Argumentative Essay On Antidepressant In Children

1663 Words4 Pages

Depression is defined as a mental illness in which a person is experiencing deep sadness and loneliness. It is known as one of the most common mental illnesses and it affects all kinds of people, regardless of sex, age and religion. Many people are not aware that depression is not only diagnosed in adults, but in children and adolescents as well. Therefore, there is a debate about whether children suffering from depression should be allowed to take antidepressants. Antidepressant drugs should be prescribed for children suffering from depression under the conditions of doctors limiting the medication, including therapy and having the parents informed/educated.

Depression, diagnosed in children and adults is something to be taken serious. …show more content…

Critics are concerned about the growing use of psychiatric drugs taken by children and adolescents; these critics complain that physicians and psychiatrists are giving out these chemical solutions rather than psychotherapy due to expenses (Depression in Children--Part II). As psychotherapy can be quite expensive, so can antidepressants. These antidepressants have to keep getting refills and may at the end, end up costing more than a few weeks of psychotherapy that may be helpful. The consuming of antidepressants drugs prescribed for children and adolescents suffering from depression by their primary doctor can lead to many different side effects. It has been stated that, "Between 2005 and 2010, about 2 million U.S. adolescents ages 12 to 17 said that for more than half of the previous month, they routinely had felt sad, angry, disconnected, stressed out, unloved or possibly willing to hurt themselves--or others.(ProQuest Staff - Mental Health Timeline 1)" This was proven on May 25th, 2012, that adolescents feel different emotions; which are the disadvantages of antidepressants. Some people might get a certain reaction to the antidepressants, but some may not, not all bodies are alike. “Doctors should limit the medication of their patients, even if antidepressants come along with numerous different side effects, it is able to decrease the risk of …show more content…

Most parents believe that antidepressants is the only solution to help their children with depression. As parent take their children to their pediatrician, parents want antidepressant drugs prescribed immediately. Currently, parents are concerned on whether paying for psychotherapy is really worth it. Recently, a new study showed that 55 percent of suicidal teenagers had received some therapy before they thought about suicide (ProQuest Staff - Suicide Timeline 1). Reason being, parents believe what they see on internet website, or the rumors other people start. This is why parents go immediately towards the fastest treatment and to what they consider less expensive. Mary Sullivan, the mother of a 16-year-old boy who took antidepressants for two years to combat depression said: "It was so difficult because every parent wants their kids to be perfect and you don't want to accept the fact something might be wrong with your child, but I knew I had to do something about it. I couldn't let it fester because it could have developed into something a lot more tragic. I was very worried about the medication we were putting him on and the high doses. At one stage he was on eight a day (Mayoh 1).” Of course, no parent would accept the fact that something might be wrong with their child, but before parent make a decision on what they would like

More about Argumentative Essay On Antidepressant In Children

Open Document