Product Description

On March 11, 2001, seventeen-year-old Will ingested a near-fatal dose of his antidepressant medication, an event that would forever change his life and the lives of his family. In Will's Choice, his mother, Gail Griffith, tells the story of her family's struggle to renew Will's interest in life and to regain their equilibrium in the aftermath.

Griffith intersperses her own finely wrought prose with dozens of letters and journal entries from family and friends, including many from Will himself. A memoir with a social conscience, Will's Choice lays bare the social and political challenges that American families face in combating this most mysterious and stigmatized of illnesses. In Gail Griffith, depressed teens have found themselves a formidable advocate, and in the evocative and fiercely compelling narrative of Will's Choice, we all discover the promise of a second chance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #168208 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-01
• Released on: 2006-05-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060598662
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
There has been much controversy recently about whether antidepressants cause children and teens to become suicidal; this is the saga of one mother's nightmare—one that still leaves her believing antidepressants have a role to play in treating depression. Four years ago, Griffith's 17-year-old son, Will, attempted suicide by overdosing on the antidepressant Remeron. Will had previously been treated for depression, but had never been suicidal. Griffith describes the effect of the suicide attempt on herself, her husband (Will's stepfather) and Will's girlfriend, Megan, who was addicted to cutting herself. The author is painfully honest about her own battle with depression at age 40, and excerpts from Will's and Megan's diaries are heartrending. Although this is but a single case and so sheds little light on the relative benefits and dangers of antidepressant use, parents will find it instructive in how to recognize and respond to a child's depression. The book is also a plea to society to recognize that depression is a serious but treatable illness: after a stint in a residential treatment center that combined therapy and medication, Will emerged from his depression and now attends college. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School–In this beautifully written and gripping account, readers learn a great deal about adolescent depression. On March 11, 2001, Griffith discovered that life had become so unbearable for her 17-year-old son that he took an overdose of antidepressants in a failed suicide attempt. Denial about what Will tried to do became determination to help him to recover and to control the emotions that led him to that moment. Griffith talks about the warning signs of a suicidal teen, the controversy concerning teens and the use of antidepressants, and the potential difficulties of identifying the right treatment program. Throughout the book, she is honest about her feelings of failure and of feeling lost. In 1991, she was diagnosed with major depression and realized that she had been fighting a mood disorder all of her adult life. The inclusion of segments of Will's journal and those of his girlfriend, who suffered similarly, helps to keep their voices in the forefront. This account has much to offer adults who may encounter a depressed teenager or teens themselves, including a list of organizational resources and a list of suggested reading and references.–Peggy Bercher, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Will, 17, thought he had downed enough of his prescribed antidepressant medication to end his emotional anguish forever. Fortunately for the many who loved him and, as it has turned out, for himself, he didn't. Gail, Will's mother, tells the story of the family's shock and sadness at Will's attempted suicide and their struggle to find a place where their once "joyous" child could mend and rediscover his delight in life. Her affecting account, with includes contributions from her son and recollections of her own battle with depression, is peppered with timely questions and bits of background: Is there a genetic predisposition to depression? Is it safe to use SSRI medication with individuals under the age of 18? She doesn't provide all the answers, but her story will support parents struggling to help their own suffering teens and also give them lots to think about. The appended list of resources links readers to more about mood disorders, advocacy, and treatment programs. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Pain and redemption
Ms. Griffith's well-written account of her son Will's suicide attempt and the effects it has had on Will, his family and friends is heart-squeezing in and of itself. Yet Griffith not only tells her own family's story, but through research gives us a troubling description of our entire society's failure to understand and deal with the growing phenomenon of teenage depression and suicide.

How did Will--a seemingly happy child--so quickly fall into depression and then attempt to stop his pain by death? What brings any teen, happy or not, to such a joyless existence that they think death is the answer?

Griffith offers some explanations based on her investigations, including both societal (too early media-driven sexual awakenings, lack of parental involvement in their children's lives, etc.) and natural (chemical imbalances, heredity), but the real contribution in the book is perhaps the call to all parents to become better informed about teen depression while trusting their instincts as parents to guard, guide, and love their kids.

She also speaks to needed changes in attitudes and policies regarding mental illness from the general public, government agencies, health care professionals, and health insurers.

Despite all of Will's and his family's pain depicted in this book, there is redemption. Will has recovered and is doing well. And his mother has given all of us a clearer path to better understand and help troubled teens.

