After taking his son off of Ritalin, who had been taking the drug for attention deficit disorder (ADD), Chad Taylor is now faced with possible child abuse charges.

Taylor explained that he discontinued his son’s medication because he noticed his son had trouble sleeping and experienced a loss of appetite. After stopping the medication, Taylor’s son’s side effects improved, however, his son’s disruptive behavior in school resurfaced. When school officials reported Taylor to the Department of Children, Youth and Families, a detective told Taylor to put his son back on the medication or face child abuse and neglect charges.

This story represents one of many cases of parents in turmoil of whether or not to medicate their children who suffer from emotional disorders.

The Rise of Antidepressant Use Among Children

A study found that there was a 49 percent increase in antidepressant use among adolescents and children aged 18 and under between the years of 1998 and 2002. The study also showed that the fastest growing population of antidepressant users were children 5 and under.

Parents have expressed fears and confusion over medicating issues such as overmedicating, side effects of the medication and medication versus psychotherapy.

Experts warned parents not to stop their children’s medication before talking to their doctor.

Medication or Psychotherapy--Differing Opinions

• A study revealed that teenagers received more benefits in the treatment of depression from taking Prozac over talk therapy. The same study also showed that combining the two, therapy and medication, was more effective at treating depression.

• Some experts believed that the appropriate kind of treatment was dependent on the severity level of the depression.

• Supporters of medicating children stated that these children needed to be watched closely for symptom changes and possible reactions to the medication.

• Other experts agreed medication could be helpful, however only if it was used with some other type of intervention.

The Difficult Challenge of Diagnosing Children

Because of their inability to fully express how they feel, young children are particularly difficult to diagnosis properly. Signs of troubled children commonly emerge at school and could be seen through episodes of acting out or even through their artwork.

Some critics claimed that some doctors didn’t possess sufficient training to properly diagnosis emotional disorders in children and had the tendency to prescribe antidepressants without enough knowledge on the medications and their side effects.

What Parents Need to Know

• Every child is different and will require individualized treatment to suit their needs.

• Do your research and find out possible side effects of the medication from your doctor.

• Find out the medical credentials of your doctor.

• Do complete research on medications and all other treatment alternatives.

• Write down a list of questions to ask your child’s doctor about any concerns regarding medication and other available treatments.
  

ABC News June 7, 2004

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

It is a sad tragedy that these parents are being forced to keep their children on these poisons. What’s even more troubling is that now parents could face possible criminal charges if they decide to stop their child’s medications after seeing the negative side effects. These medicines do seem to provide some benefit, but in no way, shape or form do they even begin to treat the foundational cause of this problem, which is related to an excess of grains, sugars, underground vegetables, and any fluid other than water. This is particularly distressing as the diet changes I recommend work so well. The foods your children eat have a far more profound influence on their emotions than you may think. This is particularly true for sugars and grains that require insulin to metabolize them. Elevated insulin levels will lead to disrupted serotonin and other neurochemicals that will lead to depression. It is tragic that wonderful tools like high-quality fish oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, are not used more frequently. Let's face it; we are all fatheads. Sixty percent of our brain is composed of fat and half of that fat is DHA, one of the fats in fish oil. Our body can't make it, and if we don't supply it we will suffer neurological complications. One can certainly be depressed and have adequate amounts of fish oil, but it is a simple, inexpensive and non-toxic strategy that helps many with depression. Exercise can also be beneficial in helping children with depression. Today many children lead sedentary lifestyles with little physical activity. It has been shown that exercise improves depression symptoms quicker than most antidepressants. There are many cited side effects of antidepressants that lead to devastating consequences and this is an important consideration when decide to medicate children. As I've written in past articles, antidepressants have been linked to causing suicides in kids. Related Articles: Antidepressants May Trigger Violent Beha Antidepressants Proven to Work Only Slightly Better Than Placebo Suicide Caution Mandated for Antidepressants Antidepressants and Suicide in Children: Why Did the Warnings Take so Long? More FDA Suppression on Antidepressants Why Antidepressants are Causing Suicides and Homicides