A compelling and troubling exploration of a generation raised on antidepressants, and a book that combines expansive interviews with substantive research-based reporting, Coming of Age on Zoloft is a vitally important and immediately engrossing study of one of America’s most pressing and omnipresent issues: our growing reliance on prescription drugs. Katherine Sharpe, the former editor of Seed magazine’s ScienceBlogs.com, addresses the questions that millions of young men and women are struggling with. “Where does my personality end and my prescription begin?” “Do I have a disease?” “Can I get better on my own?” Combining stout scientific acumen with first-person experience gained through her own struggle with antidepressants, Sharpe leads the reader through a complex subject, a guide towards a clearer future for all.
Coming of Age on Zoloft
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Intuitive and investigative, personal and historical, narrative-rich and fact-packed….Part of what makes this book riveting is the way Sharpe sets her own story within the larger context of cultural, social, and psychiatric changes that moved depression (along with other mental illnesses) into the medical spotlight.” (Elle)
“Sharpe is excellent at detailing the positives and negatives of these drugs … But she is best at probing broader societal issues … This is a fine book that nicely weaves together personal, sociological, and philosophical perspectives for a thoughtful view of how antidepressants are shaping many people’s lives.” (Publishers Weekly)
“A knowing account of what it is like to grow up on psychiatric medications....Balanced and informative--an education for any parent considering psychiatric medication for a troubled adolescent.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Beautifully written. . . . This is a book for anyone taking or thinking about taking antidepressants, anyone who prescribes them, anyone who wonders about their suitability-or anyone who wants a mirror held up to our time.” (Dr. David Healy, author of Let Them Eat Prozac)
“A fascinating look at how drugs and trends have shaped the identities of individuals and of a generation-provocative without being sensationalistic, skillfully written, and totally necessary.” (Emily Gould, author And the Heart Says Whatever)
“Sharpe is excellent at detailing the positives and negatives of these drugs … But she is best at probing broader societal issues … This is a fine book that nicely weaves together personal, sociological, and philosophical perspectives for a thoughtful view of how antidepressants are shaping many people’s lives.” (Publishers Weekly)
“A knowing account of what it is like to grow up on psychiatric medications....Balanced and informative--an education for any parent considering psychiatric medication for a troubled adolescent.” (Kirkus Reviews)
“Beautifully written. . . . This is a book for anyone taking or thinking about taking antidepressants, anyone who prescribes them, anyone who wonders about their suitability-or anyone who wants a mirror held up to our time.” (Dr. David Healy, author of Let Them Eat Prozac)
“A fascinating look at how drugs and trends have shaped the identities of individuals and of a generation-provocative without being sensationalistic, skillfully written, and totally necessary.” (Emily Gould, author And the Heart Says Whatever)
From the Back Cover
When Katherine Sharpe arrived at her college health center with an age-old complaint, a bad case of homesickness, she received a thoroughly modern response: a twenty-minute appointment and a prescription for Zoloft—a drug she would take for the next ten years. This outcome, once unlikely, is now alarmingly common. Twenty-five years after Prozac entered the marketplace, 10 percent of Americans over the age of six use an SSRI antidepressant.
In Coming of Age on Zoloft, Sharpe blends deeply personal writing, thoughtful interviews, and historical context to achieve an unprecedented portrait of the antidepressant generation. She explores questions of identity that arise for people who start medication before they have an adult sense of self. She asks why some individuals find a diagnosis of depression reassuring, while others are threatened by it. She presents, in young people's own words, their intimate and complicated relationships with their medication. And she weighs the cultural implications of America's biomedical approach to moods.
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More About the Author
Katherine Sharpe is the former editor and community manager of Seed magazine's ScienceBlogs.com, and the former online editor of the DIY lifestyle rag ReadyMade. Her writing has appeared in n+1, GOOD, Seed, Washington Post Magazine, The Village Voice, The Brooklyn Rail, L Magazine, and Mountain Man Dance Moves: The McSweeney's Book of Lists, among other publications. Her long-running print zine, 400 Words, was featured in Utne and Newsweek, and made the "McSweeney's Recommends" list on McSweeneys.net. She lives in Brooklyn.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Hummingbird
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is not your typical hack job against drugs -- this book is thoughtful and well researched. I love the way she integrates her own experience with information, like how antidepressants were discovered, the problems with defining depression anyway, and thoughts about how we as a whole culture feel about happiness and success. A long time ago, I came to realize that parents who say "I only want my child to be happy" are the most demanding parents of all. My own children have both had "happiness" problems and I wish I had had this book a long time ago. It doesn't tell you that antidepressants are uselesss -- quite the contrary. She talked to a lot of people with different experiences. But this book makes you think, and if you or your children need to take antidepressants, this book will help you talk about it.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book starts out like an up-to-date Bell Jar. A smart young woman spends the summer before she goes off to college pondering life and veering toward a breakdown. (Luckily, she gets prescribed anti-depressants this time - and not electroshock.)
From there, though, it takes a quick turn through the history of anti-depressants. The author then introduces the stories of some fellow depression sufferers, typically organized around particular themes. Finally, the book discusses some of the issues with anti-depressants - in particular, those centering around anti-depressants and personal identity.
Overall, it's a pretty effective organizational scheme. Between that and the author's excellent writing style, this book equates to a very good read.
