Are too many young people taking too many anti-depression meds?

[Philosoraptor]

How many Americans are currently taking or have taken psychotropic drugs?

How many young people have been medicated with their parent's approval at the urging of their child's teachers and counselors?

Do you know anyone taking these types of meds, or are you taking them?

Is your experience positive or negative?

Are we all too doped up on depression meds? Why are we all popping depression pills?

Have you been taking anti-depression meds for over ten years? Ritalin? Zoloft?

While we tell our kids to stay away from street drugs and marijuana, we fill them up with a cocktail of feel good pills. Is this counterproductive?

I think we should discuss it.

[cassiepriam]

1. Doesn't sound like you want a discussion. You have already made up your mind?

[Philosoraptor]

2. I have an opinion for sure.

And some personal experience, although I've never done any of these meds, my two nephews did. My kids didn't.

[donheld]

12. Well Mr. Your not allowed to have an opinion till we give you one

:D :hide:

[MadHound]

3. IMHO, from what I've seen and the knowledge I've gained from people in the MH field

Yes, way too many children, teenagers, young adults and even adults are on either ADHD or anti-depression medication. It has become increasingly all too common for people, rather than having their problems dealt with by therapy and non-medicinal means, simply to have a prescription wrote out and filled.

ADHD is being over diagnosed, and Ritalin and other such drugs are being over prescribed. A child who exhibits any sort of persistent behavior problem, or just the smallest amount of energy beyond the norm is diagnosed as ADHD and drugged to the gills.

It is the easy way out, and it is going to haunt us for a long while.

[Kelly Rupert]

34. Stop conflating ADD and anti-depression medication.

Totally, totally different issues.

[MadHound]

53. I'm not,

But thanks for jumping down my throat anyway:eyes:

[Kelly Rupert]

54. Yeah, you are.

Question: Are too many young people taking too many anti-depression meds?

Answer: Yes, way too many children, teenagers, young adults and even adults are on either ADHD or anti-depression medication...ADHD is being over diagnosed, and Ritalin and other such drugs are being over prescribed. A child who exhibits any sort of persistent behavior problem, or just the smallest amount of energy beyond the norm is diagnosed as ADHD and drugged to the gills.

You were asked about anti-depression meds, and in your response addressed depression/ADHD as a joint issue, and then supported that by attacking the rationale for ADHD drugs. If that ain't conflating the two, I'm not sure what it is.

[MadHound]

58. If you also look at the OP

You will notice that they were also asking about psychotropic drugs, had mentioned Ritalin and antidepressant meds. I was answering their post in a broad based way, and somehow this offends you. I really don't know what your beef is, but again, thanks for trying to rip me a new one for no damn good reason.

Tell you what, perhaps you should take a deep breath, calm the fuck down and let people have a calm discussion amongst themselves rather than jumping in and ripping people on what are essentially style points. I really don't know what your problem is, but you're getting rather annoying and if you continue in this vein, you're not going to win many friends around here.

[Hangingon]

48. I have agree ADD and ADHD are way over diagnosed.

And the answer always seems to be some kind of med. How deep is the stigma of taking an anti-depressant drug? Does it follow you thru your life? Will it? Someday this may keep these kids from jobs or security clearances or getting insurance.

[Berry Cool]

4. I haven't, but I can tell you this much.

They are lifesavers for some people.

I don't think "we all" are taking them, but some people are, and they are making both negative and positive differences.

Different medications are different for different people. SSRIs, for example, don't "dope you up," if by "doping up" you mean rendering someone woozy or impaired in function, which is what I think of.

Nor are they "feel good pills." They don't so much make people "feel good" as take the extremity away from "feeling bad." As in, they won't make a person instantly happy, nor render that person permanently happy or insensate to things that would make a normal person unhappy. What they will do is make the unhappy feelings proportional and bearable, rather than disproportionate and unbearable.

Example: Let's say you're in college and you're clinically depressed and you are on an SSRI. You fail a test in one of your classes.

Without the SSRI, your reaction might be "Oh God, I failed a test. I'm going to fail the course, and then I'm going to fail all my courses, and flunk out of school, and have to go home, and be a nobody the rest of my life. I might as well kill myself now."

With the SSRI, your reaction might be "Oh God, I failed a test. If I don't do something, I'm going to fail the course. I'd better go to my professor and try to get some help so I can make sure I do better next time."

