It is very upsetting to turn the television on in the morning and hear about another teenager that has ended his/ her life because life itself has become too unbearable to continue. Usually such pain is very visible, in their walk, in their talk, in their actions and in the face, especially the eyes. There is no reason for things to get so out of hand.
Major depressive disorder affects approximately 14.8 million American adults, or about 6.7 % of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year (The National Institute of Health, 2010). About 2.5% of children in the U.S. suffer from depression. Depression is significantly more common in boys under the age of 10. But by age 16, girls have a greater incidence of depression (Web M.D., 2010)
It is very important, as a parent or caregiver to establish a strong relationship with your children. Being a parent or caregiver is most definitely the hardest job that anyone can have. As parents, we try to show our children the best so they can become the best. Parents who are sensitive in their care giving, alert to their infant's needs, and react quickly and appropriately to such needs, are likely to have infants who develop a secure attachment (Abela, John R. Z., Zinck, Suzanne, Kryger, Shelley, Zilber, Irene, & Hankin, Benjamin L. 2009). A secure attachment helps the child to develop more trusting and dependable relationships which leads to a better sense of security, adjustment and emotions.
Children and adolescents are very impressionable. What is on the television, or in magazines really impacts them and mostly in negative ways. We don't hear, "Oh Mom! I really want that book that we've heard about on TV!" We hear, "Oh Mom! That outfit was gorgeous. It's the hottest trend, all the girls in school have it."
The world, especially the United States, is very materialistic and technological. The hottest clothes, the newest cell phones and iPods, make growing up really hard. As if making friends wasn't hard enough, right? Now you need all these gadgets and what-nots just to try to fit in on top of you trying to deal with all these hormonal changes.
It's a receipt for depression. However, with the strong relationships we were able to build with our children, they can overcome anything. With the strong relationship, these children will be able to come to their parents and caregivers for support. They will not be afraid. When children become afraid is when the suicidal thoughts and tendencies come about.
Children and adolescents have a difficult time asking for help because half the time they don't think they need help. It is up to the parents and caregivers to take control and do what is best for the child. It is a personal preference really as to what the "best" for one's child can really be. Some treatments are only effective for certain children. Some are not effective at all. Others come with dangerous side effects.
There are four groups of antidepressants, tricyclics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, MAOIs and atypical antidepressants.
Tricyclics prolong the impact of chemicals in the brain that affect nerve activity by blocking proteins that reabsorb norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine into the presynaptic nerve. As mentioned above, the side effects can be dangerous and is highly recommended to limit the amount of tricyclics (NAMI-GC).
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs. Their advantages include less water retention, generally milder side effects than the tricyclics, and are less likely to have adverse interactions with other medications. However, serious adverse reactions have been documented when SSRIs interact with another group of antidepressants MAOIs. (NAMI-GC).
MAOIs or monoamine oxidase inhibitors. MAOIs block the enzyme monoamine oxidase which is a presynaptic enzyme that metabolizes serotonin and catecholamines to inactive forms so it has more of its transmitters to release. MAOIs have worse side effects and more restrictions than tricyclics and SSRIs and are prescribed if the two have failed. (Thase, M.E., Trivedi, M. H., Rush, A.J, 1995).
The atypical antidepressants are considered the miscellaneous group, where certain medications cannot be classified in any of the other groups. Prescription medication is considered a "quick fix" and can lead to more severe illnesses and/ or disorders.
There is an herbal supplement that is available over the counter, where a prescription is not necessary, called St. John's Wort. It definitely has some advantages and disadvantages. It is available without a prescription and it is less expensive than a prescription, however, because of it’s easy availability, it is most often abused and becomes less effective because the body has become immune to it.
Abusing such medications and/ or supplements damages not only the brain, but other organs as well, such as the liver. The liver filters out everything the body takes in. Such chemicals are harder than others to filter through the liver, thus damaging the liver.
Once the liver is damaged it is not easy to repair and in most cases requires a liver transplant. That is why medications should only be used temporarily and in small amounts. Some cases require medication to really "balance" things out, however, that too is suppose to be only temporary. Children and adolescence are prescribed medications often too quickly. Parents and caregivers should really be involved in such decisions. Children and adolescents may be on other medications that can counteract with the antidepressants and such counteractions can lead to other medical conditions that may not be as easy to "fix."
Recent research suggests that antidepressants actually double the risk of suicidal thoughts and tendencies. (Juredini, J & Tonkin, Anne, 2005.) All medications, in my opinion, just hide the problem or alleviate it temporarily, to really and truly get over an issue, it is recommended to actually talk about the problem to find a solution. A solution that will last longer than the effects of the medications.
It is highly recommended that people give psychotherapy a shot. One-on-one counseling is really the most effective treatment for depression. Students can visit their school counselors and/ or fellow teachers. Help is always around the corner. Things should never escalate to suicidal thoughts and tendencies. It may be the expensive treatment but worth if a life can be saved and a child could grow up to become an important functioning member of society.
If a child response to neither the medications nor psychotherapy, there is always electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), but who will let their child be electrically shocked to overcome depression. That sounds a like a trigger for depression. However, this is an option only for extreme and rare cases. It has been proven somewhat effective on extreme suicidal tendencies.
Who knows, the child may be misdiagnosed to begin with. There may really be nothing wrong with the child, just a typical, hormonal feeling that will go away by the next day. It is important not to dismiss any symptom, just not jump to any conclusions until all possibilities have been weighted out. We cannot just have our children ingest medications or shocked unless we really have done our research about it.
But in the mean time, relax, talk it over, and/ or go for a walk.
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