Anon 1 Anonymous May 8, 2011 The Epidemic of Over-medication Parents literally overwhelm their daily lives with the

exhausting routine of balancing work and family. On several occasions, their time is compromised and the raising of their children becomes a responsibility that can only be handled in a short amount of time. However, because the populations of children in America let alone the world have reached more than tens of millions that diagnosing any medical concern leaves room for an alarming amount of error. It is detrimental that the process of prescribing a child must be careful and exact; sometimes over-diagnosing a child leads to physical harm towards the child and people around them. Other times, a child without the essential medications grows up without any sense of normalcy and lives a life chemically imbalanced. Each and every child is unique in his or her own way and should be specifically diagnosed to his or her own needs. Physicians should develop a method of analyzing individual children to avoid the hazards of overmedication. Parents are much too eager to help their children by immediately medicating any behavioral symptoms. Whether because parents lack the time for proper discipline or are in a constant state of paranoia, it is uncertain why on earth they are quick to allow their infants or toddlers to pop pills at every meal. Melanie Neer asks the delicate question, are the medical and pharmaceutical communities all too eager to jump the gun and prescribe what may be needless medications for even the slightest demonstration of emotional problems a child may have, and perhaps only making the situation worse? (Neer). Being a parent brings the constant of anxiety of whether or not their child is healthy physically, emotionally, and mentally. Because emotional and mental problems are so difficult to address, time becomes a precious factor for the parent

Anon 2 and their children. Parents are searching for answers because they know that childhood is all too short and the opportunity for quality development is easily lost, therefore they rush to the quick conclusion that any small quirk in a kid needs to be immediately corrected and treated. This unease for childrens health became a national concern when beginning in the 1990s, a series of federally sponsored mental health initiatives promoted the idea that childrens mental health was in crisis, that they were suffering from undiagnosed depression, that early treatment is essential to prevent suicide (Sharav). Next came a wave of anxious families desperate to stop the possibility of mental hazards, desiring an almost radical change in their childs behavior. With the fear of losing time, medication becomes the only aid to turn to. The trust most parents and adults have in technology and physicians reaches the point that there could be a misdiagnosis that is obliviously overlooked. It is unfortunate however, that in our society, that those in the medical community are often all too eager to cram medications at us, for any ailment or health problem, be it medical or emotion or behavioral (Neer). At a glance, physicians see one or two symptoms and instantly fill out a prescription for an unnecessary diagnosis. Eventually, the child is given a myriad of prescription medications that reaches the threshold of overmedication. The illusion that medication is the magic pill that will solve the worlds problems is a severely skewing concept that endangers the lives of the new generations. Children are being given a ridiculous amount of medications for several reasons. It is not an unknown fact that conditions such as ADHD, depression, or anxiety are being for diagnosed to kids nowadays; but are these diagnoses absolutely necessary? At such a young age, six to seven million children are given prescription medications as a part of their morning routine right along with their breakfast and vitamins, especially Ritalin, which is classified as an

Anon 3 amphetamine (Neer). ADHD medications carry the possibility of making the symptoms worse, causing the child to be agitated and more violent. Is that truly the desired effect? Being diagnosed to children are also mind-altering psychotropic drugs chemical substances that cross the blood-brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in changes in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior. Antipsychotics are the most powerful, must toxic psychotropic drugs that have neither been tested in, nor approved for use by children, yet they are the second most widely prescribed drugs for children (Sharav). The reasoning behind giving a child antipsychotics at such a fragile age is the pure product of laziness. Adults allowing these prescriptions to take place are impatient to deal with the exuberant and rebellious energy of toddlers and make way to harness them, making them more docile and easier to control. Dr. Ellen Bassuk states, Its scandalous that medications are used to subdue kids for the convenience of overworked and underpaid staff or as punishment for bad behavior (Sharav). In the foster care system, two powerful drugs Risperdal and Zyprexamake up half of the drugs prescribed to foster children in Texas. These two drugs have been approved only for adults for the treatment of psychosis primarily schizophrenia yet children as young as four were receiving these powerful, mind-altering drugs (Sharav). These children are delicate and easily susceptible to overdose with such strong medication. Mckay believes that these children are not psychotic but are victims of neglect or abuse, whose anger and agitation are normal response (Chan). In no way are these medications helping the child; the drugs are only being used as objects of control and manipulation. Its an abuse of power so to speak. One of the worst outcomes of outcomes of medication is the drug cocktail. Large numbers of group home children are being prescribed not just on psychotropics but cocktails of

