Customer Reviews

Will's Choice: A Suicidal Teen, a Desperate Mother, and a Chronicle of Recovery

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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.

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.

Reading this book was one of the most affecting entertainment experiences I have ever had. I venture to say that not since the 12-hour 1973 TV documentary, 'An American Family', has there been -- in print or on video -- as fully realized a portrait of a family in crisis as is portrayed in this astonishing work. The story begins with the highest possible drama in recounting the near-fatal suicide attempt of an exceptionally bright, seemingly well-adjusted 17-year-old boy in the bedroom of the upper middle class D.C. home he shared with two loving and dedicated parents. In fact, at the time of his attempt, Will was actually being raised by four remarkable parents, as both his mother (author Gail Griffith with whom he was living when he overdosed on anti-depressant drugs intending to die) and his father (with whom he was also extremely close) had each acquired a second spouse; not only had the respective step-parents embraced Will as if he were their natural child, but the four adults had achieved unusual harmony amongst themselves, beautifully integrating their extended families. No post-divorce rancor or other trauma, no major drug or alcohol problems, few dark clouds of any kind appeared to have unleashed the violent storm that nearly destroyed a promising young man. Partial answers to the riddle of why Will crashed are suggested by Griffith's history of her own lengthy depression and hospitalization, as well as her painfully detailed portrait of Will's girlfriend, Megan, who was also suffering from severe depression as well as an addiction to cutting her skin with razor blades and knives. Indeed, Griffith, in securing the right to publish contemporaneous letters and diary notes from young Megan Mathews (interspersed with those of Will and many other family members) tells a story of a second deeply-troubled self-mutilating teen, who, like Will, eventually manages to regain her mental health; not only does the quality of Megan's writing add an excellent further dimension to Griffith's story, but I feel certain that the excerpts from Megan are our introduction to an uncommonly talented writer -- whose own books I eagerly look forward to reading. As Will rallies from a 2-day coma, his family confronts their fears that he might attempt a second try, as well as guilt and anger over the mystery of what led to the first attempt. Griffith ably stitches together the story of Will's earlier years and then recounts the intensive family effort to locate what proves to be a rare and remarkable institution, Montana Academy, which accepts Will and shepards his year-long recovery to where he regains a strong will to live and resume normal life in the 'real' world. Griffith pauses throughout her narrative to alert parents to what she learned from this excruciating experience -- how to foretell suicide threats, how to diagnose and deal with depressed children, how to work with psychiatrists and other doctors, how to evaluate and manage anti-depressant drugs, and many other insights into preserving family mental health. Virtually no names are fictionalized in this book, which adds to its authenticity and underlines the courage of the many family members, friends, and others who cooperated in this supremely generous offering -- which no parent should miss the opportunity to learn from.

Reading this book brought back a host of powerful memories of my story with my depressed teenage daughter. As with Will, her story touches the lowest of the lows and highest of the highs of emotions. Although never attempting suicide, her depression induced behavior put her in harms way in any number of ways. As it appears in Will's case, it took time to adjust the medications and talk through the issues in a setting out of the environment where she had spiraled downward. My healthy 24 year old daughter gained much insight in her " time out" recovery process. It serves her well now.
This book has so much hope to offer families even as it correctly identifies the host of difficult issues in society and our health care system. I say ours because as Ms. Griffith points out, it is the families who will need to lead the effort to make changes for our children's benefit. The book is beautifuly written by someone with the perspective of a mother, FDA panel family representaive, and professional advocate for compassionate change in our world.
It is read for all.

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.

Gail Griffith writes very well and this is indeed a gripping story. Lots of compassion is demonstrated for suicidal and depressed teens. Nevertheless the book is very one-sided and misguided in its presentation of the benefits of antidepressant therapy. This is particularly surprising in light of the fact Will so clearly demonstrates adverse side effects, even the beginning of serotonin syndrome, well before his suicide attempt. This is not surprising in light of the enormous doses of three different drugs that he had only been taking for a relatively short time - enormous for someone only 17 years of age, 6 feet tall and reputedly less than 150 pounds, very thin for that height. He was nauseous, vomiting and had significant memory loss. In addition his suicide notes are examples of a dissociative state, in which one feels one is watching from outside oneself with no real sense of the consequences of one's actions, that has been reported repeatedly by survivors of antidepressant harm. The fact that his own doctor and the doctors who endorse the book do not recognize this is a sorry testimony to the influence of the pharmaceutical industry over the psychiatric profession. The other endorsements come ironically from Andrew Solomon and Paul Raeburn who have themselves inadvertently described adverse events dramatically in their own writing. I hope readers will examine more critically the differences between underlying depression and the adverse effects of mind altering drugs.

I finished Will's Choice a few minutes ago. I read it in two days! Will's Choice is A GREAT READ--WONDERFULLY WRITTEN, HEARTBREAKINGLY TOUCHING,AND EXTREMELY EYE OPENING! I also suffered from depression when I was a teenager. I picked up this book expecting to be drawn into the stories of Gail and Will, son and mother and their struggles to overcome depression. I was delighted to find that this book is part memoir-part educational tool filled with relevant tips and research to help all those who've suffered depression or know someone who has suffered from depression. I only wished Gail had written it a decade a go when I needed it most. Will's Choice is a page turner and made me I laughed and cried(Will's a very funny writer). But I also learned a lot from it. I've purchased copies for friends. Thank you, Gail, Will, Meghan et al for your bravery and courage.

What separate this story of a family's struggle with a son's suicidal depression are the son's and his girlfriend's own first-person accounts of their psychological torments. Maybe these accounts, together with author Griffith's lucidity, explain why so many young people seem to be seeking this book out. They certainly make the lack of mental health support this family found all the more shocking.

There are no perfect families and there is no child without problems. When and how do we react as parents? Thank you Gail Griffith for sharing your story with us. This is an exceptionally poignant account of how a family deals with depression and teen suicide.

We, as parents, are not prepared or professionally trained to handle such sensitive issues. More importantly, each individual child is unique and will react differently to alternative therapies. We must listen closely to those who have made the passage and learn from their experience. You will not regret reading this book!!

Everyone who suffers from depression, or knows someone who does, should read it for the important lessons it conveys. Kudos to Griffith and her son Will for being so willing to share their heartbreaking and ultimately uplifting story.