Quote:
Originally Posted by KSig RC
There's another issue here that I haven't seen addressed, and that's the fact that many anti-depressant medications include increased chance of suicidal behavior as a side-effect, especially in adolescents.
While obviously the biggest specific issue is the bullying and willingness of an adult to meddle in the affairs of children to sophomoric or malevolent ends, is there even the chance to investigate whether we should be searching for other means to medicate children with mental issues?
|
Here's how it was explained to me by several psych. professors:
First, teenagers are more likely to commit suicide in the first place. Blame the impulsiveness and lack of a fully formed brain.
Second, when you're
really depressed you don't even have the energy to kill yourself.
Then you take medicine and in a few weeks you physically feel better, even though mentally you're still depressed. This is because it takes a while for the anti-depressants to build up in your system and really work.
The increase in suicides is tied to this time period where you're emotionally still in the dumps, but have more energy and are probably afraid that the medicine isn't going to help you because look, you're still depressed.
The same pattern occurs in adults who are medicated however they're more likely to "get" that the medicine takes time to work and overall less likely to kill themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZTABullwinkle
I think it is too easy to medicate a child or teenager nowadays. Look at how much ADD medication is prescribed.
|
Though anecdotally ADD medication is overprescribed, there doesn't actually seem to be an over-medication issue. If anything doctors are being more careful about diagnosis than in past years, and it isn't as easy as just signing a prescription. Not all doctors of course...
Quote:
Originally Posted by nittanyalum
And abused.
|
Sadly the campus doctor was apparently an easy sell on an ADD diagnosis for students. This was not due to parents though, but smart students who knew how to fake the hyperactive behavior on the diagnostic survey so that they could get Ritalin to study with and share with their friends.