
Katherine Sharpe
An intimate and cultural exploration of growing up on antidepressants, revealing the complex impact on identity, mental health, and society.
Prozac was the first SSRI introduced in 1987 and revolutionized depression treatment.
Section 1
7 Sections
Imagine sitting on a porch one late summer afternoon, surrounded by peers whose lives seem so full of promise, confidence, and social ease. Suddenly, a casual mention of antidepressants ripples through the group, revealing a hidden truth: every single person there has taken or is taking such medication.
Back in the early 1980s, psychiatric medications were a fringe phenomenon. But by the late 1990s and early 2000s, the landscape had changed dramatically. Prozac and other SSRIs had ushered in a psychopharmaceutical revolution, making antidepressants the most widely used class of drugs in America. By 2008, 11% of adults and 5% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 were on these medications.
Yet, this widespread use is not evenly distributed. Women take antidepressants at much higher rates than men, and white adolescents are significantly more likely to be prescribed these drugs than their black or Latino peers.
For many young people, learning that others share their experience with medication brings relief. It breaks the isolation and stigma that often accompany mental health struggles. But it also raises questions about what it means to be 'normal' and how medication fits into one's self-understanding.
This section invites us to reconsider our assumptions and opens the door to a deeper exploration of the personal and cultural dimensions of growing up on antidepressants. As we move forward, we will delve into the origins of these medications and the evolving medical and social narratives that shape their use.
What surprising discovery did a group of college students make about antidepressant use among their peers?
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Antidepressants have shifted from fringe treatments to common medications among young adults.
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