Title:
Risks of Antidepressant Medications for Suicidal Teenagers Word Count:
635 Summary:
It is said that depression causes most teenage suicides in the United States. However, antidepressant medications are readily available in the market. Though antidepressants are said to be of help to these teenagers, various reports tell otherwise. This article provides information about certain antidepressant medications that double the suicidal risks for teenagers.
Keywords:
antidepressant medications
Article Body:
An alarming truth: thousands of teenagers, both girls and boys, are at risk for suicide. Though many do not recognize suicide as a serious threat to a teenager’s well-being, teen suicide is now considered a major cause of death among American teenagers. According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), about 8 of every 100,000 teenagers committed suicide in 2000. Experts estimate that for every teen suicide death, there are at least 10 other teen suicide attempts. They also found out that almost 1 in 5 teens had thoughts about suicide. About 1 in 6 teens made plans on committing suicide and more that 1 in 12 teens had attempted suicide in the last year. As many as 8 out of 10 teens who commit suicide try to ask for help in some way before
committing suicide, such as by seeing a doctor shortly before the suicide attempt.
self-worth.
Depression or depressive disorders (unipolar depression) are mental illnesses characterized by a profound and persistent feeling of sadness or despair. Depressed persons are not interested anymore in things that were once pleasurable.
Difficulty in sleeping, loss of appetite, significant weight loss, and difficulty in making decisions are common signs of depression. A teen with depression may feel like there´s no other way out of problems, no other escape from emotional pain, or no other way to communicate their desperate sadness. For that reason, many teens who think of or actually attempt to commit suicide feel like it is the only way to get their message across.
To address cases of suicide attempts and other depressive
disorders, the medical community has resorted to the prescription of antidepressant medications.. With the help of these
medications, most people can achieve significant recovery from depression...at least, that is what these drugs are supposed to do.
However, according to recent research, certain widely used antidepressant medications may double the risk of suicidal
behavior among teenagers. The research also marked the first time the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged that these drugs can trigger suicidal behavior among patients older than 18. The finding comes two years after the FDA ordered a ˆblack box˜ warning on antidepressant medications following the discovery of a heightened risk of suicidal behavior among teenagers taking the pills.
be overwhelmingly difficult.
Further, teenagers who feel suicidal may not even realize they are depressed. They are unaware that it is depression and that their situation has made them see or believe that ˆthere´s no way out.˜ Counselors and therapists can provide emotional support and can help teens build their own coping skills for dealing with
problems. While there are many cases where teenagers and adults actually need a prescription for antidepressant medications, these situations must be thoroughly examined by a doctor or health
professional. Only qualified medical or health practitioners
should decide whether a a certain patient needs medication or not.
Constant communication, guidance and abundant love from the immediate family is of major importance in dealing with a
teenager’s suicide thoughts. It can also help to join a support network for people who are going through the same problems. When depression lifts because a teenager gets the proper therapy or treatment, the distorted thinking is cleared. In time, the teenager can find pleasure, energy, and hope again.
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