I came across what I would classify as a sad and frustrating scenario today.
A 12yr old patient was prescribed Zoloft.
I had to do a double-take when I read that piece of information. 
Now, my opinion is very biased and I’m a tad stubborn when it comes to the tween survival years subject, so I apologize up front if I offend anyone with my thoughts.
Now, I don’t have any children. I do however have many children in our extended family and within my circles of friends. Also, in my prior career I worked with the high school population as a full-time job. So in my humble opinion, I think I have a firm grasp on what the run-of-the-mill teenager represents.
Oh yeah, I also forgot. I once was a teenager myself.
Anti-depressant medications and depression are not my cup of tea. In fact anything that has to do with the ‘mental health’ aspect of nursing, I’m rather weak with. (Meaning I don’t have the temperance or tolerance for it.)
Maybe I have faulty wiring. Maybe I’m uncaring? Maybe I’m cruel? I truly don’t know the answer. All I know is I become tone deaf whenever I hear or am exposed to these classifications of illnesses. Everything from depression, anxiety, personality disorders, etc.
I was raised in the school of ‘hard-knocks’ as a teenager and I guess maybe I’ll just never understand.
I know being a teenager is tough. I know blending and fitting in is a must. Self-identity during those years is what makes or breaks a tween. I remember.
We all experienced that ‘jungle’ in one way, shape, or form as a teenager. We all had it in differing degrees and we all dealt with it in differing degrees. The teenage years came and left, just like the other ‘cycles’ of our lives.
The whole idea of being a teenager was to survive. That was the key. It didn’t matter how horrible you were at solving the problems, or how many problems you had in front of you. You simply had to figure out how to survive.
Now, maybe I’m just spit-balling here, but solving a teenager’s problem(s) with a pill… seems to me.. not to really solve anything at all. In fact it not only dodges the obstacle completely, but creates more obstacles for them to battle? Obstacles now and obstacles later in life?
Am I wrong?
Carpe Diem
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Tags: anti-depressant, depression, teenager
This is a tough one. The suicide rate with teenagers is too high. It’s such a volatile period. When I did psychiatry, sometimes the feeling was if we could get them through their teens, they would be much more OK after that. Of course, I always leaned toward therapy rather than treating them with drugs.
@ Dr. J Thanks for sharing. It really is a tough arena that continues to worsen.
Depression is a lot more than just “teenager having a tough time being a teenager.” In order to be diagnosable it has to be pathological. And when it reaches that point, it’s nothing to mess around with. Teen suicide statistics are big-time scary.
Antidepressants? If they’re to the point where it’s diagnosable as depression, then you betcha. It gives them a chance to survive, to make it to adulthood without killing themselves or resorting to other substances to ease their pain and thereby destroy their lives.
Here’s hoping that 12-year-old on Zoloft manages to pull through and become a relatively happy normal adult and not one of the miserable, suicidal, hopeless drug/alcohol addicts I see over and over again on our adult psych units. The fact that he’s on Zoloft now means somebody cared enough to get him some help before it was too late, and that speaks volumes for his chances of recovery.
@ Geek2Nurse I hope your right for the patient’s sake. Thank you for your insight.
This is tough! You medical folk can figure this one out! Always good reads here! Thanks!
@ Mark Yes this is a tough one. Thanks for visiting as always my friend.
Pills can’t cure everything but it can help someone find their footing if they suffer from depression. I do agree however that kids need more than medications when they are having social issues related to their depression. Kids need talk therapy. It is also an essential tool in helping anyone regain their mental health.
MJ
@ MJ Great point about talking. It’s a hard subject to battle.