Are you for or against children under the age of 16 being prescribed psychatric !

Are you for or against children under the age of 16 being prescribed psychatric drugs? Why?

And do you think that way to many kids are being diagnosed with mood disorders? And what do you think about kids that say things like 'it's not my fault; I'm bi-polar'?

2 weeks ago
Or kids taking Ritalin or adderall or stratera that don't really have add/adhd?

ok I'll just say parents who get their kids diagosed with someone so they can feel special or whatever. I know alot of kids who's parents got them a diagnosis of adhd so they can have longer on tests and whatnot.

2 weeks ago
Cami wrote:
"some kids really need help."

Yes. "SOME". But the the percent of kids being 'diagnosed' with these disorgers have sky rocketed. It's highly doubtful that half of them really truly need it.

Cami wrote:
"what makes you think a 17 year old wont lie just to get some ADD drugs?"

That's what my first additonal details said. Getting them when they don't really need them. Wheather it's their parents or them doing it for themselves is irrelevant.

Cami wrote:
"you are very ignorant"

definition of ignorant: "lacking knowledge or information as to a particular subject or fact"

You don't know anything about my education, so that comment in itself was ignorant.

And you didn't answer my question.

Whether I'm for or against it is to be decided on a case by case basis... it depends on the age of the kid, the kid's problems, what other things (such as counseling and lifestyle changes) have been tried yet and what medication is being proposed. Most medications are not tested in kids under 18yo, and some are quite likely to be harmful in young kids. Young kids' metabolism is different from adults', plus young kids can't consent to risks the way adults can.

I read about some 4yo that died of an overdose of some combination of medications she'd been on since she was 2yo... including Seroquel. That kind of thing makes me really angry. The kid should have been put in a foster home instead of on medication with her incompetent mom (her mom regularly gave her too much medicine to keep her calm).

I think ADHD is overdiagnosed, but I also think that there are plenty of kids out there that are depressed or w/e and aren't being diagnosed and hence aren't getting the counseling they need.

Btw, sometimes it's the parents that are turning their diagnosed kids into brats... My brother was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and my parents let him get away with so many things because of that that they wouldn't let me get away with, instead of teaching him how to deal with his problems... Ugh.

Anyway, no point in worrying about all this stuff... let other people deal with their own issues.