Quantcast

Antidepressants on children?

incogneato

No face, no case.
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
396,315
Reaction score
Reactions
2,688,727 494,839 222,827
2,888,690
Alleybux
1,057,137
Hi. My 11 years old little sister has been diagnosed with social anxiety last year. She has been taking antidepressants for 1 week so far...Is it normal for kids to take antidepressants? If anyone has any experience/ressources about it please share it... I’m scared these medications will mess her up in the long-term...
 

sinead94

General Manager
Joined
Apr 27, 2019
Messages
3,586
Reaction score
Reactions
30,314 1,838 3,430
23,491
Alleybux
343,437
It's not normal. There's something else going which you need to find out. Either some mental disorders (e.g. autism, asperger) or a traumatic event might have occurred (e.g. molestation). Nothing in the life of an eleven year old can justify being on antidepressamt.
 

incogneato

No face, no case.
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
396,315
Reaction score
Reactions
2,688,727 494,839 222,827
2,888,690
Alleybux
1,057,137
My child is 13 and was diagnosed with depression & anxiety. They were not effective...come to find out, she had a learning disability that nobody picked up till recently (we had her tested and switched psychiatrists). She is very bright so in her younger grades she was able to compensate but when she got to middle school, things got tougher. Covid and online learning exacerbated it. We didn't catch it till months after she had been trialed on these useless meds.

If you can tell your parent/guardian, get full neuro-psychological testing. This includes a psychological, social and educational testing. Also, watch her carefully. My child had suicidal thoughts after being on anti-depressant. This is a common side effect. Don't dismiss what she is saying and get her help if she says things like this. Either a mental hospital with pediatric service, pediatric crisis team or the emergency room.
 

Queena

Queena.
Joined
Nov 16, 2008
Messages
4,737
Reaction score
Reactions
26,822 1,032 1,423
29,080
Alleybux
37,734
Hi. My 11 years old little sister has been diagnosed with social anxiety last year. She has been taking antidepressants for 1 week so far...Is it normal for kids to take antidepressants? If anyone has any experience/ressources about it please share it... I’m scared these medications will mess her up in the long-term...
Some kids go through puberty and it hits them pretty hard. They may need an anti depressant. Which class of medication is she on? SSRI? Wellburtin? There's absolutely nothing wrong with getting a child help when it's needed. It's always better to be safe. Good luck, and if possible, try to combine her antidepressant with talk therapy. A combo of both have proven to be very effective.
 

Ms Vandross

Team Owner
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
8,772
Reaction score
Reactions
184,557 15,255 8,202
196,597
Alleybux
391,757
My child is 13 and was diagnosed with depression & anxiety. They were not effective...come to find out, she had a learning disability that nobody picked up till recently (we had her tested and switched psychiatrists). She is very bright so in her younger grades she was able to compensate but when she got to middle school, things got tougher. Covid and online learning exacerbated it. We didn't catch it till months after she had been trialed on these useless meds.

If you can tell your parent/guardian, get full neuro-psychological testing. This includes a psychological, social and educational testing. Also, watch her carefully. My child had suicidal thoughts after being on anti-depressant. This is a common side effect. Don't dismiss what she is saying and get her help if she says things like this. Either a mental hospital with pediatric service, pediatric crisis team or the emergency room.

Co-sign this.
I definitely believe medication is necessary in some cases but I think, for children especially, it should be the absolute last resort. OP, have you tried other interventions? Like another poster said, the diagnosis of whats causing the anxiety could be wrong meaning antidepressant may not be a suitable treatment. Exhaust all options.
Get different opinions by taking her to different psychiatrist, ALSO supper - important make sure the doctors you are taking her to are PAEDIATRIC.
 
Last edited:

incogneato

No face, no case.
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
396,315
Reaction score
Reactions
2,688,727 494,839 222,827
2,888,690
Alleybux
1,057,137
I’ll play the devils advocate here.

How old are you OP? Are you an adult sibling? If so, have you brought these concerns to your parent(s) since they are authorizing this treatment? If you have genuine concerns (which you do) I would first communicate them to your parent(s), your worries are totally valid...but know that there is a possibility that your sister’s social anxiety is much deeper than you realize, hence the use of medication, maybe her issues are more severe than you are privy to...she could have had a traumatic event that you are totally unaware of.


An 11 year old being in antidepressants is not ideal, but sometimes terribly traumatizing situations warrant its use.
 

DivaLasVegas82

Georgia Peach
Joined
Sep 4, 2012
Messages
66,928
Reaction score
Reactions
674,901 21,167 21,871
693,492
Alleybux
671,256
I’m not a fan of children taking medication unless it is absolutely necessary. I feel like doctors over prescribe children and teens medication. I’ve dealt with depression since I was a preteen and took Prozac. But it didn’t work for me, so I started looking for other alternatives. I found that meditation and music help me more than medication did.
 

