Parents who deal with a child who has a mental illness often to not know where to turn for help. When they do find a doctor to treat their child, they often allow the doctor to make the decisions regarding the care of their child. They are handed a prescription and even if they ask questions regarding the safety of these medications that are more commonly used for adults, they are told that the drugs are safe. How safe are they really? What can a parent do to ensure that their child is not being overmedicated?
This recent article published in the NY Times explores the idea of overmedicating children who are diagnosed with mental illnesses. Unfortunately because of the high costs involved, often medication is cheaper than weeks and months of therapy. Therapy along with medication (s) can be much more effective than medication alone. If you are low-income or not, with or without medical insurance, treating your child for a mental illness can strain a family's finances. Parents want desperately to get help for their child but many parents are not educated about the treatment of mental illness in children.
Parents need to be their child's advocate by joining support groups and learning as much as they can about their child's mental health diagnosis. Knowledge is power.
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