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Medicating Children

7/9/2013

3 Comments

 
The use of medication for children has been an ongoing debate for decades. Medication seems to be winning. Use among children and adolescents has increased by close to 1,000% in the last 25 years. Proponents say the technology and understanding of psychological disorders have improved so much so that we can better identify and treat disorders. Opponents say pharmaceutical companies have been effective in marketing their drugs via commercials, hospital and office visits, and "evidence-based" studies.  Here are a few stats (NIMH, SAMHSA, and DHHS):  

• One child in 5 (20%)has a mental, emotional, or   
  behavioral disorder severe enough to cause some level 
  of impairment. At least one child in ten (10%) has a 
  mental illness severe enough to cause extreme 
  functional impairment.
• In 2006, 4.7 million children (8%) were reported to have 
  a learning disability;10% of boys were identified as    
  having a learning disability, compared with 6% of girls.
• Four and a half million children 3–17 years of age (7%) 
  were reported to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity   
  Disorder (ADHD). Boys are almost three times as likely   as girls to have ADHD (11% and 4%).
• Research indicates that depression is present in 1% of 
  children and 5% of adolescents at any given time.

These stats are alarming for most. Every parent I have worked with takes the idea of medicating their child very seriously. It's a decision that most struggle with and almost always make with a degree of skepticism, uncertainty, hope, and fear. 

However, there is cause for caution. The statistics by themselves are concerning: 10% of children have some sort of disorder. Kids are generally crazy, but in the "I love you but you probably decreased my life-span by approximately 1-20 years" way. Four major concerns:

1)  Psychotropic medications are developed for adults and happen to be effective at treating children with anxiety, depression, and other clinical issues. Drugs that have been developed to treat depression sometimes appear effective in the treatment of other disorders (bipolar, anxiety, OCD, etc.). Doesn't seem like an exact science. Very messy. 

2)  Our brains develop well into our late 20s. Science is gaining an understanding of the brain but there is still much to be learned. What is known is that our brains develop for the first 3 decades of life and one of the last areas to develop is the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe is involved in decision-making, critical thinking, and memory. Makes sense, right?  We look back at poor decisions we made during childhood and adolescence and shake our heads, "How could I be so stupid?" Well, maybe it was immaturity but maybe it was our brain still developing.  How does a psychotropic cocktail impact the developing brain? The science is still unclear.


3)  Side effects of many psychotropic drugs can be the exact symptom you want alleviated. Common side effects of antidepressant and anti-anxiety medications include nervousness, concentration difficulty, irritability, moodiness, and changes in appetite among a host of others. I like to refer to these side effects as "the teenage years". I would argue most of you can think back to your adolescence and diagnose yourself with a psychological disorder?   

4)  What happens when someone experiences serious side effects or even worse, adverse effects (worsening of symptoms or development of new issues)? Most professionals either try a different medication or add another medication. So initially it was one medication, now it's two, three, or even four or more. Many patients report trying numerous medications until one worked. Scary stuff. 

To be fair, empirical evidence suggests medication can be effective...in the short-term.  Long-term studies generally show a waning effect in drug efficacy. Furthermore, it is still unknown what effects, if any, these drugs have on us over the lifespan.  

So what then? Consult with a mental health professional. Get a better understanding of yourself and your psychological makeup. Develop strategies to manage life, implement them, and determine if it was useful. Rinse and repeat. If after some time (6-12 months) nothing is helping, then have a conversation with a mental health professional about alternative treatment which may or many not include medication. 

As usual, feel free to share.

3 Comments
Matt Rudge
9/7/2024 04:48:58 am

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Reply
Matt Rudge
9/7/2024 04:49:05 am

My wife and I have been married for about 7 yrs now. We were happily married with two kids, a boy and a girl. 3 months ago, I started to notice some strange behavior from her and a few weeks later I found out that my wife is seeing someone else. She started coming home late from work, she hardly cares about me or the kids anymore, Sometimes she goes out and doesn't even come back home for about 2-3 days. I did all I could to rectify this problem but all to no avail, I became very worried and needed help. As I was browsing through the internet one day, I came across a website that suggested that Dr. Odunga can help solve marital problems, restore broken relationships and He can also cure diseases like HIV, AIDS, Herpes Virus, Cancer, E.T.C.. So, I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and told him my problems and he told me what to do and I did it and he did a spell for me. 28 hours later, my wife came to me and apologized for the wrongs she did and promised never to do it again. Ever since then, everything has returned back to normal. My family and I are living together happily again. All thanks to Dr. Odunga. If you have any problem contact him and I guarantee you that he will help you. He will not disappoint you.
Email him at : [email protected] or contact him via Whats App +2348167159012.

Reply
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    Salmaan Toor is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Knoxville, TN.

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