Anon 4 usually about three different drugs, many of them not authorized for use by children (Chan). A 13-year-old boy in Toronto, Canada was prescribed a cocktail of three psychotropic drugs. He had eight diagnoses but none of the disorders (Chan). Physicians are handing out prescriptions to child like candy without truly considering the effects of so many drugs taken all at once. Sometimes the disorders are results of the drug and not the disorder itself. For example: a child usually receives a first diagnosis and is given Ritalin. If ineffective, the dosage is increased, leading to motor ticks, a known side effect of the drug. Instead of reducing the dosage, the child is then diagnosed with a further disorder if Tourettes syndrome and given another drug. (Chan) The end result is a child who is now worse than his original state and left in an unhealthy condition caused by his or her own medications. Overmedication poses dangerous risks to the child and his or her surroundings. Besides excessive drugs causing physical damage to a growing childs body are the hazards expressed towards others. While it is also well known that many children are being given medications for a variety of disorders, it is clear that not all of those children ought to be taking medication (Nakamura). If all diagnoses were accurate, I would have been diagnosed with autism when the fact of the matter is that I am only very shy. On a certain example, Corey Baadsgaard, a student describes how one morning, he simply decided to sleep late but awoke in a juvenile detention center absolutely clueless of why he was there. When he asked what had happened, he was told that he had taken a gun to his third period class and was threatening his classmates with a loaded gun (Neer). It turns out Corey was suffering from hallucinations from his anti-depressant, Paxil, which is given to people with depression, OCD, and anxiety disorders. The medications given to this honors student had caused chaos and endangered the lives of his classmates and permanently

Anon 5 scarred his reputation and credibility in life. Corely Baadsgaard is only one of several cases where children have become violent, aggressive, and extremely hostile. So how are children being diagnosed now? Nakamura describes the question as, Are diagnoses being made effectively and are appropriately diagnoses children receiving properly selected treatments that will help them gain an upward trajectory in life? To diagnose a child for mental problems especially infants and toddlers is a delicate and difficult process. Sometimes, they are given an inaccurate diagnosis that ends with their lives being damaged by medication. Other times, they are not diagnosed and live life with instability and no sense of normalcy. When the issue of diagnosing problems was apparent, the U.S. government began to implement a mental health screening policy recommended by the president President Bush instructed more than 25 federal agencies to develop an implementation plan to screen Americas 52 million school children and 6 million school personnel for hidden mental illness. (Sharav) But was every screening accurate? Physicians are given much credit and probably too much trust. Sharav mentions that, screening of mental illnesses serves no medical purpose it is but the first step towards expanded use of drugs. Given its large margin of error, screening for mental illness is of dubious value for individuals, but that same margin of error is of great value for the drug industry. (Sharav) True to the word, simply addressing the fact that a child may have a problem does not solve it. It only opens the door to how solve the problem, but only if the problem does indeed exist. Mistakes benefit no one other than the drug industry itself. Accurate diagnosis can, however, be best achieved through implementation of state-of-the-art diagnostic approaches in practice

Anon 6 settings (Nakamura). Compared to last decade, child diagnosis is much more accurate. Currently, analyzing a child includes reviewing over their own personal history, but does this rule apply to children who hardly have any history to begin with? There is no doubt that the ability to diagnose during childhood is not as advanced as our capacities for diagnosing adult disorders. Physicians should take care to see the child as an individual and not just a piece of the mass that has a problem. Behavioral and mental disorders do exist. They are not imaginary conditions created to spark the fearful corners of the human mind. There are people out there who need medicine to cure a chemical imbalance, just sometimes medicine is unnecessary. For example, ADHD is of the most common medically prescribed conditions for children, but it is also most controversial. A large number of international scientists to not believe ADHD exists, portraying it as a myth, fraud, or benign condition (Nakamura). This suggestion was disproved as scientific research confirmed that ADHD does in fact exist. Failure to provide appropriate treatment for children with ADHD could risk their growing brains integrity and function. Some say professionals overmedicate children, others say medicines such as Ritalin are an ADHD childs best chance for normalcy (OConnor). Thankfully, with technological advancement, it is possible to help a child with medication. Behavioral, mental, or physical disorders can plague growing children and medication will therefore become absolutely necessary. There are other methods other than severe medication that can treat a childs problems. With personal experience, discipline should be the first and foremost solution when it comes to controlling a child. Percentages reveal that medication is not the only effective or always the best treatment option for every child (OConnor). Behavioral therapy even the most intensive parental training and teacher consulting manages ADHD as effectively as medication

