In Elizabeth J. Roberts book, Should You Medicate Your Child's Mind? she tells a story of a patient she once had who had been diagnosed with Manic Depression, Bi-polar Disorder, and ADHD by her previous psychiatrist. The doctor gave her and her parents the diagnoses after one session and no evaluation of the child's life. The girl wasn't even eight years old yet, and she was on an antidepressant, an antipsychotic, and an amphetamine. The parents told Roberts that they had adopted the girl and that she had been molested, beaten and the victim of neglect by her biological parents. Roberts took her off of all of the medications and after thorough evaluation diagnosed her with nothing more than Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (due to her past) and placed her on one mild antidepressant. Obviously, she takes a strong stance against prescribing antidepressants, amphetamines, and antipsychotics to children.
This story is just one example of misdiagnosis due to a "quick diagnosis." Doctors and psychiatrists all over the country have lost patience when taking time to evaluate the mental health of their patients. In some cases, doctors and psychiatrists have been known to diagnose children with ADHD, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, after only seeing them for ten minutes. "I'm seeing kids...who are on five or more psychiatric drugs who have substantially nothing wrong with them," said Peter Breggin, a Maryland psychiatrist. A child needs to be evaluated in every setting in which the symptoms of concern appear, as well as their past and present situations, at home, school and anywhere else where they could become the victim of any abuse that could potentially trigger disorder-like behaviors.
The number of people between the ages of five and seventeen prescribed Antidepressants increased from two percent of the population in 1994 to almost six percent in 2002. Antidepressants, Amphetamines, and even Antipsychotics, to a certain extent, have become an easy fix for doctors. "In this fast-paced culture, we [doctors] are tempted to go for quick solutions," says psychiatrist Edward Hallowell. For example, Prozac, an antidepressant was originally created to treat people that suffered from Major Depression Disorder, but now it is given out freely for almost any ailment, including: shyness, low self esteem, stress, compulsiveness, and even shopaholism. According to research done at Baylor University, so many anidepressant pills are being popped that their breakdown products in urine, gushing into waterways, have accumulated in fish tissues, raising concerns that aquatic animals may be getting toxic doses. Even more disturbing, off label antipsycotics, a drug originally created to treat serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia, are now being prescribed by doctors to treat dementia, attention deficit aggression, autism and post-traumatic stress disorder. "They're being given an easy out with a pill. But the easy out may create a much more serious problem," was the remark made by Steven Sheller a Philadelphia lawyer.
Antidepressants alone have been proven to double the rate of suicidal thoughts in children and adolescence. In a study done in clinical trials, researchers found that four percent of the children taking antidepressants had suicidal tendencies, verses two percent of the children on dummy pills. Scientists have discovered that this result is because while a vast majority of antidepressants do boost serotonin, they simultaneously inhibit another key neuro-chemical messenger called dopamine. They have also been found to energize victims of depression, before actually lifting the depression. People may be more prone to enact their depression (suicid/self mutilation) before they are offered any reprieve from their symptoms.
Ritalin, an amphetamine, is now given to children as young as two. The number of Ritalin prescriptions tripled in the past five years, and Ritalin is used by an estimated four million American children every day. Some of the minor side effects are: insomnia and reduced appetite (which can slow growth in developing children).
Antipsychotics, although not prescribed as often, are none the less prevalent in many American homes. They have permanent side effects, which not even doctors fully understand. One major side effect of antipsychotics is that they can cause female breasts to grow in the people who take them. The only way to get rid of the breasts is to have them surgically removed. This can be a very traumatizing and emotionally disturbing process for an elementary aged boy. Roberts says, "The potential benefits of antipsychotic medication have to be weighed against its dangerous, irreversible, and permanent side effects. Because antipsychotic medications are very powerful, they can have extreme consequenses."
Drugs are not always the answer; but psychotherapy often is. Psychotherapy has been proven to work wonders on many children, who simply need an avenue to help them cope with the emotional trauma they may be struggling with. When a child is given medication, the problem is not solved. It grows even larger than it was in the first place. The British House of Commons Health Committee, issued a statement saying that further industry promotions "worked to persuade too many professionals that they can prescribe, not a medical condition."
Psychotherapy is not only for children without disorders, it can be very effective on children who suffer from severe disorders such as: Major Depression Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar Disorder. In the case of severe disorders such as these, medications are unavoidable, because the child may become a danger to himself or the people around him. Psychotherapy paired with regularly monitored/altered medication and a thorough, correct diagnosis, can be very successful in helping children and adults alike, with major disorders, live a normal healthy life. However, this does not mean that just because a child, can't pay attention in school, doesn't obey his parents, is overly shy, or has a hard time coping with their emotions that they need to be drugged.
A major concern for doctors and patients alike, is that antidepressant prescriptions have overlooked both the fragility and the variety of children's brains. By the end of high school, one in ten students have attempted suicide, with 2,000 succeeding each year, more than anything else, this statistic needs to be lowered. The increase in scientific technology, in the area of medicine, comes with a responsibility that many psychiatrists and doctors have overlooked. Until they decide to moderate the medication they prescribe, our country will continue to become more and more overmedicated.
~Abby Miracle
Stark, Karl. "Tarnished View of Wonder Drugs." PhiladelphiaInquirer, The (PA) (17 Feb. 2008).
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Stipp, David. "TROUBLE IN PROZAC NATION." fortune 152.10 (28 Nov. 2005): 154. Mas Ultra-School Edition. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 30 Mar. 2009
Roberts, Elizabeth J. Should You Medicate Your Child's Mind? New York: Marlowe and Company, 2006
Those who feel sad for no good reason are clearly sick. Those who feel happy for no good reason are even sicker.
ReplyDeleteThe present article explores the novel hypothesis that patients who feel well are, in fact, patients who need treatment...
Asymptomatic Depression:
Hidden Epidemic and Huge Untapped Market
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"Psychiatry is to medicine what astrology is to astronomy."
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Bonkers Institute for Nearly Genuine Research
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