Essay Example on Depression is a health condition that many Suffer

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Depression is a health condition that many suffer from can affect one s emotional and physical state It can disrupt personal relationships professional and academic performance and self behavior If left untreated depression can even lead to suicide the third leading cause of death among those under age 18 Treatment of depression has ranged from exercise to therapy a new family of drugs introduced in early 1990 s has revolutionized the way doctors treat depression in adults teenagers and children

A new family of drugs introduced in the early 1990s has revolutionized the way doctors treat depression in adults teenagers and children Concern spikes in doctors and families when it comes to antidepressant use among children and teenagers Background info Nationwide some form of depressive illness is found in nearly 18 million adults By October 2004 the FDA was no longer suggesting that antidepressant packages carry warning labels it was mandating it Antidepressant drugs pg 2 Studies showed that 72 of those interviewed stated that they had previously prescribed antidepressants to children or teenagers According to Medco Health Solutions antidepressant use among children increased by 20 and grew by 49 among preschoolers As was stated in the Los Angeles based citizens Commission on human rights that drug companies are selling about 12 billion worth of the drugs internationally in 2002 alone Antidepressant drugs pg 5 With the growing doubt about youth antidepressant use in the U S FDA decided to warn physicians about the potential dangers of antidepressant use among children and teens the agency did not release similar statements to general public like the british has done Reaction in the U S to the British bans was generally muted though some elements of the U S mental health care community vocally disagreed with the

British government s findings Antidepressant drugs pg 6 By rushing drugs through the FDA approval process to the marketplace opponents say medication effects may not be fully understood such as antidepressants are misleadingly presented to the general public as safe Early Diagnosis and Treatment at Columbia University says over half of parents say that SSRIs are being over prescribed to young people and children Many critics complain that big drug companies which oversee the testing of their new antidepressant medications do not properly disclose unflattering test results because serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs manufacturers want to protect their profits Depression matters because it can last for months even longer and can occur at any age which can affect someone s ability to live their life normally Medical studies have shown the chemical imbalance in the brain which influences mood and behavior Those with depression find little happiness in things they once enjoyed activities and hobbies Depression has many causes and can be treated in a wide range of ways such as therapy and antidepressant drugs to healthy eating exercising and sleeping better and reducing stress 5 Depression if not treated can cause the death toll to increase and people to shelter themselves some people therapy will not even help them The supporters feel that if the government prohibits depressed young people from medicating their condition with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs their health will be placed in further jeopardy They feel that no test have indicated the direct link between youth antidepressant use and suicide so what is so wrong with it By making treatment of depression easier they say the drugs have allowed many people to concourned the stigma traditionally connected with mental health problems According to Jo Colman more people are probably getting help in improvements in medication are clearly a reason why a lot more people are getting help She also feels that its also really good that it brought people out to confront the issues they are facing

Supporters of antidepressant drugs realize that depression is a serious condition that leads to suicide they also know that despite the potential side effects of SSRIs use which people of all ages still fight depression Most outspoken opponents of youth antidepressant use are parents whose children have committed suicide Some critics express concern that the pharmaceutical industry exerts excessive control over the FDA As evidence they point to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act of 1992 and other funding laws which allow drug companies to pay the agency to review and approve new medications in an accelerated fashion Such advertisements are misleading critics say because no studies have proven the long term health benefits of SSRIs Michael Browne was quoted as saying While Browne acknowledges that drugs could be effective in treating depression in a handful of cases he generally argues that more attention should be given to more traditional forms of treatment for depression such as therapy in Opponents Argue Medication Not the Solution article Some of the most outspoken opponents of youth antidepressant use are parents whose children have committed suicide Do you think people who do not suffer from depression or other health problems still take antidepressants but mix them with xanax just to take the pain away in a stronger way How do you know that antidepressants improve or worsen depressed patients health Statistics show some form of depressive illness is found in nearly eighteen million adults as well as in two million teenagers Young people are being unnecessarily overmedicated which can cause many deaths or more problems in there life after the fact New York Reuters Health shows various studies have been done to prove that weight gain happens with antidepressants but no excessive weight gain

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