outweigh the drawbacks.

Vine, Sarah. Interview. Sarah Vine Warns Us about the Side-Effects of Taking Antidepressants, This

Morning, 2018.

This source was primary because in it, a woman was interviewed on her general

opinion of

antidepressants. Many of the questions she was asked were directed on antidepressant

side

effects. This interview enabled me to understand the various side effects of

antidepressants,

including how they vary from person to person.

Library, Wellcome. Tricylic Antidepressants. Science Museum.

This source gave me a good picture of antidepressant pills. It taught me useful

information about these antidepressants. This aided my overall project significantly.

Wurtzel, Elizabeth. Prozac Nation. 2002.

This book was written by a women who took Prozac. She was astounded by the profound impact

Prozac had on her life. This book helped me understand Prozac's influence to a greater depth.

Secondary Sources:

Cagliostro, Dina. "Bipolar Disorder." Psycom, 2019, www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.html.

Accessed 13 Nov. 2019.

This was one of my sources that I used to comprehend bipolar disorder better. Bipolar

disorder
 is another common mood disorder, one that antidepressants treat the quite frequently.

This aided

me in my background research since understanding bipolar disorder to a greater depth

helped me

better understand how antidepressants function.

Cagliostro, Dina. "Depression." Psycom, 21 Oct. 2019, www.psycom.net/depression.central.html.

Accessed 13 Nov. 2019.

This was one of my sources that I used to comprehend depression better. Depression is a

very

common mood disorder, one that antidepressants treat the most often. This helped me in

my

background research since understanding depression to a greater depth helped me better

understand how antidepressants work.

Carter, Alan. "Prozac Overdose : What to Do." Healthline , 6 Feb. 2018,

www.healthline.com/health/can-you-overdose-on-prozac.

This source was one I used to familiarize with my specific medication that I am

researching -

Prozac. The article defined "Prozac overdose", cautioned readers on how to to prevent it,

and

instructed readers on what to do incase they ever witnessed Prozac overdose.

Understanding

more on how my medication could be dangerous if not used properly definitely

familiarized me
 with my narrow topic more.

Carter, Alan. "Prozac vs. Lexapro: What to Know About Each." Healthline , 1 Aug. 2016,

www.healthline.com/health/depression/prozac-lexapro. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

This source helped me learn important differences among SSRIs. It compared and

contrasted

Prozac (My narrow topic) and Lexapro (another popular SSRI). These differences made

me more

familiar with my specific medication, and the features that make it unique from other

SSRIs.

Chaves, Claudia, editor. "Fluoxetine Side Effects and Controversies." VerywellMind, 13 Aug. 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/fluoxetine-learn-how-prozac-works-2671743. Accessed

16 Dec. 2019.

This source taught me the possible side effects of Prozac that one could receive when

taking it.

No medication is perfect, including Prozac. This source helped me see that although

Prozac is a

very influential antidepressant, it is not the correct medication from everyone who suffers

mood disorder.

Dellwo, Adrienne. "Long-Term Use of Antidepressants." Edited by Grant Hughes. VerywellMind, 4 Feb.

2018, www.verywellmind.com/long-term-effects-of-antidepressants-4158064.

Accessed 14 Nov.

2019.
 This source was one I used to have a deeper understanding of antidepressants. It

acquainted me

with the long term effects of these medications. Some particular topics it discussed were

the

effect of antidepressants on blood sugar/diabetes, the brain, and weight.

Depression and Bipolar Disorders. Hank Green, Crash Course, 2014.

This was one of my sources that I used to comprehend depression and bipolar disorder, two of

the most common mood disorders, better. It went over the causes, symptoms, diagnosis,

and

treatment of these mood disorders. This helped me in my background research since

understanding these mood disorders to a greater depth helped me better understand how

antidepressants work.

DiMaria, Lauren. "Clinically Significant Depression Overview ." Edited by Steven Gans. VerywellMind,

1 Apr. 2018, www.verywellmind.com/clinically-significant-depression-1067143. Accessed 18

Nov. 2019.

