Posted by Sarah T. on April 16, 2006, at 0:29:22
In reply to I'm apathetic, but I don't care, posted by linkadge on April 14, 2006, at 18:22:10
Hi Linkadge,
I thought you were sort of half joking. When I was on ssri's, however, it was no joke. In fact, being apathetic and not caring about it is one of the main problems with ssri's. For most of us, apathy is not a good thing, and it can be dangerous, especially in adolescents who are on ssri's. Teenagers and children don't have enough experience to realize the consequences of their actions (or, in some cases, inaction). Teens often take inappropriate risks because, even without any medication, they still think they are indestructible and have an "It can't happen to me" attitude. Sometimes anxiety can be appropriate and life-saving, but if you give ssri's to a child or teen who has neither the life experience nor the appropriate anxiety to deal with a dangerous situation, the consequences can be devastating.
I have often thought that the popularity of ssri's is due, in large part, to this problem. Apathetic patients don't complain to their doctors much. No matter how terrible their lives may be, apathetic patients may just shrug it off, so their doctors may be led to believe that their patients are much better than they actually are. And some doctors who just want things to be nice and easy and who don't do a d**m thing to help their patients, like ssri's because their patients call them less and make no demands.
I don't think you're on ssri's now, but I brought all that up because, to my mind, in the past ten years or so, "apathy" and "ssri's" have become nearly synonymous.
poster:Sarah T.
thread:633179
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060412/msgs/633728.html