Digital Social Hour: Are We Medicating Kids TOO Early? The Shocking Reality | Brooke Siem DSH #845

Release Date: October 30, 2024

In episode #845 of "Digital Social Hour," host Sean Kelly engages in a profound and candid conversation with Brooke Seam, an advocate and former antidepressant user, about the alarming trend of prescribing psychiatric medications to children at increasingly young ages. The discussion delves deep into the ethical, medical, and societal implications of medicating youth, Brooke's personal struggles with antidepressants, and broader critiques of the healthcare system’s approach to mental health.

1. Introduction to the Issue

Medication of Young Children: Brooke Seam raises significant concerns about the recent approval and administration of antidepressants to very young children. She questions the ethics and long-term consequences of prescribing drugs like Lexapro to children as young as seven years old.

• Brooke Seam (00:00): "If you have to put a seven-year-old on LexPro then maybe we should look at what's going on in the home before tossing them on a drug that we don't have any idea what the long-term effects are."

Sean acknowledges the gravity of this issue, expressing disbelief at the early onset of depression requiring such medications.

2. Brooke's Personal Experience with Antidepressants

Early Prescription and Overmedication: Brooke shares her harrowing personal journey, detailing how she was prescribed multiple antidepressants at the age of fifteen following her father's sudden passing. She emphasizes the lack of proper oversight and the dangerous cocktail of medications she was subjected to.

• Brooke Seam (02:31): "I ended up on six different drugs and was on those for 15 years and then at 30, was pulled off all of them pretty recklessly."

Withdrawal and Its Impact: The abrupt discontinuation of her medications led to severe withdrawal symptoms, which lasted over a year. Brooke discusses the inadequacy of medical guidance during withdrawal and the long-term effects it had on her mental and physical health.

• Brooke Seam (03:52): "I got severe antidepressant withdrawal... And that led to a book like, it was so bad I got a book deal out of it."

3. Critique of Prescription Practices

Systemic Issues in Healthcare: Brooke criticizes the fragmented nature of the healthcare system, where specialists focus narrowly on their fields without considering the holistic impact of medications. She points out the ethical concerns of prescribing potent drugs to individuals with limited agency, especially children.

• Brooke Seam (01:24): "There's a wealth of information on the Internet and with functional medicine doctors... because that's actually where I'm healing."

Incentives and Prescriptions: The conversation touches on the financial incentives for doctors within the insurance-driven system, leading to overprescription without adequate patient care.

• Brooke Seam (07:59): "It's a lot of things, they have a lot of function. So it’s not even just that. Yeah, they're cheap to process but we used grapeseed oil all the time in one of the French restaurants I worked in because it has a neutral flavor."

4. Antidepressant Withdrawal and Tapering Off

Challenges of Withdrawal: Brooke explains the complexities of tapering off antidepressants, highlighting the insufficient support and knowledge among healthcare providers. She introduces the concept of hyperbolic tapering as a more effective method to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

• Brooke Seam (29:10): "Most doctors don’t know about this stuff anyway... There is a big problem here."

Hyperbolic Tapering: The guest discusses the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines and the importance of gradual dosage reduction to align with the brain's adaptation to medication presence and absence.

• Brooke Seam (33:18): "What can happen is... People think there's something wrong with them and they get scared of it."

Compounding Pharmacies: Brooke emphasizes the need for access to compound pharmacies that can provide smaller, more precise dosages necessary for effective tapering.

• Brooke Seam (35:40): "Someone's like, okay, I'm feeling, you know, okay, but I think I'm going to pull off my next, I'm going to stop the drug."

5. Systemic Healthcare and Big Pharma Influence

Healthcare System Flaws: Brooke critiques the current healthcare infrastructure, which often prioritizes prescription volume over patient well-being. She highlights the lack of standardized protocols for deprescribing and the resultant patient suffering.

• Brooke Seam (38:26): "It's not recognized right now... because we've created a problem."

Big Pharma's Role: The discussion touches on the influence of pharmaceutical companies and their impact on prescribing practices, as well as the challenges in changing established medical norms.

• Brooke Seam (37:53): "Big Pharma has a lot of money and influence on social media platforms."

6. Lifestyle, Diet, and Holistic Healing

Nutrition and Recovery: Brooke shares her transition from antidepressants to functional medicine and holistic healing, emphasizing the role of proper nutrition in mental and physical health. She advocates for a diet free from seed oils and processed foods, promoting whole, organic ingredients.

• Brooke Seam (22:20): "I have a strong background in athletics... It's insane."

Cooking as Therapy: She discusses her passion for cooking and how it serves as a therapeutic outlet, now working as a chef for pro athletes to promote better dietary practices.

• Brooke Seam (21:20): "I am still cooking. I actually am a chef to pro athletes."

7. Personal Reflections and Advocacy

Advocacy for Change: Brooke calls for greater awareness and systemic changes in how psychiatric medications are prescribed and managed, especially for vulnerable populations like children.

• Brooke Seam (37:46): "There should be doctors from every major hospital talking about this."

Publishing and Sharing Her Story: She discusses her book, "May Cause Side Effects," detailing her experiences and advocating for informed decision-making regarding psychiatric medications.

• Brooke Seam (41:00): "My book is May Cause Side Effects. It's available wherever books are sold on audiobook."

8. Conclusion and Resources

Brooke Seam concludes the episode by urging listeners to educate themselves about the potential risks of psychiatric medications and to seek informed medical advice when considering tapering off these drugs. She provides resources for further information, including her book and newsletter.

• Brooke Seam (41:00): "You can find me all over the Internet at brookseem. My book is May Cause Side Effects... and I have a newsletter that's on substack."

Sean Kelly wraps up the episode by appreciating Brooke's honesty and the crucial message she brings to the forefront of mental health discussions.

Key Takeaways:

• The early prescription of antidepressants to children raises serious ethical and medical concerns.
• There is a significant lack of proper protocols for tapering off psychiatric medications, leading to prolonged and severe withdrawal symptoms.
• The healthcare system's fragmented approach and pharmaceutical influences contribute to the overprescription and mismanagement of mental health treatments.
• Holistic approaches, including proper nutrition and lifestyle changes, can play a vital role in mental health recovery.
• Advocacy and informed decision-making are crucial in addressing and rectifying the shortcomings in current mental health treatment practices.

For more insights and resources, listeners can reach out to Brooke Seam through her book "May Cause Side Effects" or subscribe to her newsletter on Substack at brookseem.substack.com.