Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids

by Timothy E. Wilens

When is psychiatric medication the right choice for kids? Which side effects may be cause for concern? Does medication affect kids' personalities? What are the alternatives? Can medication lead to drug abuse?

Psychiatric medications are being used with increasing confidence to treat a variety of child and adolescent disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and Tourette syndrome. For parents, however, deciding whether to allow a child to take medication for an emotional or behavioral problem may be one of the toughest choices they will ever face. When a son or daughter needs help, parents need more than a brief medical consultation--and more than a prescription slip.

This essential book provides the up-to-date information that will enable readers to fully understand what their child's doctor is recommending, and what their options are. With loads of real-life examples, answers to frequently asked questions, and helpful tables and charts, Harvard University researcher and practitioner Dr. Timothy Wilens explains which medications may be prescribed for children, and why; examines effects on children's health, emotions, and school performance; and helps readers become active, informed managers of their child's care.

Genres: Adhd, Parenting, Nonfiction, Reference, Psychology, Health, Science

280 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1998

Reviews

[Gumbo_khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really solid in some respects. If i was a parent who didn’t know anything about medicine and was faced with a child who has a psychiatric disorder, it would be a must read. Some things were too oversimplified though. Incredible book for what it seeks to accomplish though.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of how to approach psychiatric medications for your child. Includes questions to ask the doctor, overview of disorders and symptoms helped by medication, description of the categories of medications and some of the meds themselves. The tone is helpful and hopeful.

[Jaime Cannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource for anyone who is dealing with any mental health issues with their kids. Some of the medication info is outdated, but the approached to therapy and the way it breaks it down is super helpful

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful for parents who want to know more about medication options. Easy to read and understand.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a must read for any parents considering medication for their children. Written with layperson language. Very helpful.

[Green Iona]

Recommended by my psychopharmacology professor.

[Deralyn Gwyné · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good informative for parents, to help learn about the medications and what to look out for when it comes to side affects.

[Mercurybard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids by Timothy E. Wilens is slightly dated (published in 1999 and revised in 2001), but the information presented seems solid and--like the title suggests--is presented in simple, easy-to-understand terms. It is about an 8 hour read cover-to-cover, though in most cases, parents will probably use it as a manual, flipping to the section applicable to their kids and ignoring the rest.

The first section, "The Preliminaries", is designed to calm down parents who are panicking because a doctor recommended or they themselves are being to wonder if medication is necessary for treating some sort of psychiatric issue being shown in their children. Wilens brings up several myths about psychotropic medications such as "won't taking these drugs lead to street drug abuse?" and answers them with facts (actually, leaving a disorder like depression or anxiety untreated places a child at higher risk for drug and alcohol abuse).

There is a current belief circulating that in order for a disorder to be effectively treated drugs must be used in combination with talk therapy. There is another one that talk therapy should be tried first to see it eleviates the issues before starting on medication.

Wilsen manages to address both of those beliefs (which infuriate me to know end). For disorders like anxiety and depression, talk therapy, according to Wilsen, can be extremely useful and the first thing for parents, child, and therapist to try. If it is bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, drug trials should be started right away upon diagnosis. With ADHD (the medications for which are the only ones whose effects when used on children and teens have been studied extensively), medication is not only the first course of treatment but also the only proven effective course of treatment. Studies show talk therapy and behavior modification has little to no effect on ADHD. Wilsen also mentions that children with depression or anxiety usually want to be helped, but those with bipolar disorder or some form of psychosis won't believe there is anything wrong with them, making it infinitely harder to help them.

The second section of the book lists disorders by type (mood, developmental, etc.), giving information on the disorder itself and then the courses of treatment. It was surprisingly how often a drug developed to treat one type of disorders might be able to treat another as well. Also, one drug can treat several issues--an antidepressant that causes drowsiness can be effectively used to treat depression and sleep issues if given at bedtime. On the flip side, it can take several drugs to bring a disorder under control, or one drug might be needed just to counteract the side effects of the main prescription.

Certain disorders present differently in children than they do in adults. Bipolar disorder--instead of swinging back and forth between mania and depression the way adults do--usually manifests as depression with horrible agitation and an out of control feeling in children as symptoms of both poles are experienced at the same time. Depression in children is usually longer lasting, less likely to just go away, and less responsive to treatment.

Section three is devoted to psychotropic medications. An explanation of schedule two and schedule four drugs and how they are controlled by the government and pharmacies is given. Then it goes through the different classes of drugs (stimulants, antipsychotics, anxiety-breaking, etc.) and gives a brief description of how the drugs as a class work before then describing several of the common drugs on the market. It even talks about using Bendryl as a sleep aid.

The last part of the book appendix of common psychotropic drugs, the range of dosages usually prescribed, and what form the medicine comes in (pills, chewable tablets, injectable liquid, nasal spray, etc.) also with some blank medication logs.

Overall, easy to understand and chock full of useful information.

[Rachael Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would consider this a must read for anyone considering medication for their children. It really is direct and gives a clear explanation for how the medications work, what kind of side affects to expect and how to weigh the benefits vs. risk. I felt extremely prepared to talk to my doctor about medication for Carver after reading this. It helped me make a better decision and understand the science behind medication.

[TK Keanini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Medication is very real and as much as you might want to pursue other methods of treatment, some will have to treat the illness with both therapy and medication. Well, get educated on what you are taking or what you are going to be giving to your child. Keep in mind that a lot of these drugs are untested on children and yet they are used regularly in treatment.

[Jennifer]

I decided not to read it after all.

[Frank Hering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful. Very informative. Great resource.

[Sally]

(Look for 2016 edition, not the 90's one)