By: Linda Sapadin
These medications are so popular, in part, because they are advertised directly to the consumer with the goal that the average Jane or Joe, armed with "expertise" they've gained from TV ads, will be assertive in asking their doctor to prescribe these meds. Most doctors are increasingly willing to do so, with a five-minute evaluation and few, if any, follow up visits. What you may not know, however, is that this trend toward treating emotional and behavioral problems with medication has spread to kids as young as 2 years old. These two statistics from journal articles are worth noting. The number of 2 to 4 year old kids on stimulant or antidepressant drugs (i.e. Ritalin, Prozac) has increased 50 percent over the last few years. The number of college students who are taking psychotropic drugs has increased from 7 percent to at least 18 percent over a 10-year period. Should we be alarmed about the current trend of medicating young brains or should we be grateful that such treatment is available? Are there other alternatives available to treat kids' emotional and behavioral problems besides or in addition to using medication? My thoughts: Though psychotropic medications can alleviate the symptoms of kids' behavioral or emotional problems, it's wise not to use them as a first resort or as a quick and easy fix. The primary reason for this is that science does not know how these medicines affect brain development when used early in life nor do we know what the long-term side effects will be. A second significant reason is that though medication may make it easier for kids to control their impulses and emotions, it is no substitute for the life skills of learning how to manage these impulses and emotions. Hence, it makes sense to explore other strategies first. Here are three that can be very valuable.
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Learning new parenting skills: Your style of parenting may be fine in theory, yet it may not be what your particular child needs. Your goal in learning new parenting skills should be both to help your child learn to cope with frustration and manage emotions as well as to empower you as a parent. Though it takes stamina and determination to learn new parenting skills, once you do, these skills result in excellent long-term benefits for the whole family.
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Psychotherapy for your child or your family: When a child is very young, often, the best therapist is the educated parent. However, when a child's life becomes more complicated and confusing, and he/she needs to deal with school, peer, and family pressures, psychotherapy is often very valuable in helping them understand, cope with and direct their turbulent lives. Usually, a combination of individual and family therapy works best.
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Modifying your child's learning environment: In our society, school pressures are immense, creating agitation and worry for many kids. In addition, after-school activities increase the pressure. Perhaps, your child needs to work harder or smarter to do better. But, it may also be that the learning environment is wrong for your child, and rather than trying to make the child fit the environment, you need to make the environment fit the child. This may mean different teaching methods, extra help, modifying educational goals or changing the classroom, teacher or school. Many parents have tried all three of these approaches, then sought out medication as an additional aid. This is a much superior approach to simply looking for the latest and easiest drug in order to get a kid to behave right or feel right. Linda Sapadin , Ph.D. is a psychologist in private practice who works with individuals, families and couples. Copyright © 2003.