Anon 7 (OConnor). Therefore, medication is not the first solution a parent must turn to when they desire improvement. It may be easier, quicker, and cheaper to medicate a childs problems, but that does not necessarily apply to their outcome. Most often, the first treatment used should be psychological, including behavioral therapy, social skills training, support groups and parent educator skills training (Nakamura). Social involvement usually trumps medical treatment on several occasions, so it should not be excluded as a possible solution for children. However, there have even been arguments about medicating a child at all. By blunting their emotion, we take away childrens ability to relate to people, to trust, love, to care for others or to put themselves in another persons shoes to see how it feels (Sharav). People with this idea are usually branded as all-natural hippies, but they do pose a point. Many children (not all) do not need medication at all. Sometimes it only takes parental action and appropriate schooling for a child to be normal. Giving a little kid the mindset that medication will solve all his or her problems will lead to dependency or overused. There are positive alternatives for a child besides medication on its own. Combined treatments more successfully treated domains of functional impairment such as aggression and poor social skills than medication alone (OConnor). By coalescing medicine and therapy, a child could possibly perform much better than just taking prescription medicine. NIMH research has indicated that the two most effective treatment modalities for elementary schoolchildren with ADHD are closely monitored medication treatment and a treatment that combines medication with intensive behavioral interventions (Nakamura). For that reason, parents take note: be involved in the childs life before going to the pharmacy. Amongst the controversial debate on children popping pills, there exists that minute minority that will simply say society has a main mission: the relief of suffering and impairment.

Anon 8 IF the use of medication helps us do that job, stop hand-wringing about the extent to which we are using medication in this country (OConnor). As indifferent as OConnors tone is expressed, he will be one of several voices that agree that medication for children at a young is the one crutch society needs to stand for normalcy. Many will disagree, others will agree, and numerous will shrug their shoulders and be fickle. Physicians are apart of this enormous populous and the same different ideals will apply to them as well. Every person is entitled to their own opinion and few could care less what happens to the future of the next generation. The message is clear: if society wishes to be a static clock filled with mindless cogs drugged on medication, then let it be. But do not forget that every child is different and overmedication hovers over their heads as delicately as the sword of Damocles, ready to throw regret on careless parents. Parents must also take note that no matter how busy and overworked their lives can be, having a child and raising a family carries a heavy burdern that does not have short cuts. Have a physician thoroughly nalyze, research, and diagnose a child to each of his or her necessary needs as carefully as possible.

Anon 9 Works Cited C ar p en ter, S iri. "The epidemi c of overmedica tion." H ealth car e 17 N ov 2 0 08: n. pag. Web. 23 A pr 2011. < h ttp://w w w .ms nbc.ms n.com/ id/27645077/> . Chan, Cindy. "Overmedication of Children 'Troubling,' Say Experts." Epoch Times 12 July 2007: n. pag. Web. 23 Apr 2011. <http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-7-12/57563.html>. N ak amu r a, R ichard K . "A ttention D eficit/H yperac tivi ty D is orders : A re C h ildren B eing Overmedic ated?." N ational Ins titut e of Mental H ealth 2 6 : n. pag. Web. 23 A pr 2011. < http://w w w .nimh.nih.gov/s ci encen ew s /2002/atten tion- deficit- hyperactivity- dis orders -are-children- bein g o v ermedica ted.s htm l> . N eer , M elanie. "A re We N eedles s ly O ver M edicating C hildren? ." Ass ocia ted C o ntent . Y ahoo!, 11 N ov. 2007. Web. 23 A pr 2011. < h ttp://w w w .as s ociatedcon tent. com/ar tic le/441580 /are_w e_ne edles s ly _ o v er_medica ting_ch ildren.h tml> . O ' C o n n o r, Eileen. "M edicating A DH D : Too much? Too s oon?." Am er ican Ps ychologica l As s ociation 32.11 (2001): 50. Web. 23 Apr 2011. < h ttp://w w w .apa.org/mon itor/d ec01/m edic ating.as px> . S h er av , Vera. "A merica' s O vermedicated C hildren." C ons um er s Ins titute fo r M edicines and H ealth 1-3 June 2005: n. page. Web. 23 A pr 2011. < h ttp://w w w .ahrp.org/ahrps peaks /O verm edU S kids 0605.php> .