Coming of age on Zoloft

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-- so the drug prozac turns 25 this year and every year thousands of American children.

Are prescribed the drug and others like it according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

5% of teenagers aged twelve to nineteen years old -- taken anti -- now.

Is that necessary or are we over medicated our children to joining us to discuss this is the author of the book coming of age on Zoloft.

Catherine sharp Katherine welcome.

So Kevin from research and writing the book is a bit more teenagers today are -- need.

On anti depressants and anti anxiety medication or are doctors just over prescribing it.

Well that's a difficult question to answer I think.

There are a number of things going on him that describe via.

The increase in the use of these drugs for one thing -- stigma that we -- to using its presence has gone down.

And arguably that's a good thing to a certain extent but.

A lot of the increasing -- it is also explained by other factors such as.

Insurance companies that are more willing to pay for medications and they are to pay for other proven approaches like psychotherapy.

We've had a cultural shift where we've.

Medical I used a lot of negative feelings -- Sadness anxiety things that would have been seen and psychological issues generation ago you're -- right.

I just -- there because that is something that's have been whereas when teenagers now are sad or depressed as teenagers are want to be.

In that there are there having mood swings that now it seems that there's a chemical imbalance in your brain so take this medicine.

And all will be better you had an interesting experience in college with anxiety tell us what happened when you went to the doctor.

I still -- well.

As a college freshmen like many college freshman do -- went through a rough time during my first semester went to my school's health and counseling center and somewhat to my surprise came out about twenty minutes later.

With a prescription friend -- present that I ended up taking for a number of years.

So is there eight it.

Is her problem with this in that it doesn't teach teenagers.

The coping mechanisms to get through.

Anxiety and depression and it re used to have to do a -- just take medicine or is it helpful to just be able to pop a pill.

It can't be a problem.

And I think pills definitely have a role to play it's certainly.

Ideally they can help people to give them the energy and give them what they need.

To take a look at their lives and address any underlying problems that might be there but an approach where we.

Give medication.

As a first line response sometimes -- effectively and where we over encourage people to think their problems as manifestations of an illness or an imbalance.

Rather than some times to take a deeper look at what's going on that can be a problem.

Absolutely your book coming of age on Zoloft should help parents try to ask the right questions and be aware of -- just Powell.

Over medicated or medicated I should say teenagers are today Catherine chart thanks so much for coming into discuss this.

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Coming of age on Zoloft

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