What are the cons of college students choosing to use antidepressants?
Kadison, Richard. "Getting an Edge — Use of Stimulants and Antidepressants in College." New England Journal of Medicine N Engl J Med 353.11 (2005): 1089-091. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.
In this article, Richard Kadison acknowledges that this generation of college students is saddled with more financial, academic, and social stress than any generation prior, and this has led to increasing levels of substance abuse on college campuses. Kadison defines substance abuse as a misuse of alcohol, marijuana, and the like, but also, alarmingly, he has seen an increase in the misuse of antidepressants. College students, and sometimes their families as well, are advocating for the use of antidepressants as a sort of "brain steroid" that they believe helps students achieve maximum performance in class focus, motivation, and studying habits, and Kadison argues that this can cause detrimental effects for the students that would otherwise not need them. Among the most common, he lists headaches, nausea, sleep disturbance patterns, and even increased obsession in suicidal thoughts. While he admits that depression is a prevalent aspect for many on campus, those who do not consider themselves in this category, he asserts, should stay away from medication for their own benefit.
Before I read this article, I had never thought of the concept of students taking medication who didn't need to - on the contrary, I had always had a preconceived idea that not enough students considered the option of antidepressants. Though I feel the source answered my question thoroughly and that I am now aware of what potential sorts of negative side effects antidepressants can cause, I've begun to wonder how the side effects Kadison listed can compare to that of legitimately depressed individuals who abstain from taking medication; from my own understanding, lacking formal research, it seems to me that they mirror one another. Both seem to exhibit sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts, and with the exception of focus and basic functionality, symptoms appear one in the same. With this idea, I think it would benefit my overall exploratory research to dig deeper and find articles that compare the minds of those who are depressed versus those who are not, and just how exactly antidepressants can alter the minds of those who use them. It would also be beneficial to explore the different kinds of antidepressants and varying doses, as well as what exactly is the cause in differentiating who needs antidepressants and who does not.
This source is put into conversation well with my first source in the sense that both acknowledge the many ways, in both severity and form, that depression can manifest itself in college students. However, while my first source maintains a focus on the growing number of individuals who can be and are diagnosed with depression, Kadison's article alludes to the idea that while depression is a serious issue, attention need also be given, perhaps even to a greater extent, to the students who misuse antidepressants. And though both sources are more informative than argumentative in nature, I tend to agree more with source 1 simply from my own experience. I believe that untreated depression is a serious issue needed to take precedent above any other involving antidepressants. I feel that what needs to be addressed of both issues is greater education of depression, antidepressants, and freedom from the stigma that depression, or any mental illness, is something to be ashamed of - and I want to explore ways that individuals can become better suited to make decisions regarding potential use.
After reflecting on both sources, I've been given answers to what depression is, how it manifests itself on college campuses, and I've been able to delve further into the effects antidepressants have the potential to create. In this sense, I feel I've been given half of what I need so far; additional questions I need to pursue include how antidepressants work for students who actually need them, what positives they can create for working functionality, and any additional further arguments that can be made as to why, perhaps, a student with depression may still want to consider refraining from using antidepressants. These questions will allow me to take even more steps towards answering my original exploratory question, entailing the pros and cons of students using antidepressants at all.
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