I write as someone who would easily have been prescribed (at several points in his life) various antidepressants. I never felt the need for them truly but they had been suggested for me basically with the same level of consideration as most docs hand out ADHD drugs. My girlfriend whom I love takes anti-depressants and they help her tremendously, so I do acknowledge that they are not without merit.<p>That said, I have seen people put on meds that were pretty clearly not needed (both anti-depressant and ADHD/ADD meds). These meds were added as either a form of insurance policy against some form of academic failure, or generally in high school, a way to dampen off-median behavior.<p>The big issue I have is the scale at which these medicines are distributed, as well as the early age of the target audience. It does seem odd that there are more than 1/10 over the age of 12 in the US (2011 numbers, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/19/us-usa-antidepressants-idUSTRE79I7FI20111019" rel="nofollow">http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/19/us-usa-antidepress...</a>) taking antidepressants.<p>I have no religious or economic reasons to discourage adoption of any medication (if it works it works).<p>My primary objection to any given medication is based on my consideration of how I might have turned out differently had I been put on every med suggested.<p>People are strange screwy creatures. I know some people really need help, and to them: get it, it really does help. My fear is that an 8 year old version of me (or you) somewhere is being told that something is wrong with them because they're a bit spazzy in class and that they need to be medicated because of it.