But some people just are very prone to depression and need the extra help.
You wouldn't say "don't give that kid ibuprofen, let them just deal with the pain"?
And SSRIs are not very strong. They do have some nasty side effects especially sexually but this is not relevant at that age so that makes it even more suitable for kids than adults.
But these side-effects just need to be checked for (and the libido issue isn't relevant to under-teens anyway).
Of course you would say that after the Nth time. You are supposed to find out what causes the pain, not mask it.
If you have a headache, it's totally fine to take a painkiller. (If it happens on a regular basis, eg at least once a week, it can be a good idea to get those different pills from a neurologist, because the two main painkillers have bad side effects in the long run, but those different pills are just "masking" it in a different way)
What I am trying to say is that after the Nth time you would take the kid to the doctor to find out what causes the pain, instead of just giving them painkillers. It could easily be something treatable, or rather, curable.
Mentally ill folk literally cant, not in em. There are right answers to help them, but that's not the right one. It's kind of like telling someone who is color blind to squint real hard, won't ever help.
Myself, I'm someone very much in the power through category. It's the simplest and most straightforward answer surely. But if it were the answer that works in practice we'd have no homeless people, no drug addicts.
There are different severities - a small depressive episode, a multi-year dysthymia or mixed (manic + depressive) episode.
I've been managing OK without meds, but maybe simply depression wasn't as severe as that of other folk. It's still a mental illness.
However, the effectiveness of Mindfulness based stress reduction and acceptance & commitment therapy show that those who can distance themselves from their thoughts have developed "mental resilience"
There's also simply death. I didn't feel like mentioning it, but I think its worth pointing out that without treatment, death is a very real possibility.
I find this hard to believe. People in the past weren't depressed nearly as much, so whatever is causing it has to be environmental.