Antidepressants to treat grief? Psychiatry panelists with ties to drug industry say yes

[Ms. Toad]

136. It is your subject line that is the key.

Doctors without adequate specialized training write prescriptions as if there are no serious side effects - and as if everyone responds the same way. Antidepressants aren't as predictable or innocuous as antibiotics, or medications for physical pain - either in how they work or what side effects they have.

I'm trying to be a good parent - the last few months, before we figured out that her really risky behavior was driven by celexa it has been hard to keep the lines of communication open because it was so hard to draw the line between permitting her to exercise her right as an adult to make her own decisions - but to make it clear that it was beyond my emotional capacity to enable her to make decisions that were risky (in a life threatening way). When the risks got to that level, one of the first things I did was to call on all my friends with connections to mental health resources to identify counselors experienced in helping young adults with chronic illnesses negotiate healthy decision making - then back off so she could have frank conversations with someone not so emotionally involved. That seems to have been successful, since she's been willing to drive a hour weekly to continue that relationship. And, more generally, sometimes I get the sense from her I'm succeeding - other times not. But we're still talking, and she still says she needs her family. So I figure I'm at least close to the right balance.

It is good to hear from someone a few years past where she is now! Thanks!