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Bailey Johnson

English 4

Ms. Mantlo

February 28, 2017

Antidepressants are becoming more and more accessible to the public. There is a lot of

controversy on if they actually work or if they just increase the risk of suicide. Some doctors and

patients say that they are made for everyone and can help cure a person suffering. Other doctors

and patients argue that they do not work and should never be given out to people with depression

because they will increase the depression and suicide risk. Antidepressants do increase suicide

risk and should not be given to patients without an intense evaluation of that patient.

When taking antidepressants you can experience many different side effects such as dry

mouth, increased suicidal thoughts, and even increased depression. There are many different

types of antidepressants. Figuring out which antidepressant works best for a person, if at all, can

be difficult. There is a sort of trial and error system that is put in place between the patient and

the drug. Abruptly stopping an antidepressant prescription will lead to a range of withdrawal

symptoms, from feeling more depressed to becoming irritable to developing flu like

symptoms(Auday). Although you arent supposed to abruptly stop your medication, that is

oftentimes what happens when your prescription is being changed. A person who is constantly

changing medications could have a dramatic increase in depression which ultimately increases

their suicide risk. Antidepressants should be described as a last resort and after a comparison

between that patient and the possible side effects. Antidepressants have terribly dangerous side
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effects that should not be taken lightly especially when giving a patient multiple different drugs

over a period of time.

Antidepressants are being easily accessed by people that struggle with depression. With

that being said, more studies are being conducted to determine the effects of the drug. Due to the

result of some experiments, labels are now printed on all antidepressant drug bottles that warn

users of increased risk of suicidal thoughts. According to Chara, there have been tests conducted

to find out if a placebo worked the same as the actual antidepressant drug. The results of the test

were shocking to researchers. The study found that people who took the placebo and the actual

drug both had the same positive results. The only difference between the actual drug and the

placebo was the side effects that occurred. Subjects that took the placebo faced little to no side

effects. Subjects that took the actual antidepressant drug faced increased depression, anxiety, and

increased suicidal thoughts. If a placebo pill works the same as the real drug, then it should

replace the antidepressant drug because it causes little to no side effects and is less risky when

considering a person's well being.

Antidepressants are mainly prescribed to children, young adults, and people over the age

of 50. Depression is mostly caused by a lack of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine in

the brain which help regulate and control mood and emotion. Antidepressants are basically a

stimulate or fake substance that is made to trick your brain into thinking that it is serotonin or

dopamine. This is supposed to help regulate your moods better because the drug causes the brain

to believe it is producing the feel good chemicals it needs. According to Hartmann, the risk of

suicide could be a cause due to damage of the neurotransmitters in the brain that help control a

person's thoughts and emotions. Antidepressants that are given to children is riskier because their

brain is not fully developed yet. Due to this fact, the antidepressant drug could be manipulating
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the child's brain causing complications between neurotransmitters that otherwise would not have

occurred. Antidepressants prescribed to older patients could be lacking the full effect depending

on what they have done in their life prior to taking the drug. Doing drugs or drinking lots of

alcohol as an adolescent could have damaged their brain prior to the antidepressant. This would

cause the brain to become even more confused when given a supplement that is supposed to help

the patient. Antidepressants are a dangerous drug and the age of patients are a huge factor when

considering who to give the drug to. The drug can do lots of damage to the brain prior to

adulthood and can even cause complications for people who are well passed adulthood.

Antidepressant drugs are a dangerous drug to give to patients that are suffering with

depression. The side effects and risks outway the benefits in most cases. Other methods such as

therapy should be considered before just giving a person a quick and easy fix. It is difficult to

find the right drug for the people, a placebo works just the same as the drug without side effects,

and it can permanently damage a person's brain. Antidepressants should not be given to patients

without serious evaluation of the patient and consideration of the long lasting effects they can

cause the patient to have.

Works Cited

Auday, Bryan C. "Antidepressants." Magill's Medical Guide, Seventh Edition. Ed. Bryan C.
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Auday, Michael A. Buratovich, Geraldine F. Marrocco and Paul Moglia. Hackensack:

Salem, 2014. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. <http://online.salempress.com>.

Chara, Paul J. "Antidepressants." The 1990s in America. Ed. Milton Berman. Hackensack:

Salem, 2009. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 22 Feb. 2017. <http://online.salempress.com>.

Hartmann, Peter M. and Piotrowski, Nancy A. "Suicide." Magill's Medical Guide, Seventh

Edition. Ed. Bryan C. Auday, Michael A. Buratovich, Geraldine F. Marrocco and Paul

Moglia. Hackensack: Salem, 2014. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 22 Feb. 2017.

<http://online.salempress.com>.