This was one of my sources that I used to understand depression better. Depression is a very

common mood disorder, one that antidepressants treat the most often. This helped me in

my

background research since understanding depression to a greater depth helped me better

understand how antidepressants work.

Dunbar, Kathrine Read, editor. Antidepressants.

This book gave me a thorough understanding of many background aspects of

antidepressants. A
 unique feature about this source was that it presented intriguing experiments conducted

on

antidepressants. Comprehending these studies definitely broadened my knowledge of the

subject.

Fink, Jennifer. "Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors : What to Know." Edited by Darren Hein.

Healthline, 29 Sept. 2016, www.healthline.com/health/depression/selective-serotonin-reuptake-

inhibitors-ssris. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

This source taught me about SSRIs, the particular category of antidepressants that Prozac

is part

of. It specifically explained me how SSRIs work, what they treat, how to stay safe with

the

medication and the list of SSRIs. This source was helpful in my background research

because it

provided me with an excellent foundation on Prozac's antidepressant category.

Fitzpatrick, Laura. "A Brief History of Antidepressants ." TIME Magazine , 7 Jan. 2010,

content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1952143,00.html. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

This article explained the history of antidepressants to me. It discussed how

antidepressants were

invented, who invented them, and the setting in which they were discovered. This was

very

helpful for background research as it explained my broad topic, antidepressants, to much

more
 depth.

Gans, Steven. "Living with Bipolar Disorder." VerywellMind, 28 May 2018,

www.verywellmind.com/coping-with-bipolar-disorder-380189. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This source, additionally to explaining the basics of bipolar disorder, also explained how

to cope

with it. This source was great for background research as they not only mention

antidepressants,

but also explain other methods of treatment for bipolar disorder. This let me apprehend

the

particular role antidepressants play when treating bipolar disorder.

Gans, Steven. "An Overview of Bipolar Disorder ." VerywellMind , 28 May 2018,

www.verywellmind.com/bipolar-disorder-overview-378810. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This was one of my sources that I used to comprehend bipolar disorder better. Bipolar

disorder is a quite common mood disorder, one that antidepressants treat the most often.

This helped me in my background research since understanding bipolar disorder to a

greater depth helped me better understand how antidepressants work.

Gans, Steven. "SSRIs or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors." VerywellMind, 13 Sept. 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/list-of-ssris-380594. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

This source gave me a greater understanding on SSRIs. It helped me learn how SSRIs

work,

what they treat, what cautions the medication has, and why SSRIs tend to be more

effective than
 other antidepressants. This source was helpful in my background research because it

provided

me with an excellent foundation on Prozac's antidepressant category.

Gans, Steven. "Symptoms and Diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder." VerywellMind, 28 May 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/bipolar-disorder-symptoms-and-diagnosis-379962. Accessed 18 Nov.

2019. This was one of my sources that I used to apprehend bipolar disorder better. This article

primarily described the symptoms and diagnosis of bipolar disorder. As this mood disorder is

one that is often treated by antidepressants, learning about bipolar disorder helped me in my

background research since understanding bipolar disorder to a greater depth helped me better

understand how antidepressants work.

Gans, Steven. "Treating Bipolar Disorder." VerywellMind, 28 May 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/treating-bipolar-disorder-3576129. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This source, additionally to explaining the basics of bipolar disorder, also explained how

to cope

with it. This source was great for background research as they not only mention

antidepressants,

but also explain alternate ways to recover from bipolar disorder. This let me apprehend

the

particular role antidepressants play when treating bipolar disorder.

Gans, Steven. "Understanding the Causes of Bipolar Disorder." VerywellMind , 28 May 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/what-causes-bipolar-disorder-378711. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This was one of my sources that I used to apprehend bipolar disorder better. This article
 primarily described the causes of bipolar disorder. As this mood disorder is one that is

often

treated by antidepressants, learning about bipolar disorder helped me in my background

research

since understanding bipolar disorder to a greater depth helped me better understand how

antidepressants work.