ChihulyGlass

General Manager
Joined
May 18, 2020
Messages
4,712
Reaction score
Reactions
26,600 1,464 715
29,895
Alleybux
258,297
Hi. My 11 years old little sister has been diagnosed with social anxiety last year. She has been taking antidepressants for 1 week so far...Is it normal for kids to take antidepressants? If anyone has any experience/ressources about it please share it... I’m scared these medications will mess her up in the long-term...
I took Paxil for anxiety as a teenager. I started at 16 and stopped at 18. The medicine made me feel more nervous, depressed, I didn't have a xes drive. You would think lack of xes drive in a teenager isn't bad, but it can stunt your dating life. Teen years are a time you are supposed to be courting. I look back, I passed on dates because I wasn't attracted to anyone.

Then I started talking more out of my head. Sometimes medicines used to cure social anxiety loosens your inhibitions. So you don't have a filter. I struggle with that problem for a long, long, long time.

When I was young I was a very neat person and had an extremely neat appearance. When I took my medicine I stopped carrying. Don't get me wrong, I still took baths and put on deodorant. Yet I slowly stopped carrying about how my hair looked, I'd just throw on any kind of outfit. It got worse.


I'd say, let your niece be placed in a therapeutic environment where she is given social tasks, that build her confidence. Like going into stores, buying food, and paying for things. My anxiety hit me at 12. I will never forget. I was in a store and all of a sudden I had a strong urge to leave. I started sitting in the car. I hated going places after that.

Let her practice making presentations and speeches at school and church. Let her volunteer for a charity where she has to deal with people. Just break her task up into little assignments at a time. Trust me, that is going to help her.

I really believe social anxiety is one of things that can be help with behavioral modifications more than medicine.


Oh and not to scare anyone but I got so depressed, I seriously contemplated taking off my clothes and walking down the hallway. I was a teenager and the thought just popped into my head like I was about to snap. I am so happy God's grace stopped me that day. I don't know where that came from. I had to be 17 years old. I don't know, it was like my brain wasn't in my body. I blame the medicine.
 

krazyJ

On his Brohan while Gohan's GoneHan
Joined
Aug 22, 2015
Messages
8,058
Reaction score
Reactions
55,166 2,772 133
76,222
Alleybux
234,199
My daughter is on Wellbutrin. It's helped so much with her ADHD. She also has depression and anxiety as well. It's helped all of that. This is coming from someone who tried to refuse medication for her since her diagnosis. She was diagnosed at the age of 6. She's 14 now. I hated that she kind of had to be a guinea pig to find what combo of meds worked for her. But when I tell you it makes things much easier for her and my household.
 
Last edited:

Melinaroberts2

MVP
BANNED
Joined
May 24, 2019
Messages
804
Reaction score
Reactions
6,296 918 901
5,437
Alleybux
0
Hi. My 11 years old little sister has been diagnosed with social anxiety last year. She has been taking antidepressants for 1 week so far...Is it normal for kids to take antidepressants? If anyone has any experience/ressources about it please share it... I’m scared these medications will mess her up in the long-term...
Try CBD oil instead it’s natural and doesn’t have weird side effects. I recommend the Rose n oynx brand. Cbd is amazing for anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, ADHD and so much more do your research it’s amazing and I much better option in my opinion bc it’s not man made
 

incogneato

No face, no case.
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Messages
396,315
Reaction score
Reactions
2,688,727 494,839 222,827
2,888,690
Alleybux
1,057,137
OP here. Thank you everyone for your help! I do not know the details on which medication she is taking I’ll try my best to answer the questions.
My child is 13 and was diagnosed with depression & anxiety. They were not effective...come to find out, she had a learning disability that nobody picked up till recently (we had her tested and switched psychiatrists). She is very bright so in her younger grades she was able to compensate but when she got to middle school, things got tougher. Covid and online learning exacerbated it. We didn't catch it till months after she had been trialed on these useless meds.

If you can tell your parent/guardian, get full neuro-psychological testing. This includes a psychological, social and educational testing. Also, watch her carefully. My child had suicidal thoughts after being on anti-depressant. This is a common side effect. Don't dismiss what she is saying and get her help if she says things like this. Either a mental hospital with pediatric service, pediatric crisis team or the emergency room.
She sees a psychologist. She doesn’t like taking the antidepressants. Even before 2020, she was insecure about her appearance and she didn’t have many friends at school...In 2020, she started to eat less and she lost a lot of weight...My dad is pushing the narrative that she’s anxious because of school, because she doesn’t want to go there. But I think it’s more than that. My parents doesn’t have the best relationship and they still live together. Plus my mom is emotionally absent...
Co-sign this.
I definitely believe medication is necessary in some cases but I think, for children especially, it should be the absolute last resort. OP, have you tried other interventions? Like another poster said, the diagnosis of whats causing the anxiety could be wrong meaning antidepressant may not be a suitable treatment. Exhaust all options.
Get different opinions by taking her to different psychiatrist, ALSO supper - important make sure the doctors you are taking her to are PAEDIATRIC.
Thank you for the advice, I will ask my parents about it. My dad doesn’t like the idea that she’s taking antidepressants too.
I’ll play the devils advocate here.

