Antidepressants Now No. 1 Drug Prescribed For Women 18-44 - High Number Of Prescriptions Worrying Some Experts

Snippets from a report on MSNBC

Studies are showing that for every 100 American women, 37 have been prescribed an antidepressant, which is now the No. 1 drug prescribed to women ages 18 to 44.

Some experts said they're worried.

"Some of the women are not really depressed," said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women and Families.

She said these numbers are too high. A big issue for her is that too often a medical doctor like a gynecologist or general practitioner is prescribing the antidepressant rather than a psychiatrist trained to treat mental health issues. As a result, many patients on mood meds are not getting the follow-up care they need. One study suggests that just 20 percent of adults on these drugs are getting follow-ups.

"But realistically, you want somebody who's keeping an eye on that patient and a lot of doctors are just not going to do that," Zuckerman said.

[...]

In fact, about two-thirds of people on these drugs experience side effects, which can be severe and devastating.

Internet bloggers are even sharing their experiences with antidepressants online. They descibe these effects as a "nightmare" and like "torture." Common reactions include "weight gain, decreased sex drive and severe stomach cramping."

"Something is going on with these drugs," Zuckerman said. "Not everybody metabolizes them the same way. It doesn't have the same effect on every person and some people are harmed by them."

Of course, we remain skeptical about the psychiatrists.