See? PROPORTIONATE response. Response that makes things BETTER, not worse. Response that results in constructive ACTION to resolve problems, not and endless cycle of despair thoughts.

Or your SO might break up with you. Reaction without SSRI: "I can't live without this person. I will never find anyone else. I am going to sit in my room alone all day in the dark and cry." Reaction with SSRI: "It hurts like hell, and I cry every day. But I still get up and go to class. I still let my friends comfort me. I'm trying to get through every day until things get better."

Of course, the great irony--and what makes headlines--is that SSRIs can actually MAKE people, especially young people, suicidal. Brain chemistry is an inexact science. And not every SSRI is right for every person. It's a matter of trying to find the right one in the right dosage for the person. If someone is on one that is making them feel worse instead of better, they should wean away from it and ask for something else and keep trying until they find a good one.

SSRIs also don't work right away. It takes a while for them to build up in the system and have an effect, and for the effect to go away, too.

Not everyone needs them for life, either. For some, they are like crutches that can be thrown away when the broken leg heals.

I think they're a useful tool for people with problems. Overuse or inappropriate use is an issue, but so is misunderstanding what they do in the first place, and gathering all your knowledge of them from sensationalized newspaper and magazine articles.

[FloridaJudy]

15. I have, and it makes all the difference in the world

I take them for chronic pain. Without them, I'd be either so incapacitated with pain, I'd be good for nothing, or so doped up on opiates I could barely function. I'm on one of the older meds; unlike most SSRI's, they have the effect of raising the pain threshold dramatically.

The side effects are unpleasant, and believe me I'd rather not have to take them. But the few times I ran out, I was back in the doctor's office within a week, screaming. Literally.

[bluethruandthru]

71. Great Answer!

It's nice to see someone get it right for a change. Too many people equate anti-depressants with being given Happy Pills. You've described it perfectly...although I doubt many people will take the time to try and understand the difference.
They'll just jump on the "too many people are given drugs to solve their problems" bandwagon.

[malaise]

5. Simple answer

Yes.

[DCKit]

6. My older sister, already a sketchy personality, has been on and off every new mood drug for years.

Her moods, weight and general mental state have been all over the map since she began her pharmaceutical oddessy. While she's only three years older, her hair went completely silver five years ago. The last time I saw her, she seemed to have settled into a drug-dulled, zombie-like state of depression.

When I first began to notice the changes and found out what was going on, I did some research and found wildly differing theories on the 'nets about the effect of the various drugs she was taking. What disturbed me most was the information on several of the newer drugs and the physical and chemical changes they were rumored to cause to the brain. I went through all the information on each of the trendy drugs and when Patrick Kennedy said Ambien or Zoloft (or whatever the hell he was taking) + alcohol was responsible for his driving incident, I felt immediately he was telling the truth.

I was visiting one evening before a trip we were to take the next day and complained of a backache. She gave me three, different TINY little pills (what the hell, they were little, itty-bitty things) and I was stoned for two full days afterward. Scared the shit out of me.

The thing that really gets My Pet Goat, she called building management and the police repeatedly on the kids across the hall 'cause she could smell their smoke. In the meantime, she's got a pharmacy in her filing cabinet. Yeah, filing cabinet. It wouldn't fit in the bathroom cabinets.

Nancy Reagan, you got some 'splainin to do.

DCKit (not affiliated with Big Pharma)

[JTFrog]

7. Schools/Dr.'s have been trying to put

my three teenage boys on meds since they were in elementary school. The diagnosis? ADHD.

I refused for most of their lives. When one of my boys turned 16 he insisted that I take the doctor's advice. They put him on everything from Ritalin, Strattera, Adderal. Every single medication they put him on made him angry and violent. He would talk about wanting to kill his teacher. Obviously I took him straight off everytime he acted like this or mentioned feeling unusually aggravated.

So then one of his doctors suggested that he may be bi-polar and not ADHD and started talking about some seriously heavy drugs that I just couldn't even begin to imagine putting in my child's mouth.

I ended up getting better results from counseling and increasing omega-3's in their diet.

When I was in school, I remember boys being boys. They couldn't sit still at their desks and would run around like crazed wannabe superheros during recess. Why are they trying to subdue our children into little obedient zombies? I don't have problems with my boys at home like they have at school, so it's really difficult to judge whether I'm making the right decisions for them. I don't want them to struggle all their lives, but I don't want them being turned into walking time bombs either.

