Death By Antidepressants?

Depression takes over your body and mind. Experiencing weight gain or loss, eating more than usual, difficulty concentrating, having trouble sleeping or sleeping more than usual or feeling tired is not uncommon. The emotions that run through a depressed person's mind are overwhelming and rob the individual of the ability to function normally. Finding the right antidepressant might just be the ticket to happiness. There are twenty-three effective antidepressants now on the market (Schimelpfening, Nancy). Why not get the one that works for you?

Depression is one of the most treatable conditions (Lyness, D'Arcy PhD), so why not get help? There are four distinctive types of depression. Severe depression, major depression, dysthymia and bi-polar disorder (Teen Health; Depression). One in eight children experience depression in their young adult years (Lyness, D'Arcy PhD). There is no one specific cause for depression, but "genetics, environment, medical conditions, life events, and certain thinking patterns" (Marquette University) are the root of the problem (Teen Health; Depression). Neurotransmitters - chemicals which help transfer "messages between nerve cells in the brain (Harvard Medical School) - regulate mood and when there are none available or insufficient amounts, the result is depression." (Marquette University). In recent years antidepressants have helped more than 80% of people and that number continues to grow. If more people see that antidepressants work, it will save more lives than ever.

Stories of suicide have led many people to question or eliminate the use of antidepressants among children. The fact is that only a mere 2% of patients commit suicide after being treated with antidepressants (Goldin, Rebecca. STATS). "Depressed teens who take antidepressants do attempt suicide more often than teens whose depression isn't treated with drugs," says the University of Colorado Health Science Center. But how do the percentages of children who take antidepressants and commit suicide and children who don't take antidepressants and commit suicide compare? According to Robert J. Valuck, PhD, taking into account the severity of depression and other factors that influence suicidal behavior, confirms that drugs do not increase teen suicide attempts. "In fact, kids who take the drugs for six months or more are less likely to attempt suicide." The focus on the tragedies goes against the experience of the majority of physicians who have prescribed anti depressants to children, which has resulted with a good outcome. During a recent study in Britain, the suicidal behavior of diagnosed depressed children was examined. None of the 7,000 children treated with antidepressants committed suicide or showed any unusual behavior. It was also noted that the rate of adolescent suicide has significantly decreased with the use of antidepressant.

Children with depression sometimes think about suicide, and it has become known that antidepressants may increase suicidal actions or thoughts. During a large study of children taking antidepressants,

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