How old are you OP? Are you an adult sibling? If so, have you brought these concerns to your parent(s) since they are authorizing this treatment? If you have genuine concerns (which you do) I would first communicate them to your parent(s), your worries are totally valid...but know that there is a possibility that your sister’s social anxiety is much deeper than you realize, hence the use of medication, maybe her issues are more severe than you are privy to...she could have had a traumatic event that you are totally unaware of.


An 11 year old being in antidepressants is not ideal, but sometimes terribly traumatizing situations warrant its use.
I just turned 20. I think her issues are deeper than that too...I told my dad that I don’t think this is a good idea, but since I don’t know much about theses medications I had no argument to justify my opinion. I just had a feeling that it wasn’t right.
get that child outside or playing with other kids.
She only plays with my 2 other siblings. She doesn’t have a lot of friends and she doesn’t really like to go outside. I should try to go out more with her.

I took Paxil for anxiety as a teenager. I started at 16 and stopped at 18. The medicine made me feel more nervous, depressed, I didn't have a xes drive. You would think lack of xes drive in a teenager isn't bad, but it can stunt your dating life. Teen years are a time you are supposed to be courting. I look back, I passed on dates because I wasn't attracted to anyone.

Then I started talking more out of my head. Sometimes medicines used to cure social anxiety loosens your inhibitions. So you don't have a filter. I struggle with that problem for a long, long, long time.

When I was young I was a very neat person and had an extremely neat appearance. When I took my medicine I stopped carrying. Don't get me wrong, I still took baths and put on deodorant. Yet I slowly stopped carrying about how my hair looked, I'd just throw on any kind of outfit. It got worse.


I'd say, let your niece be placed in a therapeutic environment where she is given social tasks, that build her confidence. Like going into stores, buying food, and paying for things. My anxiety hit me at 12. I will never forget. I was in a store and all of a sudden I had a strong urge to leave. I started sitting in the car. I hated going places after that.

Let her practice making presentations and speeches at school and church. Let her volunteer for a charity where she has to deal with people. Just break her task up into little assignments at a time. Trust me, that is going to help her.

I really believe social anxiety is one of things that can be help with behavioral modifications more than medicine.


Oh and not to scare anyone but I got so depressed, I seriously contemplated taking off my clothes and walking down the hallway. I was a teenager and the thought just popped into my head like I was about to snap. I am so happy God's grace stopped me that day. I don't know where that came from. I had to be 17 years old. I don't know, it was like my brain wasn't in my body. I blame the medicine.
Thank you for sharing your story. My little sister always seemed/looked sad even before taking the meds. I’m scared it will amplify that. I’m still a student and I’m working too, but I’ll definitely try your advice.
She seems really happy when we have fun and we joke around with my dad or the siblings
My daughter is on Wellbutrin. It's helped so much with her ADHD. She also has depression and anxiety as well. It's helped all of that. This is coming from someone who tried to refuse medication for her since her diagnosis. She was diagnosed at the age of 6. She's 14 now. I hated that she kind of had to be a guinea pig to find what combo of meds worked for her. But when I tell you it makes things much easier for her and my household.
Thank you for sharing, I’m glad she’s doing great.
Try CBD oil instead it’s natural and doesn’t have weird side effects. I recommend the Rose n oynx brand. Cbd is amazing for anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, ADHD and so much more do your research it’s amazing and I much better option in my opinion bc it’s not man made
Thank you! I prefer natural options too.
 

sinead94

General Manager
Joined
Apr 27, 2019
Messages
3,586
Reaction score
Reactions
30,314 1,838 3,430
23,491
Alleybux
343,437
OP here. Thank you everyone for your help! I do not know the details on which medication she is taking I’ll try my best to answer the questions.

She sees a psychologist. She doesn’t like taking the antidepressants. Even before 2020, she was insecure about her appearance and she didn’t have many friends at school...In 2020, she started to eat less and she lost a lot of weight...My dad is pushing the narrative that she’s anxious because of school, because she doesn’t want to go there. But I think it’s more than that. My parents doesn’t have the best relationship and they still live together. Plus my mom is emotionally absent...

