Antidepressants have offered hope and relief to millions of people suffering from depression and have saved tens of thousands of lives by preventing suicide. About two-thirds of people who are depressed will respond to any given antidepressant. Even if people don't respond to the first antidepressant they try, they will frequently respond to one with a different mode of action or to a combination of medications. What's more, antidepressants have proven effective at relieving a wide range of nondepressive disorders, including premenstrual syndrome, chronic pain syndromes, fibromyalgia, eating disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, and posttraumatic stress disorder - to name just a few. Like all so-called magic bullets, however, antidepressants have their drawbacks, they frequently cause side effects that leave people tired, woozy, and feeling like they're always "out of it." Other significant problems include weight gain; impotence; loss of sexual pleasure, desire, or orgasm; dry mouth; constipation; headaches; and gastrointestinal distress. Finally, antidepressants are not universally effective - only 60 to 70 percent of patients respond to even the most effective medications. Scientific literature classifies a successful response to antidepressant medication as a 50 percent or greater reduction of symptoms. Thus, antidepressant medications actually can be said to relieve only 50 percent of the symptoms in 60 to 70 percent of patients. A big help, yes. A stellar performance, no. The Antidepressant Survival Program is important because not only does it only reduce or eliminate side effects, but it also makes your medication work more effectively.