The one thing I didn't like about it, however, is how the author's own experiences color the parts of the book that aren't just memoir. What do I mean? Well, she happened to be one of those depression sufferers who couldn't wait to get off her meds. She also happened to have a great experience with her therapist. So, when discussing these two topics, though she bends over backwards to make sure all viewpoints are discussed, it's pretty obvious what side she's on.
There's also really little here that is new or earth-shattering. That said, it is a good summary and also very effective at relating one person's viewpoint and experience.
From there, though, it takes a quick turn through the history of anti-depressants. The author then introduces the stories of some fellow depression sufferers, typically organized around particular themes. Finally, the book discusses some of the issues with anti-depressants - in particular, those centering around anti-depressants and personal identity.
Overall, it's a pretty effective organizational scheme. Between that and the author's excellent writing style, this book equates to a very good read.
The one thing I didn't like about it, however, is how the author's own experiences color the parts of the book that aren't just memoir. What do I mean? Well, she happened to be one of those depression sufferers who couldn't wait to get off her meds. She also happened to have a great experience with her therapist. So, when discussing these two topics, though she bends over backwards to make sure all viewpoints are discussed, it's pretty obvious what side she's on.
There's also really little here that is new or earth-shattering. That said, it is a good summary and also very effective at relating one person's viewpoint and experience.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By sarah
Format:Paperback
One of the best books I've read on the antidepressant debate. This book is both stunningly personal and full of smart science writing. A must read for anyone who has ever been on, thought of going on, or thinking of putting their children on antidepressants.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In this book, Katherine Sharpe takes a look at territory that up until now has been largely unexamined: namely, how an adolescent's personality develops differently -- if it does at all -- if that adolescent is on antidepressants. Part of the reason this subject hasn't been covered well up to this point is because we're only now seeing those who were medicated during their formative years reach adulthood; the other reason for the lack of analysis is because it's a weighted topic and people often approach it feeling defensive and/or fanatic, guns drawn. In the face of such cultural complexity and unanswered questions, though, Sharpe remains a level investigator, presenting the reader with a smart yet broad view of the history of antidepressants (and indeed, depression as a societal phenomenon) and the potential ramifications, bio-physiological and inter-personal, of relying so heavily on medication. She doesn't come down firmly as either pro or anti medication, choosing instead to recognize that each individual situation requires its own individual solution (this is undoubtedly why she is a big proponent of more traditional "talk" therapy, wherein a therapist can get a better concept of a person's needs, be they medical or emotional.) While Sharpe does share the story of her own history with antidepressants, she does not push her own agenda or stake her conclusions on her own experiences; instead, she uses her story, as well as the stories of many others who have been prescribed medication, and interweaves it with thoughtful analysis, scientific findings, and professional opinions to create what is perhaps the most comforting and thorough look at our new medicated world to date.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Valkyrie63
Format:Paperback
I have found this to be one of the most helpful things I have ever done in regards to dealing with my own mental issues. The only thing that could equal it is finding my therapist. It helped me solve quite a few issues for myself in regards to how to live with myself. I realized that I don't need to just be on medication but I need to work to live a life that works for me and my needs and forget all the "shoulds" that aren't really a requirement. It also showed how, I am just different, not broken. I needed to hear that. I should also be more kind to my needs rather just try to escape them. I will keep this short, so I just have to say, this book has helped to figure out how to improve my life immensely. It has moved me to the point where I think I can get beyond what I have been going through and to finally figure out who I am totally and grow up as a person. It has inspired me in a time where I really need the inspiration to act on creating a life for myself. I recommend this book to anybody who is recovering from depression and other other mental issues or just someone who needs to understand how to properly help a depressed person or a person with other kinds of mental problems.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
The Author is Remiss
Katherine Sharpe had the making of an excellent book but was negligent to ignore Robert Whitaker's Anatomy of an Epidemic, which reviews the results of all the longitunal studies... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jisho
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent, well written
The book could have been better, more analytical, more to the point but it is intelligent and well written. Read more
Published 5 months ago by doug k
4.0 out of 5 stars
Offers insight into an important topic
I was drawn in by a factoid on the back cover: apparently *10 percent* of Americans over the age of 6 use an antidepressant! Read more
Published 6 months ago by Dunyazad
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good
A good representation, I think, of how antidepressants have affected a cross section of young people since the popularization of them. Read more
Published 8 months ago by angela
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful and empathetic read for people questioning antidepressant...
Katherine Sharpe has written a compelling book for people who want a more nuanced understanding of interactions between emotions, personal identity, pharmaceutical companies, and... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Libby Lowe
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well written, and informative.
Antidepressant use in children and adolescents, as well as their continued use into adulthood, is an interesting topic that is covered well in this book. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Cody S
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not really
I don't share (and was in fact puzzled by) the enthusiasm for this book.
The author's critical claims/points about antidepressants largely reiterate many of the claims... Read more
The author's critical claims/points about antidepressants largely reiterate many of the claims... Read more
Published 10 months ago by N. A. Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Praise for "Coming of Age on Zoloft"
Katherine Sharpe goes beyond the polarizing rhetoric on a deeply divisive topic by offering a more nuanced and sensical approach to issues surrounding the healing of mind and... Read more
Published 11 months ago by John D. Massey
5.0 out of 5 stars
A well-researched, engaging, and most of all, _important_ book.
Ms. Sharpe deserves great praise for this work, which puts into easy-to-read and engaging writing the issues surrounding antidepressant use in our society today and the way its... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Oren
