Ssri 's For Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor

Two percent of preteens and five percent of adolescents suffer from depression (www.about-teen-depression.com 2014). There are specific signs and symptoms associated with depression, which are helpful in detection of the illness. There are various ways to treat depression, such as medication, group therapy, and/or herbal supplements. There are pros and cons with each treatment, but the worst coincides with the medication –suicide. Much research has been conducted, which will be discussed in the paper that has shown a link to antidepressants and suicide. However, there is also evidence that the suicide rate could be decreased with proper diagnosis and early, supervised treatment for depression, especially when dealing with

Have you ever wondered why states spend roughly one billion dollars a year on children (20 and under) who are attempting suicide or have attempted suicide (Nami, 2010)? That is due to the thousands of children who live their daily lives with an undiagnosed mental disorder. What is children’s mental health? Children’s mental health is defined as growing emotionally while developing healthful social skills and learning how to deal with problems (CDC, 2013). Some mental disorders found in children include: mood and anxiety disorders, behavior disorders, Autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and substance use disorder. ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, is the most common disorder of children

These drugs, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), affect neurotransmitter serotonin levels by inhibiting the body’s ability to remove serotonin when the brain tells it to.

Doctors also prescribe Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors(SSRI) to individuals suffering from depression, but the same ailment can be treated with amino acid supplements. Some examples of SSRIs are Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft and Celexa. SSRIs increase the amount of serotonin in the synapse by blocking its reabsorption, helping the symptoms of depression improve. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, benzodiazepines lose their therapeutic anti-anxiety effect after 4 to 6 months of regular use. Dr. White, clinical psychologist and a certified neurotherapist, compares antidepressants to a foreign chemical. She is completely against the use of SSRIs because it blocks the reuptake of the serotonin into the neuron. In simple words,

Sertraline (brand name: Zoloft) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Sertraline affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with depression, panic, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Zoloft is among the most commonly prescribed antidepressant medications. It is used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, PMDD, and PTSD.

More kids are being put on meds for depression and the number of kids are constantly growing. In London a boy named Ben Williams was seven years old and was beginning to show the signs for depression. His mother Jane is able to remember “ Then one day, I can recall sitting at the top of stairs sitting with him crying and he said: ‘Mummy I am not destined to have a happy life. I’d be better off dead’”(“Why Are We Giving Our Primary School Aged Children AntiDepressants”). She couldn’t quite understand what was going on with her son, when she talked to her local general practitioner she was told he was just going through a phase. “ I had to battle to get him some help seeing different doctors until I finally got a referral to Child and Adolescents Mental Health Services(CAMHS). Even this didn’t help because Ben didn’t find it easy to talk to strangers”(“Why Are We Giving Our Primary School Aged Children AntiDepressants”). She was unable to get her child help for several years because everyone kept saying he was going through a phase. The breaking point for Ben’s mother was when he was 10 and he tried to kill himself. After he was diagnosed with depression he then was prescribed a low dose of antidepressants now being one of the growing number of kids who take these drugs (“Why Are We Giving Our Primary School Aged Children AntiDepressants”). When this little boy 10 he tried to take his own life because he

Today review evidence-based treatment fashion in Children and adolescents. We will also review new Suicide Prevention guidelines

The newest medications used to suppress depression are collectively known as selective serotonin inhibitors (SSRIs). These drugs work by altering the

Many physicians tend to think of depression as an illness of adulthood. In fact, Brown (1996) stated that "it was only in the 1980 's that mood disorders in children were included in the category of diagnosed psychiatric illnesses." In actuality, 7-14% of children will experience an episode of major depression before the age of 15. An average of 20-30% of adult bipolar patients report having their first episode before the age of 20. In a sampling of 100,000 adolescents, two to three thousand will have mood disorders out of which 8-10 will commit suicide (Brown, 1996). Blackman (1995) remarked that the suicide rate for adolescents has increased more than 200% over the last decade.

In adults, circumstances, for example, losing a job, money, and relationships can cause stress. In children, one would most likely imagine that there isn 't much that can bring about stress in a child. However, there are many things that can cause a child to be stressed. For instance, children have to deal with the pressure from their parents to get good grades. In addition, children have to deal with being accepted by their peers. All of these situations could lead to depression, which plays a huge role in child suicide. This article states, “Intense depression has been found to be the most prevalent characteristic of suicidal youths” (Wodarski & Harris, 1987, p. 478).

     For a teen suffering from severe depression, has feelings of worthlessness that dominates their day. Despair is ever present and emotional pain feels like it will never end. Any situation of anger or disappointment may cause the teen to cross the line from wanting to die, to actually trying to kill themselves.

Until recently depression in children and adolescents had not received a great deal of attention. Increasing interest can probably be traced to a number of influences.

People used to believe that children had no reason to be depressed it wasn’t till a few years ago: “No one thought that children could suffer from real depression; there wasn’t even an official diagnosis for childhood depression until 1980” (Fassler 4). But really who would have thought that such a thing could be possible. Sadly today we know that it’s a real disease and it affects more adolescents than we think: “ The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that as many as 2.5 percent of all American youngsters under the age of eighteen or over 1.5 million children and adolescents are seriously depressed” (Fassler 2).

Today’s teenagers are faced with the ever changing world around them and the biological changes of their bodies. Many teens are also faced with depression. Approximately half of teenagers with untreated depression may attempt suicide, which remains the third leading cause of death in this age group. (Bostic). This depression affects their school, family lives, and robs them of their self image. Depression affects many teens and often goes by unnoticed and untreated.

The DSM states “having five or more symptoms present during the same two week period and represent a change from precious functioning at least one of the symptoms is either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure” (American Psychiatric Association:, 2013). Some other “behavioral patterns are running away from home, accident-proneness; aggressive acting out; temper tantrums; self-criticism; social withdrawal and loneliness; extreme sensitivity to criticism by others; low tolerance of frustration’ sleep problems; dark fantasies, daydreams or hallucinations; marked personality change; and overwhelming interest in death and suicide.” (Comer, 2014) This is why depression and suicidal behavior is harder to recognize and are not treated. “Depression can be difficult to diagnose in teens because adults may expect teens to act moody. In addition, adolescents do not always understand or express their feelings very well. They may not be aware of the symptoms of depression and may not seek help” ("DEPRESSION IN TEENS"). Therefore, when a teen is suffering from depression and feeling suicidal it is important to help them seek help by just asking them if they are feeling suicidal and then help them take the appropriate steps to find and receive help. “About 5 percent of children and adolescents in the general population suffer from depression at any given point in time” (Shaffer,