[DCKit]

9. Many of these mental health issues began right about the time many schools cancelled recess

There's something seriously wrong with expecting children to sit at a desk all day. God knows that's all they may have to look forward to in adulthood, so LET THEM PLAY!!!!

[SmokingJacket]

70. And for depression, exercise is BETTER than drugs:

Duke study:

http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2000/09/exercise922.html

Of course, *severely* depressed people can't even get out of bed, let alone exercise -- and in my opinion, ONLY those severe or suicidal patients should be taking those drugs. They aren't candy -- they're powerful drugs we only barely understand.

Human beings did not evolve to be sedentary.

There is also evidence that exercise helps ADHD:

http://www.acalogic.com/ritalin.htm

[bleedingheart]

20. did your children ever get a proper diagnosis?

To determine if someone is bi-polar or even ADHD...any mental health professional worth their degree...will put the individual through a battery of tests and have you fill out a bunch of forms of questionnaires about their behavior.

In my opinion, no pediatrician should just randomly diagnose a mental illness..the patient should be referred to the proper mental health professionals.

[JTFrog]

23. There were diagnosed

ADHD by everyone that they ever came into contact with. Their physicians, their psychiatrists, psychologists and school psychologists. It was the last school psychologist that suggested one of my son's may be bi-polar and talked to me about different medications including lithium.

edited to add: the school psychologist cannot prescribe medication, she was just telling me about her experiences with different medications available.

[JTG of the PRB]

25. I was diagnosed as bipolar.

So was my sister. I was labeled a bipolar with depressive tendencies, while my sister was a bipolar with manic tendencies. Both labels seemed to fit, but after my mom decided to change my psychiatrist, we found out that the guy who initially diagnosed me and my sister diagnoses just about EVERYBODY as being bipolar.

Don't get my wrong, I fit the symptoms. Mood swings, streaks of depression consistently lasting days, suicidal thoughts... I was diagnosed during my junior year of high school. To say that life was crazy (not to mention hormones) would be the understatement of the century. Still, I was on prescription meds (Tegretol and Welbutrin - or their cheaper, generic versions) for nearly five years.

The last pills I took were about a week after my college graduation last May, a day before the last time I went to a psychiatrist. Since that last meeting, I haven't taken a single pill. This is a pretty big step, seeing as i was taking about six pills a day (1000mg of Tegretol, 150mg of Welbutrin). It's been 11 months.

I think we have the tendency to over-diagnose children in this country, and to try to fix their often non-existent problems by over-medicating them. Do some children have problems? Absolutely, and they need to be treated... but I think there are far more children who are diagnosed when a diagnosis isn't needed.

[Threedifferentones]

62. Man I could not agree more

Children are genetically to programmed to want to run around, socialize, and just explore everything they can. It seems insane to me that we force them to sit still for seven hours a day, especially since they spend alot of that time memorizing facts given to them out of context, which they will quickly forget if they ever bother to learn them at all. I mean for 12 straight years my teachers taught us the same damn American history facts every year, and each new year most of the kids would have forgotten since the last. The same thing was true for science as well, learning how biologists classify living things EVERY YEAR, and I can't remember any of it really. IMO school for kids up until highschool should consist of 3-4 of reading, writing and math instruction and then 3-4 hours where they can just play and socialize in a monitored environment, maybe with some structured activities for the kids that want them.

BTW I am not trying to say that knowledge of history, biology or any other subject isn't valuable to everyone. In fact I will be graduatin in a year with BA in history. But, the BS I learned in primary school hasn't been much use to me; back then teachers made us memorize names and dates without hardly touching on the significance of or connections between them. So, kids knew the American Civil War was fought between 1860-65, but the best explanation they could give as to WHY it happened was the ridiculously simple "because of slavery," as if most northerners back then gave a rats ass about the lives of slaves in the south.

[notadmblnd]

8. No meds here for me or my son

there's no abuse neglect or anger either. I do remember a Dr wanted to put one of my nieces on ADD meds once because the child wouldn't settle down at night and go to sleep. My sister started getting her up at the crack of dawn and filling her day with activities outside, hiking, biking, swimming. It got to the point that they would get home at night and the child would be ready for sleep before dinner.

