In the Sunday Times magazine, there is an article which claims that Prozac is being given to children as young as 8. What is your gut reaction to that information?
Mine was one of shock – Prozac has led people to kill themselves and others, and they see fit to give it to children? What will the chemicals in the drug to to their still-maturing brains?
What are the doctors of today doing to the next generation?!
"More British children are being diagnosed with depression, while the experts battle it out to explain why. Who is to blame for the sad state of modern childhood, and are happy pills really the answer?"
That is on the front page of the magazine in question.
So – what do you think?
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yoms - July 4th, 2009
My initial question would be – Why?
What reason is there for kids that age to be so depressed that they need Prozac?
Are they suffering anymore than we did? Should we have had Prozac?
Is giving them Prozac giving them the life skills to deal with whats happening or whats coming?
Are we breeding a generation of drug-dependent kids, the same way that the over 50's are the Lithium generation (I apologise for the generalisation but loads of my mothers, generation, were/are addicted to Lithium prescribed for depression etc in the previous decades).
Wendy.
Grandchessboard - July 4th, 2009
Quite clearly, this must stop before it's too late. All manner of influences have been allowed to get out of control to the point where no-one knows what exactly is responsible for the child's 'problem' and as such, they get a 'label' in the same way that some adults have done, and treated accordingly.
Depression? Maybe. Fed up? Probably. Not knowing their backsides from their elbows from the constant shift in parental and marital pressures, and peer pressure not to mention outside influences around them, eductional and academic problems, social and societal influences of recreational drugs – yes – even as young as that, all have a greater part to play in the problem.
The whole thing is being handled badly, and being handled by the wrong people, because the people that need to handle the problem can't be bothered – putting it nicely of course.
Prozac is not the answer for an adult, let alone a young, growing, still developing brain. It has to, surely, come down to the needs of the parents who look to the doctors for help, to resolve their own needs, to calm their own fears and quell their needs to rest and give them reassurance that something good will come of it.
What about the porr kid whose brain is gonna get fried on this evil drug?
Of course, Prozac is one of the many SSRIs, and a great many others will have bad effects too, and equally there are some that have good benefits, but people are all too quick, these days, especially parents, to go to the doctor and ask for medication to resolve a problem when this just is simply not necessary.
The ironic part about the kids that get chucked onto this drug – and others, without actually being asked if they'd like to, ironically, have parents that may well sit in front of the TV watching re-runs of Super Nanny, and yet the clear and obvious results of that show, amongst others, and the profound effect that they could have on their own lives will strangely go right over their head.
It's true and a stark but real possibility that children could become depressed in the true sense of the word I suppose, but none of it will be their own direct responsibility and yet they will, at their tender age, be expected, before treatment of course, to shoulder every last bit of the responsibility for what's going on around them, because people – parents especially are blind, and seldom wake up to problems that they either create or are right under their very noses and they could so easily avoid.
The advent of children being given anti-depressants was a matter of time to my mind, but then I absolutely and wholly refuse to subscribe to the societal norm that allows for this possibility to happen. The people that allow this to happen, without having read this publication, are fools to say the least. Getting their heads out of the sand would be a nice way of putting what they really need to do…
BigShoesNetwork - July 4th, 2009
Initial reaction is WTF???? It's a sad reflection on today's society that our children are feeling like this. As to what causes it – there could be any number of reasons:
Examinations at school
Break up of the modern family
Both parents having to work
It seems to me that children are not being given enough time to actually BE children. They're being forced to become mini-adults, and I'm sure this adds to the pressure and therefore stress & depression.
elibbybet - July 4th, 2009
1 in 4 adults suffer from depression. i'm 17 and i lost my sister to cancer 6 months ago. i got suisidaly depressed and tried to "follow" my sister. after recovery i was put into therapy and put on strong anti depressants. amitriptolene. and they screwed up my head totaly. the depressional and suisidal thoughts didn't go. if anything, they increased because i was a zombie, couldn't eat or sleep. i lost weight. became dependane on the medication. i stopped taking them. very slowley so as not to get withdrawral. then i discovered lightboxes. natural daylight. instant high. instand feeling of wellbeing. i also discovered that going out for long walks in the country helped more than any drug. so medication is not the first answer people should use. ok it's easier, but easy isn't allways best.
julee
PHXengineer - July 4th, 2009
insane. the medical professional has gone bonkers.
it's a quick fix to a situation that doesn't require pharmaceutical treatment but rather nutritional therapy , mentoring and a more active lifestyle.
Also, like the obesity epidemic, this is an american import
joeramirezmiami - July 4th, 2009
We don't know the individual circumstances for these children but it is worrying trend. Why should children so young be depressed? I think this is the more important issue.
We should also remember that drug trials in children are very difficult to do and justify and so our experience with giving many drugs to children is somewhat limited, especially with unusual drugs such as anti-depressants.
pastorjpruitt - July 4th, 2009
I was put on it at 14 and within weeks tried to kill my self. I don't remember taking the massive overdoze or why I did it all I know is I was so shocked when I woke up the next day in hospital and realised what I'd done.
I should never have been put on them in the first place and think the docs are still to keen to put both adults and children alike on tablets rather than deal with the problem.
Saying that I don't just blame the doctors as I don't think alot of people really don't know what depression is these days, they just are under this illusion that life is easy and when it aint they seek help from a bottle, and the docs feel they have to give them something rather than tell them to pick them selves up and get on with it.
People just don't know how lucky they are, I mean really we do have it easy these days. Most people know where there next meal is coming from and have a roof over their head, the state makes sure of that, yet people always want more.
Yes there is those who really do have depression, but I honestly don't believe it is half as many as the statistics think.
I also think kids are also mollycoddled to much these days and should be made to harden up, I disagree they aint allowed to be kids these days, I think it is the oppisite that they aint encouraged to grow up. The real world is full of bullies and it aint a very nice place at times and the sooner kids accept this and learn to stand on thier own two feet the better. Maybe they would not feel so depressed and helpless if they were encouraged to stand up and be strong insted of be children always expecting adults to do everything for them.
Guthries - July 4th, 2009
It is not necessary. Too many children are put on drugs such as Ritalin, Prozac etc, when all they usually need are parents with good parenting skills and more time for them.