2008 Woodie Awards
Anti-depressants
Students explain why they need prescription strength medications
By Erich Shoup
Issue date: 10/14/05 Section: News
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Some of these feelings can be associated with personal problems with family, a boyfriend or a girlfriend. Some could be due to living out on their own for the first time.
Still, some of these problems could be due to chemical imbalances. Being prescribed medication is fairly simple, but the question remains, is it for everyone?
"I know I needed medication," senior dance major Ashley Valo said.
Valo first started taking medication in the spring of her junior year in high school, around finals week. She had been experiencing anxiety and feeling overly sensitive to the world around her.
The process was fairly simple; Valo went to her family doctor and described some incidents in her life. She went home with a prescription for Celexa, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibiter (SSRI) and for Attavan, when things became too intense to handle.
"Life was extremely emotional," Valo said. "I would just start crying over the smallest thing."
Valo said she became more even-tempered after she began taking the medication and didn't break down nearly as much. After staying on her medication for about a year, Valo felt that she was well-adjusted enough to wean herself off the drug. She said she experienced no negative side effects from Celexa until she stopped taking it.
"I felt this sort of dizziness," Valo said. "It was comparable to the feelings of vitamin deficiency."
If the first time Valo used medication could be chalked up to instability and growing pains, her return to taking Celexa a few years later was for a much more specific reason. A bad break-up with her long-term boyfriend triggered her return to life on medication.
Now once again feeling back to normal, Valo is again weaning herself off. She said the positive effects have definitely outweighed the negative, though, and wouldn't rule out taking medication again if she runs into another tough period down the road of life. Valo said she firmly believes she can successfully live without Celexa for now.
"There's a little bit of fear," Valo said. "But I think I can handle it."
While many people's feelings of depression and inability to cope lead them to medication, some students have different emotions that steer them towards getting help. A lack of understanding of one's personal situation can lead to frustration and confusion. Ultimately, it all usually boils down to a breaking point.
