<p>How do antidepressant drugs influence someone's personality?  Do they induce a major change in an individual's personality, or do they just negate the influence of depression?</p>

<p>Basically, is the personality of someone taking depressants the same as it would be if they were not subject to the causes of depression in the first place?</p>

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2014-11-03T05:20:50.237Z
`it often seems that the drugs tend to exceed this purpose by instilling in their user a sense of happiness and silliness.`  These are both very subjective terms, and I think you'd have a hard time defining them clinically.  Even if you take them on that limited merit, how is "happiness" exceeding the drugs purpose?
Chuck Sherrington
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2014-11-03T05:45:16.513Z
You're right, sorry - those terms are subjective.  What I am asking is whether the change in outwards behavior that results from taking antidepressants, whether increased happiness, excitement, or joy, is artificial or not.  Are those new qualities just a result of the drug releasing extra serotonin or are they the result of the user's natural behavior when not sad?
Alekxos
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2014-11-03T05:58:24.370Z
I've edited the question.  Hopefully it will be much clearer now.
Alekxos
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2014-11-03T06:27:06.397Z
Thanks for doing so. That's something that's at least answerable with somewhat more objective measures.
Chuck Sherrington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-24T22:47:55.367Z
This question is (still) both unclear - **what drugs?** (there are many kinds); what do you consider a **personality change**? - and too broad (the chain of possible effects is too long for the scope of SE answer. Read a book f you really care about this).
Tomáš Zato
<personality><depression><psychopharmacology>
Influence of antidepressant drugs upon personality
Alekxos
# Influence of antidepressant drugs upon personality

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-03)

How do antidepressant drugs influence someone's personality? Do they induce a major change in an individual's personality, or do they just negate the influence of depression?

Basically, is the personality of someone taking depressants the same as it would be if they were not subject to the causes of depression in the first place?

**Tags:** personality, depression, psychopharmacology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: `it often seems that the drugs tend to exceed this purpose by instilling in their user a sense of happiness and silliness.`  These are both very subjective terms, and I think you'd have a hard time defining them clinically.  Even if you take them on that limited merit, how is "happiness" exceeding the drugs purpose?  
> **username_0**: You're right, sorry - those terms are subjective.  What I am asking is whether the change in outwards behavior that results from taking antidepressants, whether increased happiness, excitement, or joy, is artificial or not.  Are those new qualities just a result of the drug releasing extra serotonin or are they the result of the user's natural behavior when not sad?  
> **username_0**: I've edited the question.  Hopefully it will be much clearer now.  
> **username_1**: Thanks for doing so. That's something that's at least answerable with somewhat more objective measures.  
> **username_2**: This question is (still) both unclear - **what drugs?** (there are many kinds); what do you consider a **personality change**? - and too broad (the chain of possible effects is too long for the scope of SE answer. Read a book f you really care about this).  

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