My freelance writing gig–Suite101–which was formerly raped by Google search algorithms, is trying to refashion itself into a sustainable business model. I dunno if it will work and I’ll actually start seeing more money, but I decided to start writing for them again. If anything, it’s a good hub for my more serious writing.

I also decided to concentrate on writing about drugs and Health & Wellness, since I’m technically a health care professional and all that jazz.

I’m normally not big on asking people to promote my stuff, but I do get a portion of ad revenue over there. So please, if you think an article is interesting, retweet and shit (there’s a button on the actual article):

Tianeptine: The Antidepressant that Reduces Serotonin

Everyone has seen that Zoloft commercial—the one with the bouncing, white bubble, a cartoon parable about escaping depression to reclaim a formerly emotionally disrupted life. With its multiple parodies and wide-recognition, the Zoloft cartoon permeated the cultural zeitgeist and brought a mainstream awareness to antidepressant drugs. It famously referred to depression as a “chemical imbalance.”

Introduced by Pfizer in 1991, Zoloft (sertraline) became the next major Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) after Prozac (fluoxetine) and heralded a new age of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of major depressive disorder. With these new drugs came a revamped model for depression treatment, which revolved around the neurotransmitter that has almost become synonymous with happiness: serotonin.

Serotonin is a complicated chemical with a variety of somatic functions. It has receptors in several different bodily systems and the exact mechanism for creating happiness is unknown. What is known about SSRIs is that by inhibiting reuptake or reabsorption of serotonin in the brain, they increase the levels of serotonin.

But there is a class of drugs, also considered antidepressants, which have the opposite mechanism as SSRIs. They are a class titled “selective serotonin reuptake enhancers” or SSREs. Of these drugs that reduce serotonin rather than increase it, there is exactly one that has been manufactured and marketed. It’s available in Europe and it’s called tianeptine…

Read more at Suite101: Tianeptine: The Antidepressant that Reduces Serotonin | Suite101.com http://suite101.com/article/tianeptine–the-antidepressant-that-reduces-serotonin-a409726#ixzz205sp2NNV