Gans, Steven. "An Overview of the Treatments for Depression." VerywellMind , 15 Nov. 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/treatments-for-depression-1065502. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This source, additionally to explaining the basics of depression also explained how to

cope with

it. This source was great for background research as it not only mentions antidepressants,

but

also explains other methods of treatment for bipolar disorder. This let me apprehend the

particular role antidepressants play when treating bipolar disorder.

Gans, Steven. "8 Tips for Living With Depression." VerywellMind , 1 Apr. 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/tips-for-living-with-depression-1066834. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This article discussed different ways to treat depression. Although it did not discuss

medications,

it explained the other treatment options carefully. This helped me learn about the specific

role

antidepressants play in aiding depression, as they by themselves do not cure depression

fully.
Gans, Steven. "Causes and Risk Factors of Depression" ["Causes and Risk Factors of Depression"].

VerywellMind , 25 Sept. 2019, www.verywellmind.com/common-causes-of-depression-1066772.

Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This source talked about the multiple causes of depression. One main cause it discussed

was the

relation between depression and the brain's lack of serotonin. As this is the main idea

surrounding why antidepressants were invented, this article was very beneficial when I

was

conducting my research.

Gans, Steven. "7 Most Common Types of Depression." VerywellMind, 18 July 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/common-types-of-depression-1067313. Accessed 18 Nov.

2019.

This source provided me with better insight on the multiple subsets of depression. I

compared

and contrasted each category. Understanding the wide spectrum of depressive disorders

enabled

me to expand my knowledge on the part antidepressants play when aiding the treatment

of these

illnesses.

Gans, Steven. "Symptoms of Clinical Depression ." VerywellMind, 17 Oct. 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/top-depression-symptoms-1066910. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This source talked about the many symptoms of depression. By scrutinizing these

symptoms
 carefully, I was able to understand better how antidepressants became so skilled at

treating these

symptoms. Thus, this source enabled me to better connect antidepressants to the problem

they

are trying to fix.

Gans, Steven. "Updates to the DSM-5 and How We Diagnose Depression." VerywellMind , 12 Nov.

2019, www.verywellmind.com/dsm-5-and-diagnosis-of-depression-1066916. Accessed 18 Nov.

2019.

This was one of my sources that I used to better understand depression. Depression is a

very common mood disorder, one that antidepressants treat the most frequently. This

aided me in my background research since understanding depression to a greater depth

helped me better understand how antidepressants function.

Godhill, Olivia. "30 years after Prozac arrived, we still buy the lie that chemical imbalances cause

depression." Quartz [New York City], qz.com/1162154/30-years-after-prozac-arrived-we-still-

buy-the-lie-that-chemical-imbalances-cause-depression/. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

This source analyzed the multiple theories of what causes depression. The main theory it

discussed was how many believe depression to be caused by a lack of serotonin in the

brain. I used this source to help me gain a better understanding of this particular theory.

Ho, Andrea. "Prozac v.s. Zoloft : Uses and More." Healthline , 10 Aug. 2016,

www.healthline.com/health/depression/prozac-zoloft. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

This source helped me understand the different features of various SSRIs. It compared

and contrasted Prozac (My narrow topic) and Zoloft (another well-known SSRI). These

comparisons made me more familiar with my specific medication, and the features that
 make it distinct from other SSRIs.

Legg, Timothy. Healthline Medical Network. "A Guide to Common Antidepressant Side Effects."

Healthline, 4 Dec. 2018, www.healthline.com/health/antidepressant-side-effects. Accessed 11

Nov. 2019.

This source taught me the possible side effects of antidepressants that one could receive

when taking them. No medications are perfect, including antidepressants. This source

helped me see that although antidepressants are very useful medications, they are not the

correct medication from everyone who suffers a mood disorder.

“MAOI - What Everyone Ought to Know About MAOI.” Undepress. Accessed 17 Dec. 2019.

https://undepress.net/maoi-what-everybody-ought-to-know-about-maoi/

This source included a helpful image on MAOIs. It gave me a basic understanding of

MAOIs.

