WP review of book on medication and children

[Anonymous]

Anyone see this review?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/12/AR2010031201806.html


For me, it sounds very interesting and supportive. We medicate our our 2 ADHD kids and I know first hand the reluctance and stigma associated with it. These last couple years have been pretty rough and I wish those who aren't in "our world" were more understanding and supportive. One thing that kind of threw me was the way the reviewer kept referring to mental illness and ADHD. I guess I'd never thought of it as a mental illness but when I googled mental disorder, neurological disorder and mental illness, they were all pretty much the same, just different terms. I guess I need to work a little harder on expanding my view of "mental illness". When I say it, the image in my head is not my kid.

I have to say I do appreciate this forum and the kindness most everyone has shown.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the link. I read Warner's column regularly in NYTimes, where she sometimes talked about her research as she was writing this book. She's great. I'm so glad to see someone prominent argue back to the "overmedication" people out there. It always seems like a belief in overmedication is the default assumption of people with no experience in this.

[Anonymous]

Its a great book.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for posting the link. I read the article this morning and almost cried. We have had to face childhood mental illness head-on. Not only did we have to make very hard medical choices for our child we were doing so in a haze of confusion, isolation and embarassment (because of the perceived stigma at the time, we are no longer embarassed). Mental illness in a child is so difficult because it does not evoke much sympathy in others and it is very hard for those who have not faced these challenges to relate to. Certainly the stigma around mental illness has lessened over the years, but it is still there and it is essential that families dealing with these issues receive love, acceptance and support. Medication is a necessary tool in fighting mental illness along with other treatment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for posting the link. I read the article this morning and almost cried. We have had to face childhood mental illness head-on. Not only did we have to make very hard medical choices for our child we were doing so in a haze of confusion, isolation and embarassment (because of the perceived stigma at the time, we are no longer embarassed). Mental illness in a child is so difficult because it does not evoke much sympathy in others and it is very hard for those who have not faced these challenges to relate to. Certainly the stigma around mental illness has lessened over the years, but it is still there and it is essential that families dealing with these issues receive love, acceptance and support. Medication is a necessary tool in fighting mental illness along with other treatment.

i'm sorry to hear about your painful experience, but am glad that it seems to be turning out OK for you. sometimes i wonder if we aren't headed to a mental illness diagnosis with my DD (4yo).

[Anonymous]

12:08 I also wanted to say I am so sorry you had to go through that. I bet your post will help a lot of people. You should write about the experience one day for a magazine or even write a book. You are a moving writer.