Did you know that thousands of children are being prescribed antidepressants to treat their depression? The age range of patients dealing with depression and are receiving drugs is as young as four years old. Some people believe that the antidepressants are benefitting the children, but that is not the case. Antidepressant drugs that are prescribed to children suffering from depression can lead to suicidal thoughts because the medication only makes the children feel worse mentally and physically. Many children are being prescribed these drugs because it is much easier for the doctors. The medications are being overly given to patients for this problem, and the doctors are not hesitating to give them out constantly. In a newspaper article …show more content…
Some people have a different opinion, thinking that the drugs are being beneficial to the patient suffering from mental depression and actually making them feel better. “Worse, antidepressants, which can be life saving, are probably being underused in young people” (Friedman). The medicine that has been given to children and teenagers may be beneficial in some circumstances, but for the majority, the drugs only make the problem worse and cause dangerous side effects, such as growth defects and making the depressed and suicidal thoughts even worse. Also, some data gives hope that the antidepressants are legitimately helping patients, such as, “...a steady decline in adolescent suicide rates that coincided with an increase in the use of antidepressants in this age group” (Friedman). Even though this evidence makes it seem like the drugs are making it better, it is false. Overall, more drugs have been given and caused more problems than the drugs that are genuinely helping the child or teenagers. The medicines primarily only provoke more secondary responses and problems with the child’s growth and development. “Parents and teenagers, and their doctors, too, should not be afraid of antidepressants and should know that they can be very helpful” (Friedman). This statement that Friedman has made is very untrue and actually the complete opposite. Nowadays, the first thing doctors look for when they have a patient dealing with mental depression is the prescription pad. The drugs are most definitely overused these days and people should be more worried about this situation and trying to limit the amount of antidepressants significantly more. Accordingly, the thoughts that the medication for mental depression is doing any good, is incorrect and will always be