system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How exactly can a medication cause "suicidal thoughts or actions" in a person with an otherwise normal mental state?
gpt
They generally are not talking about "normal" people. And for many drugs with this warning it is not understood. In the case of antidepressants, it is sometimes thought of like this: When someone is extremely depressed, they have very little energy, they sleep a lot, and in general lack the drive or inspiration to do much of anything. They are bottomed out. But if they start taking an antidepressant and improve a bit, they gain just enough motivation to do something. In the severely depressed, that something may be suicide. Under this theory, it's thought that the risk of suicide is highest early in treatment because as the antidepressant therapy continues, mood improves and you will no longer be thinking about suicide.