Writing a paper on the effects of antidepressents on teens

I'm doing my research paper on antidepressants, I am strongly against them, at least in teenagers. I'm mainly doing it so I can show what I come up with to a good friend of mine and her family, because she thinks she needs to start taking an SSRI, and I'm very worried about it. I was just wondering if you guys had some good sources and such for me to check out?

I also was wondering if anyone knows when the adolescent brain finishes developing, and where I can find an "official" source to cite this fact on my paper? I have this theory that depression/anxiety/etc is NORMAL in teenagers perhaps due to hormones etc, and I feel like it's not right to start ######6 with your brain chemistry when it's not even done growing yet. I'm going to present this in my paper if I can.

Thanks guys, any info is appreciated.

hello clowd.

my name is rose, i'm 18. i was put on fluoxetine at age 15, and recently changed to citalopram about a year ago.

since about age 16 all of my attempts to come off antidepressants have been unsuccesful, and i find myself unable to live a normal life without them for as little as a few weeks.

So you would say, then, that you wish to not be on them, but you can't stop??

yes.

i would like to be free of my dependency.

Wow, that's a terrible thing to hear. :-\

It's sadly no surprise though, but the sad thing is not everyone sees it. I'm sure the majority of people (such as my friend) just think "oh yeah I can take a pill and my problems will go away! hooray!"

Is there anything specific you think I can/should tell her to steer her clear of this??

I have also heard what you said:

I have this theory that depression/anxiety/etc is NORMAL in teenagers perhaps due to hormones etc, and I feel like it's not right to start ######6 with your brain chemistry when it's not even done growing yet.

I taught school many years. It amazes me how kids can be so rotten at 12, but be mature adults at 18. They just need to mature. I've read what you said but I can't remember where. There was a reference to teens having an immature brain in an article in the newest Scientific American. It was describing how the white matter in a teens brain is still changing, still growing. Not being completly mature, the white matter can't deal with the world quite yet. You may want to do a search. There has been a lot written about this lately.
Jim S

I think it has a lot with going through adversity in life and overcoming personal obstacles whilst learning how to be one's own self. The more that people endure through the tough times, the more they seem to understand their place in the world and are at peace within themselves. My thoughts. I don't think any drug should alter self-perception if it is a natural process of life with hormonal "stirring."

radames,


I have written and talked a lot about how I cope with my mental illness, but you just about said it all with your post.

Thanks,
James

Now I think the word "illness" should be defined in one's own definition, instead of "societal communist force-feeding." My thoughts and, "de nada."

Clowd wrote:I'm doing my research paper on antidepressants, I am strongly against them, at least in teenagers. I'm mainly doing it so I can show what I come up with to a good friend of mine and her family, because she thinks she needs to start taking an SSRI, and I'm very worried about it. I was just wondering if you guys had some good sources and such for me to check out?

I also was wondering if anyone knows when the adolescent brain finishes developing, and where I can find an "official" source to cite this fact on my paper? I have this theory that depression/anxiety/etc is NORMAL in teenagers perhaps due to hormones etc, and I feel like it's not right to start ######6 with your brain chemistry when it's not even done growing yet. I'm going to present this in my paper if I can.

Thanks guys, any info is appreciated.

Well, when adolescence ends is a good question, sometimes I wonder if it ever does . However, I do want you to know that with regards to adolescent use of SSRI's and suicide generally when depressed adolescents begin SSRI's they are so lethargic from their depressive symptoms that they do not create a plan to go though with the suicide; the SSRI provides increased mental energy and thus opens a door for suicidal planning which leads to suicide attempts. While I do not have a study to cite I did acquire this info from my abnormal psy professor. So, while I don't know some of the more radical theories, this could be an explanation.