Thank you for the advice, I will ask my parents about it. My dad doesn’t like the idea that she’s taking antidepressants too.

I just turned 20. I think her issues are deeper than that too...I told my dad that I don’t think this is a good idea, but since I don’t know much about theses medications I had no argument to justify my opinion. I just had a feeling that it wasn’t right.

She only plays with my 2 other siblings. She doesn’t have a lot of friends and she doesn’t really like to go outside. I should try to go out more with her.


Thank you for sharing your story. My little sister always seemed/looked sad even before taking the meds. I’m scared it will amplify that. I’m still a student and I’m working too, but I’ll definitely try your advice.
She seems really happy when we have fun and we joke around with my dad or the siblings

Thank you for sharing, I’m glad she’s doing great.

Thank you! I prefer natural options too.

OP, another thing you could do is watch your sister's diet. Look into cutting carbs and introducing healthy fat and meat. I've heard quite a few people who said that it improved their mood. Obviously, changing one's diet is hard especially if she's young, but that could help. Look into Keto diet.
 

Nitpickr

Team Owner
Joined
Nov 30, 2019
Messages
6,143
Reaction score
Reactions
69,920 2,358 2,101
74,542
Alleybux
1,000
OP here. Thank you everyone for your help! I do not know the details on which medication she is taking I’ll try my best to answer the questions.

She sees a psychologist. She doesn’t like taking the antidepressants. Even before 2020, she was insecure about her appearance and she didn’t have many friends at school...In 2020, she started to eat less and she lost a lot of weight...My dad is pushing the narrative that she’s anxious because of school, because she doesn’t want to go there. But I think it’s more than that. My parents doesn’t have the best relationship and they still live together. Plus my mom is emotionally absent...

Thank you for the advice, I will ask my parents about it. My dad doesn’t like the idea that she’s taking antidepressants too.

I just turned 20. I think her issues are deeper than that too...I told my dad that I don’t think this is a good idea, but since I don’t know much about theses medications I had no argument to justify my opinion. I just had a feeling that it wasn’t right.

She only plays with my 2 other siblings. She doesn’t have a lot of friends and she doesn’t really like to go outside. I should try to go out more with her.


Thank you for sharing your story. My little sister always seemed/looked sad even before taking the meds. I’m scared it will amplify that. I’m still a student and I’m working too, but I’ll definitely try your advice.
She seems really happy when we have fun and we joke around with my dad or the siblings

Thank you for sharing, I’m glad she’s doing great.

Thank you! I prefer natural options too.
This society has been pushing out depressed, socially inept kids because they simply do not have the same childhoods as kids in past generations. You would be surprised by the impacts of social groups and physical activity like sports teams on the formative years of kids. I think she needs a group of peers/people she feels comfortable around and has fun with. It could even be you.
 

datgurl10

Rookie
Joined
Feb 1, 2014
Messages
45
Reaction score
Reactions
219 7 9
229
Alleybux
23,588
Anti-depressants are safe to take in children, there have been studies on children showing they are safe and effective. They would not make her more anxious or sad. Some kids need to be on them but not long term. The medication can have side effects when you on it but there are no long term side effects with the usual SSRIs prescribed. CBD is not indicated for anxiety or depression in children and there are no studies supporting their use or what the long term effects of this would be. Talk about your concerns with the child psychiatrist. Treating anxiety and depression in children usually needs multiple approches, so its very good that she is working with a psychologist some kids do well just with this therapy. Especially if its CBT or DBT. The psychiatrist would also be able to recommend what kind of therapy is the best. If everyone is nervous about medication the best approach is therapy, good sleep and excersise they all have evidence. Sometimes family therapy is also needed as anxiety is due to family dynamics.
 

GigiLaMoore

Team Owner
Joined
Oct 27, 2020
Messages
12,034
Reaction score
Reactions
149,259 1,871 1,040
168,713
Alleybux
170
Some kids do indeed need medication. I worked in a children's behavioral (mental) health clinic over 20 years ago. There was a child who was so deep into psychosis that it took 5 grown men to hold him down to allow the paramedics to strap him to the gurney. He was a 12 year old little Asian kid. I had never seen anything like that in my life. Should medication be the first resort? Depends on the condition. In this instance, you have to trust that your mom is doing what she thinks is best but also be prepared to speak up if you see side effects that trouble you.
 

All_star23

I make you feel that dont i? Good.
Joined
Aug 18, 2014
Messages
16,124
Reaction score
Reactions
116,590 2,902 1,984
128,138
Alleybux
96,000
It’s not normal, especially for social anxiety in a child. A behavior specialist can work with her for better results. Medication so young would not only make her dependent but she wont feel like herself due to the medication effects.
 

Similar Threads

News Alley

The Lounge

General Alley

Top Bottom