Child’s Ordeal Shows Risks of Psychosis Drugs for Young
On one level I find this article stunning, on another level not at all shocking. Some parents natural, foster or adopted have no idea what they are getting into as far how exhausting it is to raise children. Children are not cute little dolls who shower their parents with unconditional love and make them feel whole, in my experience they are quite the opposite. Kids are loud they run around and make messes and a lot of noise (which really sucks when mommy is hung over), and they take, and take. They take time, they take patience, they take attention and they take money. When their illusions about what kids will do for them are shattered they become disillusioned and they figure there must be something wrong with that child, because obviously they are wonderful parents. Being “good parents” they set off on a quest to “get the child the help it needs”.
I commend this mother for sharing their story, I am sure she did so in hopes of enlightening others as to how easy it was to fall in to the vicious cycle of looking for the quick and easy answers and ending up with a shell of a child. To discover that in the end better therapy and better parenting were what was truly needed to help her son must have been a bitter pill for mom to swallow (pun intended). Not only did this Mom swallow it she has come out and allowed her story be told as a cautionary tale, which is truly heroic.
"Dr. Gleason says Kyle’s current status proves he probably never had bipolar disorder, autism or psychosis. His doctors now say Kyle’s tantrums arose from family turmoil and language delays, not any of the diagnoses used to justify antipsychotics. "
"Texas Medicaid data obtained by The New York Times showed a record $96 million was spent last year on antipsychotic drugs for teenagers and children — including three unidentified infants who were given the drugs before their first birthdays.
In addition, foster care children seem to be medicated more often, prompting a Senate panel in June to ask the Government Accountability Office to investigate such practices. "
2 Comments:
So shocking that parents so often don't know what it takes to be a good parent or don't want to make the effort.The kids suffer as always.
This article really drives home an important point for me. Kids in trauma need way more intervention than the resources, making medication an all too attractive option for parents/placements/institutions.
There is absolutely a RIGHT time for medication, even in kids. E.g. physical self-harm, suicidal thoughts, paralyzing anxiety, etc.
But how do we educate the general population? I think we need some kind of national education campaign - something like the "hazards of smoking" pushed by the Surgeon General. This has some real merit. We need a Child Advocacy Zsar, to intervene on behalf of these children.
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