[donheld]

13. Your niece probably isn't fighting with her weight like all the kids on

These drugs. She's probably happier too.

[lizerdbits]

10. I took a tricyclic as a teen

I was in therapy for years for severe depression and it didn't help. Six weeks on meds and I was much improved. I was on them for about 15 years but the physical side effects continued to get worse so I was WEANED off them (stopping suddenly is not recommended). I have not had depression issues in the last several years.

I used to work with a guy who was on meds for depression and anxiety (he's mid-20's). He stopped taking them because he felt great and assumed he didn't need them anymore (I have an aunt who's done this with antidepressants multiple times and always crashes). He then began showing up for work smelling like alcohol (when he actually showed up) and eventually was told by co workers to quit before getting fired. He's moving back in with his mother soon since he now has no income.

Point being that these medications are helpful in many cases when used as directed (i.e. not suddenly stopped without medical oversight). There will always be those who have bad reactions to some medications. When I was taking meds it was a requirement to be in therapy for at least a year, otherwise the doctor would not write the prescription. I doubt all doctors do that but I honestly don't know.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

11. Have never taken any of these types of drugs

Personally, I have found that meditation and use of sound therapy can help when I feel depressed. There are ways of entraining the brain via sound that have been shown to have beneficial effects without side effects.

[Kelly Rupert]

32. Too many people don't have a clue what depression is.

It irritates me when people say "Oh, I feel depressed from time to time and I don't need drugs." Unless you've been clinically diagnosed, you really haven't. Might as well say, "Oh, I feel diabetic from time to time and I don't need insulin."

[Morrisons Ghost]

14. My wife was DX'd as bipolar 2

about 1 year ago and she has had both positive and one very negative experience with anti-depressants.Her first Pdoc recklessly prescribed anti-depressants after talking to her all of 10 minutes and the wrong dosage to boot.Along with not prescribing a good mood stabilizer{that people with bp desperately need}Within a week she completely lost it laid in bed for 3 days straight and did nothing but cry and sleep along with cutting herself.I beleive that a doctor should be well versed in anti-depressants and the side effects that could occur along with them.We finally found a Pdoc who specialized in mood disorders and she has gotten much better and easier to deal with as the meds have been adjusted. So to answer your question I think only a Pdoc who specializes in mood disorders should be allowed to prescribe them.There are also in my experience 2 different kinds of depression,situational and a true brain chemical imbalance.The latter pretty much requires drugs to remedy,situational depression we all have at one time or another and IMO probably is medicated far too often.MG

[lizerdbits]

17. I was given a medication based on symptoms

I went to a psychopharmacologist who gave meds based on symptoms- fitting what drug works with certain symptoms. I was very lucky because the first one I tried worked. The kicker is he doesn't deal with insurance because he doesn't want to be limited in what he can do. I was fortunate enough to have parents who could afford to take me to him, obviously not everyone has that financial option. I'm glad your wife had luck with a more specialized professional.

I mostly agree with your comments on situational depression. We'll all have that when a friend or family member dies, or other bad things that happen to most of us at some point. However I think some people may be more prone to fall into a serious depression that may eventually require medication when something like that occurs. If you're getting therapy for, say, a spouse or child dying and after a certain period of time (I don't know how long specifically since I haven't experienced either, perhaps a few years?) there could be a possibility that medications might be necessary. But I'm not a doctor so maybe I'm wrong.

[Bluebear]

16. "Doped up on depression meds" indicates a sad bias, these are lifesavers for many nt

[melnjones]

18. What I don't like about your post

is that you fail to speak about those of us who do need psychotropic meds and use them responsibly. Just had to say that...would say more but I don't have time. Perhaps will come back here later.

[bleedingheart]

19. From my own personal family experience

My son has Aspergers, OCD and suffers from depression.

Until we got the diagnosis...

Our kids mean the world to us. My son was a happy baby..he was sweet demeanored, but always a bit fussy. He would stop toddling down the hall to adjust his socks. He would never walk without socks or shoes and he had the ability to just stay focused on one thing for hours. We figured he was a budding genius the way he behaved.

However he got moodier as he got older. At 3, I found he started to change...he became judgemental...he would be very upset if his drawings were not perfect and he would not play at certain activities if he could not master them...he was very afraid of not being perfect...However we knew he was bright..it was at this age we taught him chess...
By the time he was 4 he was talking about not being good enough more frequently. I actually took him to my pediatrician and asked him why he was talking like this...he was only 4...how many 4 year olds judge themselves and felt unworthy?
It scared me and saddened me...our daughter was still too young to know how she would be...but she wasn't like this at all by the time she was the same age...she was a buoyant happy child.

