Watching the video from PBS about “medicated child” in class gave me weird emotional feeling. I am a parent and the fact the way those children in such early age were diagnosed with bipolar disorder touch my heart. At the beginning, I could not quite understand if I was agreeing with doctors, but as much we went on watching video, I told myself how terrible it was to get those children on these strong medications.
I am sure we all have seen children who throw a tantrum and act little disturbing sometimes. However, children at age 3 or 4 don’t quite realize their behavior and have not much reasoning, so, that’s why they are children. Parents should have some sort of control to restrain them. This type of behavior does not necessarily mean that they have serious problems as bipolar disorder or ADHD. . At least this is how I see it. I also read some comments from parents whose children were diagnosed with similar conditions, but they refused to give their children medications and what was the outcome? Everything is ok after certain time and those children overcame these behaviors.
On this above video child obviously behaves ”not normal”, he looks like he is on drug, or drunk, but why? Because he is on some sort of strong medication. Do we think it is better for that child? I certainly don’t think so. He is probably on some kind of antidepressant. I don’t believe in such early age any child needs to be on antidepressant.
Realizing this issue made me feel really awful; because I felt like entire health system is corrupted. I knew it. The fact that children have to suffer from it is the horrible outcome. It seems like drug industry is so powerful and manipulative that doctors prescribe any medication to any age patient.
Overall, as I looked at this issue it does not seem right. I think children in young age can act strange and different from other children, but time and patience maybe the better help. In most cases it is useful.
In these days, the number of over medicating children is getting increase. According to the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, approximately 130 million Americans on prescribed medication every month as indicated. The America use meditation more than other countries. Also, the number of child who over medicated is more than other countries. Over that past decade the use of psychotropic medications for children between the ages of 2 and 21 has risen significantly. Moreover, while during the same period an estimated 4 percent of the child was prescribed these medications, the number of child who foster care in was much higher from 13 to 52 percent. Nevertheless, American parents think that the medication is need to their child and putting their child on medication. Since child start using medication, it would not be stop to using it.
I have a wonder why the number of over medication children is getting increase. The person who use a parents love for their child could be one of the reasons. Cultural changes also could one of the reasons of the rising of prescriptions. After watching this video and video form the class, I felt a little scary. If I am a parent and I have a child who has ADHD, I absolutely consider about to use medication. Is putting child on medication is right choice. Absolutely not. Before I saw those video and does not search about those fact, I could say yes if a child who has ADHD or bipolar disorder. But now I know that over meditation bring other symptom.
The diagnoses that psychiatrists are giving children nowadays are outrageous. The overmedicalization of children is a topic that makes me very aggravated. These medications that treat bipolar disorder and ADHD have so many side effects that children diagnosed with these illnesses start suffering from more severe sicknesses. In the video the psychiatrist says that giving these medications to children is like an experiment. It is not ethical to give little kids strong medications that tamper with the natural function of the mind. It should not be legal to prescribe medicine that has not been tested for minors to children. When these kids grow older they will develop more serious problems just because they were hyper active as a child. Just because a kid runs around a lot and has a hard time paying attention doesn’t mean that they have a mental disability, that is just how they act.
People do not understand the negative side effects that can occur due to these medications and it really angers me when people without the illness abuse its affects. College students and even High School students take ADHD pills to help them focus so that they can focus better. But they don’t realize what negative impacts it can have on your health. These medications were only created to be used by people who actually need it