There was an interesting discussion about anti-depressants on Midmorning with Kerri Miller today that attempted to sort out the science and the business of psychiatry. It occurred to me as I listened to the guests and callers speak about their experiences with anti-depressants and psychotherapy that these things even cropped up in the teen fiction that I read. Books like Total Constant Order and The Nature of Jade show teens taking meds and in talk therapy, respectively, for mental health issues like anxiety, OCD, and depression.
Colleen Mondor had this to say about Total Constant Order on Bookslut,
“. . . But more importantly this is one of the few books I’ve read that tackles frequently diagnosed disorders like OCD and ADD and shows that not only are the disorders hard, but the cures are equally difficult. This is no teen melodrama, or movie of the week; it’s a sensitive portrayal of just how much it sucks to be a teenager whose life is in disarray. When adults are in trouble their feelings and concerns are respected and heard; when it happens to teenagers they are considered melodramatic whiners. Chappell gives some of those kids a voice with Fin and Thayer’s stories, and I hope that people hear what they have to say.”
Here’s my running list of titles that feature teens getting help for mental health issues. Perhaps these fictional teens’ experiences will speak to you.
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