This helped me explain previous antidepressants in my website.

Monroe, Judy. Antidepressants. Enslow Publishers, 1997.

This book gave me a thorough knowledge of multiple background aspects of

antidepressants. In particular, it discussed the types of antidepressants available, how

antidepressants can drastically impact one's state of mental health, and what

characteristics would make one antidepressant better for someone than another. This

information helped me conclude how essential antidepressants are in the course of

treating depression.

"Mood Disorder Symptoms, Causes, and Effects." Psychguides.com, American Addiction Centers,

2019, www.psychguides.com/mood-disorders/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

This was a source I used to gain a better understanding of mood disorders in general. I
 looked at this source because I knew that antidepressants are made to treat various types

of mood disorders. This helped me in my background research since understanding mood

disorders to a greater depth helped me better understand how antidepressants work.

Morin, Amy. "The 5 Major Classes of Antidepressants." VerywellMind , 23 Nov. 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/what-are-the-major-classes-of-antidepressants-1065086.

Accessed 16

Dec. 2019.

This article helped me when I was researching basic background information on

antidepressants. It discussed the similarities and differences between the five

major types of antidepressants. This article paved the way for me to choose the

subset of antidepressants that I would like to study further - SSRIs.

Mukhergee, Siddhartha. "The Science and History of Treating Depression ." The New York Times, 19

Apr. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/magazine/the-science-and-history-of-treating-

depression.html. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

This article discussed the history of various types of depression treatment. A heavy

emphasis was placed on the topic I am studying - antidepressants. This source was

extremely helpful for me when connecting antidepressants to how they broke barriers in

medical history.

Myers, Lisa. “Understanding Antidepressant Withdrawal.” Living With CFS and Fibromyalgia.

Accessed 17 Dec. 2019. http://livingwithcfs.com/understanding-antidepressant-withdrawal/

 This source had a helpful antidepressant image that I embedded into my site. It talked

about

using antidepressants for the conditions of CFS and Fibromyalgia. This source gave me a

unique

perspective on my topic.

"Patient Drug Information From Mass Media Sources." Psychiatric Times , 1 May 2002,

www.psychiatrictimes.com/cultural-psychiatry/patient-drug-information-mass-media-

sources/page/0/1. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

This brief article went over multiple ways that Prozac's invention impacted history. Some

examples it included were how Prozac impacted depression treatment in general, how

Prozac influenced pop culture, and how Prozac did more as a drug than simply raise one's

serotonin levels. This source was very helpful when I was connecting Prozac's invention

to breaking barriers in history.

Purse, Marcia. "How Reuptake Inhibitor Drugs Work in Different Ways." Edited by Amy Morrin.

VerywellMind, 1 July 2019, www.verywellmind.com/snris-and-ssnris-380183. Accessed 14 Nov.

2019.

This source taught me about reuptake inhibitors - this defines certain antidepressants

categories, including SSRIs. This article particularly described how reuptake inhibitors

work to effectively treat mood disorders, by raising the levels of serotonin in the brain.

This source was helpful in my background research because it helped me understand how

my

type of antidepressants (such as Prozac) function.

Schimelpfening, Nancy. "Beyond Prozac - the Most Commonly Prescribed Antidepressants." Edited by

Steven Gans. VerywellMind, 7 Sept. 2019, www.verywellmind.com/most-common-

antidepressants-1066939. Accessed 13 Nov. 2019.

This article aided me when I was researching basic background information on

antidepressants. It compared and contrasted the five major types of antidepressants. This

article paved the way for me to select the category of antidepressants that I would like to

study further - SSRIs.

Schimelpfening, Nancy. "The Chemistry of Depression." VerywellMind, 1 Nov. 2019,

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-chemistry-of-depression-1065137. Accessed 14 Nov.

2019.

This source analyzed the causes of depression. It particularly explained the chemical

reasons of

depression, such as chemical imbalances in the brain and neurotransmitters. This gave me

better understanding of Serotonin, which is the main neurotransmitter my medication,

SSRIs,

works to influence.

