Lithium is a mood stabilizing drug that has been used to treat people with both bipolar disorder and depression for the last 50 years. It is available to the public by prescription in Canada and has been used by millions of people world wide. Paroxetine is an antidepressant drug that has been used to treat people with depression for the past 10 years. It is also available to the public by prescription in Canada and has been used by millions world wide.
Subjects who join the study, will be given one of the study drugs, either lithium or paroxetine.
Subjects will be randomized "like the flip of a coin" to receive either lithium or paroxetine.
The study drug will be taken once a day by mouth and the daily dose adjusted to find the right dose for the subject. The study drug will be taken for a 6-week period and subjects will be assessed by the research team on a weekly basis.