However due to the hype..surrounding medicating kids...we did nothing. So he went unmedicated.

By the time he was in First grade...there were problems...and we took him to a children's hospital and he was diagnosed as an Aspie, with OCD and depression.

We elected therapy over meds.

So we started therapy...and two years into therapy...we were making no progress...he was wired for depression....if he couldn't follow his muse (his pervasive interest)...he was upset or dissatisfied with everything else...He didn't even like going outdoors to visit places or take walks...he just wanted to remain inside.

So...we decided to give medication a try after two years of resistance because we didn't want to see our little boy sink further into depression...

He now takes Prozac, and he is so much more relaxed. We can go places without going through a laundry list of what might happen if we go out...we can go to the museum and to parks and enjoy it without him wanting to leave immediately.

We still have issues but I could kick myself for letting myself feel like I would be a bad mother for giving him a medication and while people might abuse them...there are legions of folks out there who need meds and I think that passing judgement on those of use who have needed those meds is wrong.

In fact I saw on one thread here at DU about how the VT killer may have been an Aspie...I don't know if he was or not..but as a parent of a child who has mental health issues, I want to say that sometimes parents do not seek counseling or therapy out of fear of being judged. They just pray problems will go away and all the while they are in agony because they know that there is something wrong with their baby...but they see articles in Time and Newsweek about how parents are bad for "labeling" their children...so they decide that they don't want to be one of those folks...and they do nothing because they just want to be a good parent...and not an over medicating over analyzing parent... and then they have a child who either takes their own life or someone else's ...

In my own experience, I know a mother in my town who has not done enough to help her child. She figured she could fix him..or he would grow out of it...he is now in 4th grade and he is violent with his siblings and he is becoming worse...now she is just thinking about getting help...well I hope she does but I wonder how much of her hesitation isn't out of shame and fear of judgement.

As for your statement...

"While we tell our kids to stay away from street drugs and marijuana, we fill them up with a cocktail of feel good pills. Is this counterproductive?"

Perhaps you have been blessed with great mental health and you can positively deal with your problems...but please do not pass judgement on others.

There are folks out there who need mental health services who use illegal drugs to medicate themselves...when perhaps therapy and or a legal drug may help...

What is the bigger shame is that mental healthcare is not covered by many insurance companies and is out of most people's reach...unless you are a danger to yourself or others...you can be left to your demons because it is too expensive to get therapy...

[Philosoraptor]

21. I'm not qualified to pass judgement.

Every situation is different, I don't mean to attack people who need drugs, just trying to hear some personal experiences, and I appreciate you sharing yours.

Me, I'm crazy as hell.

[hunter]

36. Your son is very fortunate.

I pretty much had to fend for myself, and I've got some wicked scars to show for it (and inflicted some too) but I eventually got to a pretty good place.

Meds that didn't even exist when I was younger would've spared me and my family a lot of grief.

[youthere]

22. It's symptomatic of larger issues IMO...

There is ENORMOUS pressure on kids today..so much more than when I was in school. I was talking to my friend about this just this morning. I don't know how teens today keep the schedules that they do. A normal schedule for an average teen in my community has them up by 6 AM and not in bed until 11:30. School, jobs, sports, clubs and they still have responsibilities at home. Now I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with a busy schedule, but how many kids are taught how to balance their schedules (or how many adults for that matter)? Everyone has pressure from work family and friends, but I think it's so much worse for teens because many of them haven't been given the skills to cope and they often feel like they don't have any choices.

[Philosoraptor]

24. kick

[Penndems]

26. I took Paxil twenty years ago for severe clinical depression

Between that, my clinical social worker and my psychiatrist, I was completely cured. They gave me my life back. No relapses, no tears, no more "dark nights of the soul" - NOTHING. Just a productive, normal - and happy life. :)

People who take antidepressants must be closely monitored, because the drugs create an enhanced sensation of euphoria. When he prescribed Paxil for me, my psychiatrist said, "If you ever have feelings of doing something out of the norm, call me immediately". When I asked him what he meant, he replied that one of his patients taking it went to a car dealership in Tysons Corner, Virginia, and purchased four Cadillacs!