Gans, Steven. "7 Most Common Types of Depression." VerywellMind, 18 July 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/common-types-of-depression-1067313. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This source provided me with better insight on the multiple subsets of depression. I

compared

and contrasted each category. Understanding the wide spectrum of depressive disorders

enabled
 me to expand my knowledge on the part antidepressants play when aiding the treatment

of these

illnesses.

Gans, Steven. "Symptoms of Clinical Depression ." VerywellMind, 17 Oct. 2019,

www.verywellmind.com/top-depression-symptoms-1066910. Accessed 18 Nov. 2019.

This source talked about the many symptoms of depression. By scrutinizing these

symptoms carefully, I was able to understand better how antidepressants became so

skilled at

treating these symptoms. Thus, this source enabled me to better connect antidepressants

to the

problem they are trying to fix.

Gans, Steven. "Updates to the DSM-5 and How We Diagnose Depression." VerywellMind , 12 Nov.

2019, www.verywellmind.com/dsm-5-and-diagnosis-of-depression-1066916. Accessed 18 Nov.

2019.

This was one of my sources that I used to better understand depression. Depression is a

very common mood disorder, one that antidepressants treat the most frequently. This

aided me in my background research since understanding depression to a greater depth

helped me better understand how antidepressants function.

University of Illinois-Chicago Drug Information Group. "Fluoxetine, Oral Capsule." Edited by

University of Illinois-Chicago Drug Information Group. Healthline, , 17 May 2019,

www.healthline.com/health/fluoxetine-oral-capsule. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

This source gave me basic information on the specific medication I would be studying,

Prozac. Some elements it discussed included what dosages Prozac came in, possible side
 effects of the drug, and what mental disorders it was intended to treat. This provided me

with an understanding of Prozac in comparison to other SSRIs and antidepressants.

Wilson, Claire. "Nobody can agree about antidepressants. Here's what you need to know.”

www.newscientist.com/article/mg23931980-100-nobody-can-agree-about-antidepressants-heres-

what-you-need-to-know/. Accessed 16 Dec. 2019.

This report provided a unique opinion on both the function and impact of

antidepressants. The two topics it highlighted were why experts disagree about

antidepressants, and what the real truth is on these medications. Reading this article

provided me with an intriguing idea of where the truth lies with antidepressants

in general, their purpose, and their influence.

Tertiary Sources:

"Mood disorders." World of Health, Gale, 2000. Gale In Context: Science,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CV2191500857/SCIC?u=scho17376&sid=SCIC&xid=5b9785b2.

Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

This was a source I used to understand what mood disorders were better. I looked at this

source because I knew that antidepressants are made to treat various types of mood

disorders. This helped me in my background research since understanding mood

disorders to a greater depth helped me better understand how antidepressants work.

"Obsessive Compulsive Disorder." World of Scientific Discovery, Gale, a Cengage Company, 2007.

Gale In Context: Science,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/CV1648500430/SCIC?u=scho17376&sid=SCIC&xid=1d0bbe07.

Accessed 25 Dec. 2019.

 This was one of my sources that I used to comprehend Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

better. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder that antidepressants

frequently treat. This helped me in my background research since understanding bipolar

disorder to a greater depth helped me better understand how antidepressants work.

Ross-Flanigan, Nancy, and Rebecca J. Frey. "Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors." The Gale

Encyclopedia of Medicine, edited by Jacqueline L. Longe, 5th ed., Gale, 2015. Gale In Context:

Science,

https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/QFPXPA552735323/SCIC?u=scho17376&sid=SCIC&xid=8174d

052. Accessed 11 Nov. 2019.

This source helped me better understand SSRIs. It helped me learn how SSRIs work,

what they treat, what cautions the medication has, and why SSRIs tend to be more

effective than other antidepressants. This source was helpful in my background research

because it gave me a lot of useful background knowledge on Prozac's antidepressant

category.