QUESTION:
Dear Dr. Heller,
I am a 20 year old woman who has been in therapy for about 9 months, and just yesterday my therapist recommended that I think about medication for depression. For the past month, I have been more tired than usual, very sad (crying on the bus, train, etc. for seemingly no reason), and have found myself irritated by friends and family even when they have done nothing to offend me. I understand that medication, such as Prozac, might be beneficial to me. The problem lies in me telling my parents. I am afraid to tell them, scared that they wont believe that I truly need it. I'm also frightened by the thought of taking medication at all. How do I know that I won't be seriously and negatively affected by the medication's side effects? And what are those side effects?
Thank you very much.
ANSWER:
Depression is a brain disorder, as the following picture shows:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/hotsci/scandep.htm.
Whether your parents agree or disagree, you need to be treated for your depression. You
are now an adult and can make your own choices. Untreated depression can result in
suicide, auto accidents, substance abuse, cancer and heart disease.
All medication has a balance of risks against the benefits, just like driving a car. You
don't know that driving your car today won't cause permanent damage to you, but
you perceive the benefits outweighing the potential risks. The same is true for watching
computer monitor screens. So far Prozac hasn't been shown to have any negative
consequences long term. Most patients have no side effects, and for those who do it
usually indicates the generalized anxiety disorder is also present and needs to be treated
with BuSpar. In this case, whatever your anxiety symptoms are may be temporarily worsened.
The most common side effects are insomnia, fatigue or difficulty achieving orgasm.