[ShortnFiery]

29. "drugs create an enhanced sensation of euphoria" No! Unless you're Manic-Depressive.

The vast majority of Uni-Polar Depressives do NOT get "a sense of euphoria" from taking anti-depressant medications. It's the constant blood levels that, over time (3 weeks) slowly raise neuro-transmitters ID'd in depression to increase or stay within the synaptic gap longer.

Too funny! No, anti-depressants can ONLY serve to SWING a manic-depressive back over the the manic side of the mood swing but that's why they are also given "mood stabilizing" medication to achieve a balance.

No, us depressives are not "catching a HIGH" by taking our daily dose of SSRI Antidepressants. :eyes: Instead they serve to help us FUNCTION more productively and pull out of our recurrent, sometimes severe depressive episodes in a more timely manner.

Too funny! The media also BUYS INTO such bunk, i.e., Anti depressives make people "high." :eyes:

[Penndems]

30. "Catching a high"? You're joking, right?

I was trying to save my own life. Paxil was an enormous, very positive, aid in helping me do that. Thank God I had caring mental health professionals who worked me with every step of the way to bring me back from the despair, suffering and pain I was in.

[ShortnFiery]

37. I was making a point. That is, anti-depressants slowly help depressants feel "normal" not

high. You did misinterpret my post - not all that uncommon. :hi:

[treestar]

50. That is exactly what many people who do not suffer from depression

do not understand. That they make the depressed person feel what is "normal" for them. That is what leads them to use the term "feel good" pills. They just assume that if they took these pills, they would be happy all the time. Whereas to the person with depression, it is such a relief to feel normal for once, that maybe you come off as "happy," but that is their normal state, so they can't appreciate it.

[Penndems]

51. Please accept my apologies

Some of the postings on DU lately have taken on such a callous, ill-informed tone of late. Guess I'm just getting jumpy. (Quick, where are my meds? Just kidding, LOL!)

Seriously though, Paxil and the two-times a week for eighteen months-sessions with my clinical social worker were a godsend. There were times when it seemed as if an emotional toothache was being wretched out of me, but in hindsight, it was worth it. What a pleasure it was to be able to laugh and enjoy life again, and be able to face difficulties without falling into despair.

My only regret is that I waited so long to take that first step.

[ShortnFiery]

69. Not necessary.

Yes, I concur that misinformed people are potentially damaging to both their friends and family suffering from mental health issues. I have worked within the mental health field since earning my Masters in Physiological Psychology in 1990.

Psychotropic medications are not a panacea but they OFTEN serve as a very important first step by helping the depressed person become OPEN to treatment, i.e., the lifting of a severe depression so that one's client may cooperate and work with their therapist/counselor.

Again, no need for an apology. I fully understand that it's difficult to understand another's intent via message board postings. I've done it once or twice myself. :blush: :hi:

[uppityperson]

27. For some they are life savers, for others mis-used.

There is no 1 right answer for everyone. Some take them that shouldn't, some do not that should (or rather would improve the quality of their lives). For some they are life savers. Finding out more about brain chemicals, how emotions, intellect, etc work is a good thing, more research is needed also.

[phylny]

28. No.

[gravity]

31. I don't think so

There could be a problem with people rely too much on the drugs as a cheap fix, but evidence has shown that the medications do help people out, especially when used with therapy. I don't have much problems with them as long as they are properly monitored by a professional.

Anti-depressants are completely different types of drugs than recreational ones. You can't get high off of anti-depressants. I've taken them, and personally don't know if they are even working or not. It could be the medications, or I've could have gotten better on my own. However, through studies, they have been proven to help many patients overcome depression.

[Kelly Rupert]

33. Two things:

1. Citalopram saved my life.
2. You're as arrogant as you are misinformed.

[Philosoraptor]

35. Perhaps I am arrogant & misinformed.

But mainly I'm curious.

[Kelly Rupert]

40. Your questions didn't show much curiosity.

Are we all too doped up on depression meds? Why are we all popping depression pills?

While we tell our kids to stay away from street drugs and marijuana, we fill them up with a cocktail of feel good pills. Is this counterproductive?

