Chelsea Gorniewicz 1

Professor Sloggie-Pierce
ENG 211C
10/22/2016
Only Psychiatrists Should Prescribe Psychotropic Drugs
It is embedded in our human nature to hear about tragic, scary, and seeminglyimpossible events that happen all around us, all of the time, but to hold the idea that
nothing of the sort could ever happen to us. Unfortunately, life has the ability to throw
some extremely unexpected curveballs our way. Some of which we catch and adjust to
with great ease and others that we did not anticipate coming that just leave us knocked
flat on our backs, even fighting for survival in some instances. A hospitalization and
diagnosis of Necrotizing Fasciitis that left me struggling to survive 5 days before my
sisters birthday in 2013, was one unforeseen curveball that all of a sudden made me
apart of that never going to happen to me statistic.
Necrotizing Fasciitis is commonly referred to as the flesh-eating disease. It is a
very complex and serious bacterial infection of the subcutaneous tissue that destroys the
entirety of the deepest layers of tissue that the bacteria encounter as it moves through the
body rapidly. Three years and thirty-three surgeries later, I am still dealing with the
physical suffering and life-altering adaptations. Unfortunately, while I was fighting a
demanding battle for survival, my loved ones suffered just as much emotionally as I was
physically. This psychological toll pressed upon my family simply worrying if I was
going to make it throughout the nonstop invasive debridement surgeries and other
therapeutic attempts to save my life and limb, is more than enough to induce the presence
of both anxiety and depression in an individual. The relative delicacy that treatment of
such a serious illness via antidepressants has, cannot be stressed enough.

Chelsea Gorniewicz 2
Professor Sloggie-Pierce
ENG 211C
10/22/2016
I was discharged from the hospital in October of 2015 and as I was transitioning
back home of my new normal, my only sister was still struggling with the reality of my
near-death experience, future amputation, and all while trying to juggle cheerleading. She
expressed her inability to focus in school and onset of panic attacks and developing
anxiety as she not only apprehensive about me, but because we are only 17 months apart
was confronted by all of my peers at school who were also concerned. Briannas new
onsets were understandable and looking back everyone in my immediate life was very
anxious. While my parents helped me transition to and from multiple doctors
appointments each day, Bri went to see our primary care physician whom treated both of
us since we moved to Virginia in 2001. This doctor was fully aware of my case of NF and
knew our family very well so she got Brianna in the next available appointment to be
assessed regarding her anxiety. So, as an 18 year and 2 month-old, she took her best
friend to the appointment with her as my parents were at an appointment with me
discussing amputation below the knee. Brianna showed no noticeable changes in
behavior that were apparent to friends, family, or myself as a student in the medical field.
Before I knew it the holidays and my birthday in March had passed and it was
May. My mom, dad, sister, and I had a great Mothers Day dinner on May 8th, 2016. We
all went on with our routines throughout the week and Bri and I made plans to get lunch 3
days later on the 11th before she had to go to work with my dad at OneLife Fitness. I
spent the night at a friends house the night of the 10th and was planning to come home in
time for my lunch date with Bri the following day. That morning my mom made
breakfast and her and my sister sat and had coffee and great conversation at the kitchen
table together. My mom began to prepare to go down the street to a neighbors house who

Chelsea Gorniewicz 3
Professor Sloggie-Pierce
ENG 211C
10/22/2016
had recently fallen and discovered she had terminal bone cancer, so my mom would go
assist her with her daily activities. Bri was going to get in the shower and had her clothes
all laid out for work to be ready so she could go straight to work from the restaurant
where we would get lunch. I was running a few minutes behind so my mom came home
just after when I was planning on meeting Bri at the house. The garage door was open but
Bris car was still parked outside in the same spot so my mom thought it was unusual
since she shut the garage door prior to leaving earlier as she knew Brianna was going to
take a shower, but she just assumed I must have come home. To her surprise, it was silent
when she entered the house. Bris mostly eaten breakfast sandwich and empty coffee cup
was still on the kitchen table, but she wasnt in the bathroom. My mom walked to the foot
of the stairs leading to both my door and Briannas, where my 18-year-old sister was
hanging. My mom hadnt been gone even 40 minutes. She passed the following day, May
12th, 2016.
What I did not know was that the Physician was not treating my sister, but her
Nurse Practitioner was, and she had only been in practice a year. We now know that when
Brianna went seeking treatment for her anxiety symptoms, was put on an extremely
controversial antidepressant despite not necessarily agreeing it was the best treatment
option, but desperate to give it a try. Her friend has since told me that they were not made
aware of any side effects or warnings of this antidepressant. Without any testing or
diagnosis, she was put on an antidepressant that is used to treat Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder, Post-Partum Depression, and Major Depressive Disorder, all of which are
instances of depression on the more extreme end of the spectrum. The FDA does not
recommend that this drug be prescribed to anyone 18 to 24 years of age and prohibits it to

Chelsea Gorniewicz 4
Professor Sloggie-Pierce
ENG 211C
10/22/2016
be prescribed to those under the age of 18 years. Brianna was 18 years and 2 months
when she was prescribed this medication without weaning onto full dosage, nor advised
to seek psychiatric consult. On top of it all, she was given 2 refills her first visit without
requiring her to come back in for a check-up and the Physician signed off on this at the
end of the day of her appointment, so it went through two healthcare professionals.
All health care professionals are human and make mistakes, it is inevitable and
would not be fair to expect perfection from them, however we do instill a great deal of
trust into our health care providers. One mistake in choice of drug can lead to sudden
psychotic outbreaks. This is why psychotropic drugs should not be prescribed without
psychiatric consultation and diagnosis from a mental health professional.
Suicide can be prevented in instances of misdiagnosis, maltreatment, and neglect
of a patients overall well being by simply restricting the capacity of those who can
prescribe such drugs. Psychiatrists not only specialize in the study of the brain and its
functions but also to recognize changes in nonverbal, behavior, language, and tone. The
detection of even the slightest alteration of one of these behaviors in a patient could show
signs to this mental health professional that treatment methods are either working or not.