Teenagers and depression medications are not always a positive combination. In fact, some types of antidepressants may actually have the reverse effect on a teen and cause the depression to worsen. That is why teenagers and depression medications is still a widely debated topic.
Because of the negative effects that sometimes happen when teens take antidepressant medications, many heath care providers will encourage a form of psychotherapy before actually writing any prescriptions for antidepressants. Some of the possible side effects that occur when teens take certain forms of depression medications include an increases risk of suicidal thoughts and even more episodes of severe depression. There are many reasons that cause teens to experience depression. Some of these reasons include drastic life changes including the death of a loved one, sickness, family problems, financial issues, divorce, relationship problems and more. Teens that are most likely to experience depression are teens with low self-esteem, those that struggle in school as well as those who are often victims of bullying and other verbal or physical attacks from peers or even adults.
Teenagers and Depression Medications:
Because so many teens are at risk for experiencing depression, some form of prevention and treatment must be considered to prevent a depressed teen from taking a drastic measure like suicide or other forms of violence toward others. The best way to prevent depression in your teen is to watch for the warning signs. Many of these signs of depression entail weight loss or gain, trouble sleeping, apathy, poor academic performance, signs of being bullied, feeling upset and worthlessness, prolonged periods of sadness, irritability, fatigue, loss of interest, difficulty concentrating as well as suicidal thoughts or tendencies. If a teen begins showing these signs, it is important to get help right away. While some parents might think a pill like an antidepressant would be the easier fix to help bring their teen out of a depression, teenagers and depression medications don’t always mix. While there are a couple types of depression medications that are available to treat depression in teens, most actually cause the situation to worsen. Because teens are experiencing an up and down series of emotions constantly, many types of antidepressants don’t work well with these emotional changes. In fact, the depression medications can actually cause the depression symptoms to worsen.
In some cases where teens have been treated with depression medications, the teens have worsened to the point of committing suicide. Because these are serious emotions and careful hormones mental health care professionals are working with, most won’t want to take a risk and prescribe a medication that could actually be detrimental to the emotional recovery of the teen. Because of the negative effects that can result with teenagers and depression medications, many health care professionals will try for alternative methods of treatment instead. Many of these include the basic form of psychotherapy. Often times, psychotherapy is one of the most effective ways to treat depression for teens and adults of any age. Many teens might simply need a stronger outlet to let go of these excess emotions of sadness, anger and anxiety about life.
Treatment and Solutions for Depressed Teenagers:
To find the best treatment solutions for your teen, it is important to consult with a mental health care professional to determine which method of treatment to take. Like with many depressed adults, some teens find successful treatment for their depression with a combination of light antidepressant medication treatments and psychotherapy through individual or group counseling. Some of the most effective depression medications that are approved by the FDA are often used in these combination therapies. Some of these antidepressants include Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, which are considered the most successful to be used in teen depression. However, if teens are suffering from a combination of depression and anxiety, some of these medication might not work, or will cause the symptoms to worsen. This is why it is important for parents to get their teens properly diagnosed. If the teen has been exhibiting signs of depression for at least two weeks, it might be time to consider taking them to a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist to be diagnosed.
Sources: nlm.nih.gov, helpguide.org, livestrong.com