Come on, man. "Doped up?" "Popping?" "Fill them up with a cocktail of feel-good pills?" That ain't curiosity, that's pushing a point--and a point that's just downright irresponsible, at that. If you're curious as to the efficiency, side-effects, and usage patterns of SSRIs, then there are better ways to ask.

[Philosoraptor]

42. Call me irresponsible, but answer the questions please.

When I was a kid in the stone age, NO ONE was taking anything for depression, and now it seems MOST kids are on some drug. Why are they so depressed? Why are these drugs so automatically prescribed?

I don't see where I'm being irresponsible, and my use of slang may be a bit edgy.

[Texasgal]

46. Do you understand that depression

has been a "taboo" subject in American health care for a long time?

When you were kid in the stone age, there were NO DRUGS TO TAKE. If you were depressed you didn't talk about it or you were branded "crazy" and sent to a loony bin.

Kids are not just "automatically" prescribed anti-depressants. Please provide some proof to that statement. You really demean the whole medical profession with such pithy insight like that.

[Kelly Rupert]

47. Here you go

How many Americans are currently taking or have taken psychotropic drugs?
I think the number for antidepressants stands at a bit below 10%, off the top of my head.

How many young people have been medicated with their parent's approval at the urging of their child's teachers and counselors?
No idea. Try Google.

Do you know anyone taking these types of meds, or are you taking them?
Yes. Me.

Is your experience positive or negative?
Overwhelmingly positive. Saved my life. No exaggeration.

Are we all too doped up on depression meds?
No. Your use of "doped up" suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of the neurochemical action of these drugs.

Why are we all popping depression pills?
Because it's better than alcoholism or suicide.

Have you been taking anti-depression meds for over ten years? Ritalin? Zoloft?
Ritalin is not an anti-depressant. I've been on Citalopram for 6 years.

While we tell our kids to stay away from street drugs and marijuana, we fill them up with a cocktail of feel good pills. Is this counterproductive?
No. No comparison. You're not comparing apples and oranges, you're comparing rat poison and penicillin.

------------

Also: That's nice that depression was untreated in your day. Similarly, infection was not treated with drugs in 1400.

Why are they depressed? Increased social and educational demands, as well as a media-created culture of inadequacy probably play a part. I think increased diagnosis has a far greater role.

Antidepressants are "automatically prescribed" for depression in the same way that antibiotics are "automatically prescribed" for bacterial infection or that insulin as "automatically prescribed" for diabetes. When a disease is diagnosed, and medicine exists, it is prescribed. That is how medicine operates.

Attitudes such as yours prevent many people from getting help. I nearly lost my fiancee to suicide because she had an attitude towards "happy pills" similar to yours; by the grace of God she was unsuccessful. (And she's a medical student. She said she'd happily prescribe them to others, but she thought it would prove she was 'weaker' than her patients if she went on them.)

It's not slang that's the problem, it's mocking the very idea of antidepressants.

[Texasgal]

38. Ridiculous.

Anti-depressants have gotten MUCH better over the years. This is WHY they are being widely prescribed.

10 years ago we didn't HAVE a decent anti-depressant drug. Think about all of the people who NEEDED something and were only given a choice of ONE or TWO meds that may not have worked at all. We have more choices now. Americans are also getting better about telling their doctors about depression and other " taboo" mental issues that were not discussed before.

Your assumption that people are just popping pills for the hell of it is hogwash.

[Philosoraptor]

41. I asked why so MANY kids are taking them, WHY are they depressed?

[Texasgal]

43. DUPE

[Texasgal]

44. because there are more TYPES

available, and MORE people are understanding depression.

People have been depressed for ions, we just NOW have the medical capacity to take care of them properly.

[Kelly Rupert]

45. Dupe delete

[ShortnFiery]

63. At any ONE point in time 20% of the population fit the DSM-IV Criteria for Clinical Depression. n/t

[Hell Hath No Fury]

39. I think too many doctors...

who are not trained in psych disorders are prescribing medications to young people. And I think, too often, those who are going on these meds are not being followed up on the way they should be.

Four years of Celexa has literally saved me from a suicidal depression. Thankfully I had a smart doctor who knew what she was doing and who monitored me weekly (a walk-in appointment) while I was going on the meds and during the first six months of using them. It was also impressed upon me how important it was I begin therapy, that the meds would simply not be enough of a "cure".

Are people being over or uneccessarilly medicated in this country? You bet, it happens all the time. It's something we need to look at as a nation.

