More Americans are on psychiatric medications than ever before, and in my experience they are staying on them far longer than was ever intended. Sales of antidepressants and antianxiety meds have been booming in the past two decades, and they’ve recently been outpaced by an antipsychotic, Abilify, that is the No. 1 seller among all drugs in the United States, not just psychiatric ones. As a psychiatrist practicing for 20 years, I must tell you, this is insane. At least one in four women in America now takes a psychiatric medication, compared with one in seven men. Women are nearly twice as likely to receive a diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorder than men are. For many women, these drugs greatly improve their lives. But for others they aren’t necessary.
– JULIE HOLLAND
via Medicating Women’s Feelings – NYTimes.com.
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Depression and anxiety are common symptoms for women suffering post abortion grief. Unfortunately, for political reasons, it’s rarely talked about and women are discouraged from talking about it too. One in four women have an abortion and it is logical to expect that not all will recover completely from such a significant event, whether or not their decision was freely made. It would help if doctors and mental health practitioners routinely asked women presenting with anxiety and depression about any past abortion history and made appropriate referrals to specialists in post abortion counselling, such as Open Doors Counselling in Melbourne. Medication doesn’t mend a grieving heart.