Just Give 'Em A Pill

An ongoing problem in our culture seems to be the debate over whether or not to treat "depressed"children with anti-depressant drugs like Prozac or Xanax. I think it is an economic stunt to rape people of their money, however doctors agree that therapy along with the medicine is the best way to treat a depressed individual. The problem is that over half of the population being prescribed the medicine are not receiving treatment.

According to Sheila Marcus, quoted by USA Today in the story "Most depressed kids get anti-depressants but no therapy", "Therapy with anti-depressants is the standard of care. Is that what is going on in the real world? No." USA Today stated that the Food and Drug Administration have placed the strongest safety warnings on the labels of anti-depressants. The labels warn that the drug could lead to an increase in suicidal behavior in people 24 or younger. For this reason, it is clear that something needs to be done about the percentages of pill takers who do not engage psychological therapy.

In a similar story titled "Most kids get no therapy with antidepressants", by the Tuscon Citizen, a reason for the shortage of therapy in depressed kids could be because of a shortage in psychiatrists. Perhaps the ratio between therapists and children who are depressed is lopsided. This is plausible, because apparently there are lots of "depressed" children these days. Another reason presented by the story suggests that many parents are embarrassed to take their children to therapy. I guess this becomes a battle between the ego of the American parent and the safety of their children.

Both publications have similar views on what the problem is and how the problem has arrived. People taking a a medicine that their body is not accustomed to, which changes their chemical balance, need to seek therapy for full recovery. "Depression" is such a vague term. Do these pills really cure the diagnosis. Is it all a scam by the government to secure more money from the people in order to pay for costs that were lost the past eight years? Who knows? Therapy seems like best solution to help a depressed person and yet people are being given pills without it. If anything, therapy should come first.