. I was born with a physical disability called spina bifida. i became incrediably depressed after i had severe falling outs with a group of friends who betrayed me, then i started to have one health problem after another. (growth spurt i guess) i asked to be put on medication in seventh grade, but the doctors refused because they thought "i'd get over it". I became nearly suicidial in the eighth grade, and the doctors still refused. I'd been in school counseling since the 4th grade, and they thought i should continue that. what helped me? simple. I was a big fan of the TV show Dawsons Creek, and to lift my spirits, my parents sent me to north carolina, to be an extra on the show. that, along with the fact that i started high school, and finally got to be with all my friends (i get along better with older kids) was a HUGE eomtional boost! however, happy or not, the stress of high school takes its toll on you, and in the 11th grade, i began having headaches, and because i have a shunt, we thought it was that. it wasnt. we went to a neurologist for a 500th opnion and after talking to me for 10 minutes, he said "your headaches are depression and stress related, because of your disabilitÿ", and he wrote me a prescritption for zoloft. Now was that SOO hard!
In a way, I'm glad i was put on medication when everything else was ruled out! my doctors really wanted to see what the problem was before jumping to conclusions. do i feel they waited too long? sometimes, yes. But it also forced to me to look at it as a last possible option, and to take care of it myself first.
i also realized that i was just looking for somewhere to be a child. part of my depression came from having to be so responsible and mature all the time. having to always do the right thing for my health. those once a week therapy sessions helped me because I found what i needed was, not to talk about my problems like others do, but to talk about stupid stuff. talk about boys, and school, and movies, and television.
I agree with tom that children are over-medicated. I know too many parents who treat medication as an "alternative parent". they are too busy dealing with work, bills and other things. they dont want to be responsible for entertaining their child, too. so they rely on drugs to do that for them.
I DONT agree with the example tom gave. he is a man, and knows nothing of post-partum depression. but i know many people (my family included) who also dont believe any sort of depression is real. they believe it is all a state of mind. i cant tell you how many times my family has told me to "get over myself".
My sister is a graduate of UC berkeley, and she has told me that there are ways of preventing depression. excerise plays a big part, as do vitamins and minerals. if you are healthy, your chances of getting it are less. My mom's friend has been a nurse for many years, and she also says that there are ways of decreasing your chances of becoming depressed, by leading an active lifestyle. does it still happen? yes. is it hormonal? it can be.
i think people are also being hypocritcal. there are many respectable doctors out there, fully certified, who also dont think PPD is a big deal, and no one is attacking them!
Give Tom a break. I firmly believe he's trying to help and his heart is in the right place.
When Tom Cruise gave his opinion about the drugging of America, he created a firestorm of controversy. Are we an overmedicated nation? Dave and Jill feel as if their 7-year-old son is holding them hostage in their own home. He's on three medications, but his uncontrollable fits of rage are destroying their marriage. Is this a real medical issue or a parenting problem? Then, two women with powerful personal stories debate the "Cruise controversy." They both think their opinion is right, but what does Dr. Phil think? Plus, an outraged father confronts his ex-wife and demands that she stop medicating their 9-year-old son. Talk about the show here.