But I wil tell you the same thing I told my Mom and my sister when they both had major depressive episodes: when talking or exercising or doing positive thinking or going to therapy or engaging in any other modality to relieve your mental health issue isn't working, it's time to bring out the big guns -- there's no shame in saying I need that kind of help.

[treestar]

49. They aren't "feel good" pills

They are drugs intended to counteract depression, which is a disease, not just "the blues."

[Kelly Rupert]

55. Too many people think depression is the same as feeling sad.

"Hey, I've felt sad, and I didn't need no pill! Everyone on antidepressants is just doped up!"

[ShortnFiery]

65. That's sadly mis-informed and potentially dangerous. SSRI antidepressants, in particular

work on specific neurotransmitters within the brain to SLOWLY (3-4 weeks) raise their availability within the synaptic gap OR to increase production.

For Shame! There's nothing *conscious altering* about appropriate and continued use of anti-depressant medication. But don't take my word for it, feel free to peruse the scientific literature regarding the psychophysiology of antidepressant medication. ;)

[DireStrike]

52. Drugs are my anti-drug! Prozac, Effexor, Wellbutrin

When I was young, like single digit age, I took prozac and went to counseling to deal with my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (definitely real, not some BS diagnosis.) I eventually stopped both.

In high school a lot of shit happened and I wound up on Effexor, after a trial period of many different drugs. I've been through like 6 psychiatrists in as many years. The dosage has never been decreased, nor has any doctor brought up the subject. In fact, Wellbutrin was added for social anxiety... though it may be working.

I feel exactly the same as I always did, as far as I can tell, just with fewer suicidal thoughts. I chalk that up to being under less pressure, though. My mood has changed a lot for the better - though its impossible to tell if its natural or drug induced.

I really dislike being dependent on this drug. If you ever miss a dose, you will KNOW it. The withdrawal symptoms are AWFUL, and while I look forward to the time when I will be going off, it won't be fun.

[LaPera]

56. Sorry, I don't understand the question...I'm all out...

catch me tomorrow when I can pop myself into a better mood.............(My doc will then be back from vacation).

[Oeditpus Rex]

57. No — too many are *not* taking them

or taking the wrong ones.

Your descriptions "doped up" and "feel good pills" are not only far off the mark, I find them quite offensive. There are millions of people whose lives have been made much better — many have gone from non-functional to fully functional — from the "cocktails" you describe.

This fits perfectly with a saying I made up years ago: "All of life's problems are drug-related — too many, not enough or the wrong kind."

[wicket]

59. These drugs saved my life

n/t

[Threedifferentones]

60. I think so

I just can't believe that a substantial portion of humanity is genetically programmed to be unhappy most of the time. I don't doubt that alot of people are depressed, but I think there must be many other factors besides innate chemical imbalances that are causing it. In other words as a society we need to examine how the ways we live our lives might be contriuting to mental problems instead of assuming that magic "medicines" can really make us happy. I was on ritalin fo a while and then paxil for a while as a kid, I guess for ADHD and depression, and I didn't like it at all; after a year or two of it in middle school I finally convinced my parents to let me off it. I was still depressed and apathetic about my schoolwork but at least I didn't wind up mentally dependent on some damn synthetic chemical! Now in college my grades are much better and I am more stable, though I still suffer from depression sometimes. I've started rambling, I guess my real point is that yes, I do thnik too many of us, especially too many children, are on medications.

[piedmont]

61. Too many are probably misdiagnosed nt

[AZBlue]

64. I wouldn't demonize anti-depressants - but we MUST have more mental healthcare as well.

The drugs help - there's no doubt about that. There are many many drugs out there and it takes a while to find the right one(s) that work for each individual, which is where many fallacies come in about them not working or just desensitizing the patient.

But we must also focus on therapy and other forms of help - and these are currently not covered by insurance at an alarming rate. Drugs are covered, but nothing else. And that's a harmful situation.

[BlooInBloo]

66. Everyone's a victim. Nothing is anyone's fault. Sheesh.

[ShortnFiery]

67. My my, mental illness is a REAL ENTITY that needs prompt treatment wi therapy and/or medications n/t

[bobbolink]

68. On the contrary... not enough!

How do you expect those poor pharmcos to keep up their profits, if you go around saying too many people are taking their pills????

:sarcasm:

Do I really need to add the sarcasm tag?