I Was Put on Psychiatric Drugs at 7…I’m Still Paying the Price | Danielle Gansky

Danielle Gansky was seven years old when a teacher noticed she was fidgety and distracted in class. That observation led to an ADHD evaluation, a prescription for Ritalin, and then, when the stimulant made her agitated and moody, a diagnosis of depression and anxiety. By the time she was ten, she had been cycled through antidepressants, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics. Now thirty, she has spent her entire brain development under the influence of psychiatric drugs, and she says she is still trapped by them. "I don't know who I am underneath," she says. "My life, I do feel like was stolen from me."

How a Child Gets Caught in the System

Gansky’s story begins with a single observation from a teacher. At home, she was a happy, outgoing child who loved Hannah Montana and Cartoon Network. But at school, she didn't fit the mold. The teacher suggested she be evaluated for ADHD. Once she was put on Ritalin, she experienced severe adverse effects: agitation, moodiness, and anger. Instead of recognizing these as drug side effects, doctors interpreted them as evidence of an underlying psychiatric condition. "They were saying little Danielle at seven years old has depression or anxiety," she recalls. "And now we need to give her an antidepressant."