And the book is not a total downer--there are light moments of dark humor by both Will and his mom. There is no need for a caution label on the cover. It is ultimately a very good read.

Gripping and Helpful
Gail Griffith's account of her son's illness comes across as painfully honest. Her inclusion of her son's and Megan's writings was very helpful for those of us who seek to understand the crippling illness called clinical depression. If you have ever had to deal with a close relative who is suffering from clinical depression, this account clearly lays out the anguish being experienced by the sufferer and also by the immediate family dealing with this person. Because the author deals with many of the difficulties and controversies (medical, pharmacological, and financial) encountered in trying to find a viable treatment program, much helpful information is offered. The book is also very informative about the present state-of-the art in dealing with clinical depression.
Above all, I found this book to be a fascinating, well-written and gripping account that was very much worth reading. Thank you, Gail.

Only Tells Part of the Facts
Critique by Rosie Meysenburg

In the section of this book on the FDA Advisory Committee Meetings in 2004, Gail Griffith did not mention the criteria the FDA used to place a Black Box Warning on all antidepressants for children/adolescents. The Black Box Warning was put on the antidepressants because clinical trials showed that 4% of the participants on the SSRI antidepressants had suicidal thoughts & benaviors as compared to 2% of a control group on placebo [sugar pill].

Gail Griffith also did not delve into any of the information about the clinical trial data that in some trials showed the SSRI antidepressants to be ineffective against major depression in children. However, the FDA did not release any detailed efficacy data, but did report that only three in 15 pediatric depression trials had succeeded, thus putting benefits vs. risk on the table.

Gail Griffith did not seem to understand why Will was doing so much vomiting while on the Prozac/SSRIs. Although major depression can cause occasional vomiting, one of the most frequent side effects [listed in the Physician's Desk Reference} for SSRIs is nausea & vomiting. Will also suffered from the side effect of Amnesia [listed as a frequent side effect in the PDR}.
Will couldn't remember very significant parts of his childhood. Will, at the age of 17, was on quadruple the normal dose of Prozac for an adult. The normal dose is 20 mg. and Will was on 80 mg. In fact, during the Wesbecker Civil Trial {Wesbecker, while on Prozac, killed 8 co-workers and himself and wounded 12], it was revealed that many psychiatrists had asked the manufacturer of Prozac to market a 10 mg. Prozac dosage as 20 mg. seemed way too high for some people. In the Edgewater Technology criminal trial, it was revealed that Michael McDermott was on 80 mg. of Prozac and had, on his own, tripled his dosage before his rampage. McDermott shot seven people to death in the computer firm. Newspapers also revealed that Jeff Weiss, who killed 10 [including himself] at his high school was on 60 mg. of Prozac and his dose had been upped the week before the rampage. Also, the ten year old boy in Houston who shot to death his physician father had just switched to the prolonged Prozac capsule. So I really cheered that Will was able to survive his Prozac dosage. Will had a lot of determination and kindness and it was a glorious experience to read about his recovery.

I throught it was unwise for the FDA to have Dr. David Shaffer [pro-drug] give his presentation right before the parents presented their stories in Feb. of 2004 at the FDA Advisory Committee Meeting. The FDA should have had Dr. Shaffer give his presentation in the afternoon - out of earshot of the grieving families.

In this book, there was a lot of compassion shown towards those children/adolescents who have Major Depression. The fact that antidepressants can cause paranoia, psychosis, mania, anxiety, agitation, etc [ and this is listed in the Physician's Desk Reference} is given nary a word. Yet studies have shown that one out of three depressed children/adolescents actually have bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression. We have an epidemic of "bipolar" disorder going around the country since the introduction of the SSRIs. It is not a proven scientific fact whether this "bipolar" disorder is a real disease in a particular person or if it is just a side effect {chemically induced insanity} of antidepressant use. Still, the newspapers are full of people who now claim that have "bipolar disorder" [developed while they were on antidepressants} They are given powerful antipsychotics and mood stabilizers.

On page 296, when asked what caused his recovery, Will said it best when he said "time". "Time had caused his recovery. This was the same thing the noted author William Styron said in his book, "Darkness Visible". He entered a hospital and recovered from major depression with Milieu Therapy - no antidepressant use.

The Black Box Warning is now on the labeling of the antidepressants and there is a separate parents/caregivers guide that the pharmacist must give to the parent/guardian. Progress is being made.