Archive for February, 2010
PMDD is not the only mental disorder that can be treated with Zoloft. There are many kinds of syndromes that Zoloft
have been approved to treat. These syndromes include eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Although Zoloft would probably be just as effective in treating these syndromes, the companies that own them have
done extensive research to find a niche for their drug. Thus Zoloft is also approved for social phobia simply because the company that owns them has done the clinical studies proving it is effective and therefore should be licensed for it. Indeed, there seems to be no end to syndrome niche markets in which Zoloft can be effective.
There are now efforts to market Zoloft as treatments for kleptomania (strong desire to shoplift), addiction, and even weight loss.
How can Zoloft be taken for so many different disorders?
The most likely reason is because all of these syndromes stem from similar mood imbalances. People who are depressed
often begin behaving in a certain way in an effort to control their feelings of unhappiness. For instance, kleptomania is characterized as an impulse control disorder, where someone feels the need to steal to subjugate (win control over) feelings
of anxiety. Many eating disorders also stem from anxiety and depression, which are funneled into obsessions about
eating and thinness. Another odd syndrome that has roots in depression is trichotillomania, the compulsion to pull one’s
hair out until the affected person has bald spots on his or her head. The hair-pulling behavior is a manifestation of anxiety and depression, a bizarre habit that can distract and also comfort, even though feelings of disgust may haunt the person while they are doing it. The fact that treatment with Zoloft seems to alleviate the need to pull hair indicates that the
behavior comes from mood imbalances related to serotonin.