High Doses of Antidepressants Linked To Self-Harm In Children, Young Adults

High doses of antidepressants — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac or Zoloft — may raise the risk of suicidal behavior in children and young adults, according to a recent study CBS News reported.

The kids aren’t alright..

But the logic of this story was already in our brains. We are a highly medicated society—adults and children. Not a moment on TV goes by that there’s not an advertisement for adult over the counter drugs to help moods or improve sex lives. Often those ads show an elderly couple in a bathtub together—all the while quickly talking voices are telling how men can have heart attacks. So try it today.

I actually would not be surprised if morning cartoon shows will soon feature ads for antidepressants.. 

The money quote:

For the study, researchers analyzed data  from 162,625 people - between the ages of 10 and 64 years - with depression who started antidepressant treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor at modal (the most prescribed doses on average) or at higher than modal doses from 1998 through 2010.

In all seriousness, how many times does it come out that active shooters are hooked on medicine?

Perhaps there’s no 100% rule on the matter, but it sure is interesting that the kids who smoke pot or go to parties in the woods to drink beer seemingly aren’t the villains of these heinous acts.  Instead, it seems to always be the ones who are seeing doctors, legit doctors, who are prescribing drugs that a child would never be able to spell, let alone pronounce, during a spelling bee.

1 in 25 kids in the United States (that’s 2011 numbers, too) are on some form of mood changing drug. Many of them are under the age of 12—and many more are under the age of 5.

Are antidepressants always bad? No.
Are they overused?

The numbers tell the story more than any opinionated author on a website.

High Doses of Antidepressants Linked To Self-Harm In Children, Young Adults

From mild mannered child to .. monster of mayhem. And then he smiles and melts your heart..

Ayden Morris is 16 months old. He is amazing. At times it feels like he’s one of the adults, he tries so hard to be independent. He’ll go so far as to hold the cup with his own hands, but in the process rips it out of yours. He will take walks on his own, but make a fool of you as he whips his hands ferociously away from yours.

And yes, he eats on his own, even if it means he forces utensils out of your hands before you are ready to give them to him.

This is a wild ride. Parenting plus panicking. 
Laughing.. getting angry.. getting sad.. contemplating existence.. contemplating time.. Getting embarrassed as the frenzied flip out occurs at a grocery store checkout counter. 

My wife and I love being parents. We love having the task at hand .. we enjoy having something more important than ourselves being at the center of our marriage and lives. But .. by God, aren’t the terrible 2s supposed to occur when, well, when Ayden turns 2!?

I love the little man.
I love his emotions, as pure as they are.

And yes, even when I wish he wouldn’t get red in the face and belt out louder than a lawn mower on a microphone, I still am amazed as he grows, amazed as he learns.. and can’t wait until he starts asking “Why” to everything.

I think adults stop asking why..

And yes, we stop having meltdowns in grocery stores, too.
But that’s what makes kids more fun, don’t you think? 

People are heeding their pediatrician's advice and having kids sleep on their backs.. But now a new potentially dangerous problem is arising

The condition is While the is known as deformational plagiocephal, it has no treatment, and it seems to have become quite a problem since 1992 SIDS campaign began..

People are heeding their pediatrician's advice and having kids sleep on their backs.. But now a new potentially dangerous problem is arising

A new survey of British kids show they are happier living their lives online and without real social interaction

A researcher quoted in the DAILY MAIL article said, “It’s easier to be who you want to be, because nobody knows you and if you don’t like the situation you can just exit and it is over”

Is this what the children of the world have come to? Say anything you want online! Talk to strangers! No holds barred.. Be yourself. Of course in being yourself you’re by being someone else that doesn’t exist. Your new personality is more fun than your own! Who cares what genes you were born with, you can make your own! The world is at your fingertips..

And none of it is real.

If this British survey is true to form and is accurate in its portrayal of life of a British teen (and presumably an American teen, too) then something is going awfully awry.. The net is fine. I blog on here and share some thoughts too.. But within day my wife and I are going to be parents. The baby can come at any time. And the last thing I want to do is strap a laptop on his waist and set him up with a Facebook page. We’ll see how long we can persevere on that one I guess..

A new survey of British kids show they are happier living their lives online and without real social interaction

A disturbing glimpse at the youth of America: 25% of them taking prescription drugs

As a soon to be parent, this story alarms me as much as it does saddens me. I don’t want little Ayden to be a pill popper. And of the 25% how many really need this..?

A disturbing glimpse at the youth of America: 25% of them taking prescription drugs