This week I wanted to write my reflection blog on ‘Medicating
Young Minds.” Although, I do not have
children, I do believe that when it comes to medication, it is just as
important no matter what the age. With working in the medical field, it is very
important to see if there are changes with any of my elderly patients from one
day to the other.
Everyone knows that one medication may be work great for one
person, and may give another person different side effects, or may contradict a
different medication that ones taking. In the article it seems the Author doesn’t
agree with the system of prescribing medications to children, and to a point, I
also agree with the author. I personally
believe that doctors often time prescribe medication to a person far too often
without doing the proper research or getting in depth of whats really going on,
especially when it comes to children. Now days (not sure how it was before)
doctors seem to jump the gun about prescribing the medication, and then quickly
moving on to the next patient. Yes, I do believe that if NEEDED the child
should be prescribed medication, but if there is a different alternative that
can be taken, such as therapy, it should be done first.
Another thing that caught my eye, was that are we sure that
what we are putting in our bodies are good for us? In the article, it states that the FDA only
requires 6-8 weeks of testing a drug, to see whether it is a good drug to take
or not. 6-8 weeks?!? That’s not very
long! How do they know that the data would be correct for an extended period of
time?
So in the end, I dont think that any parent should leave a prescription option solely up to the doctor. What the doctor thinks he knows, or what he might prescribe to one child, may not always be right for your own child. Each parent and/or person should really do research before taking a medication or giving a medication.
The article raised an interesting question about the recent jump in kids taking these drugs - are we overdiagnosing now, or were we underdiagnosing before?
ReplyDeleteI have a complicated relationship to this issue. I believe that antianxiety meds are too often used as a quick-fix, and as the article put it, "medicating normal variations in behavior." On the other hand, I fully believe that if there were no antianxiety meds, I would have one less sibling.
It's a complicated issue, and requires a flexible approach; I don't think there's one correct answer, just a thoughtful and diligent approach to each case. Or, what you said, "what he might prescribe to one child may not always be right for your own child."
This article was very intresting this brought up a lot of good thoughts and feelings.
ReplyDeleteMy son who suffers from ADHD has been on medication for about 3 years now and it has had very good results. However not all individuals with ADHD need to be medicated. My step daughter also suffers from this disorder and she is not medicated she handles everything a different way then he did at her age. There are always different ways of helping people without medication although there are times when medication is needed. Great blog.
I enjoyed reading your blog. I think that we are an over medicated society! I totally agree with you that if NEEDED, a child or adult should be prescribed medicene. I wish our culture would incorporate some of the Eastern culture ways, such as meditation, herbal remedies, yoga, etc., before taking medications for minor ailments or certain "conditions". You made a good point about the FDA and how fast they test a drug, only 6-8 weeks, your right, that's not long enough at all! I've read quite a bit of information about the FDA, and just because they give there approval on something doesn't mean it's safe to consume! Look at all the food additives that they approve that aren't good for us! Watch out for the USDA, too!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Benjamin. That's a very good point what might be great for one child may not be good for another. I have worked in long-term care and rehab for twelve years and have noticed a big shift in the way anti-anxiety medications are prescribed. I think in general we are becoming more cautious with giving those medications and starting with smaller doses. Also, I think families are more educated about these medications because they can google information about drugs easily. When I first started nursing we were giving anti-anxiety injections and pills left and right. Now it seems there are more policies, consents and behavior monitoring involved as well as pharmacy recommendations and gradual dose reductions. I think this is all good and helps us find a better balance for many people.
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