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[quote=Anonymous]How old is she and what does she want to do?

The day my daughter's pediatrician looked at her and said "you don't have to feel like this all the time" is the day she started medication. She was 16 and had been in therapy about 9mo then (and continued).

The reality is it's not magic and it's not easy to find the right medication. There can be trial and error. It has been worth it for my daughter. Most medications have side effects. Nothing has been intolerable for her - muscle spasms, vivid dreams, weight gain and hormonal changes (we've tried a few things, not all side effects with each, just examples). The first didn't work at all for her, the second worked for awhile and "wore off" and now she is on a combination that is working well.

I think some kids mature, learn skills and decrease or come off medications. Mine expects to need them through college and then we'll see. My guess is she is high risk for pregnancy/postpartum depression/anxiety to keep an eye on. I have several adult friends on medications long term, nothing wrong with that if it is working.

Perhaps the fights are a negative coping mechanism? It may be attention seeking, but not in a "look at me" way but a "I need something I can't/don't know how to express" way (that is what we learned from therapy, a coded cry for help). My daughter has another negative coping mechanism that therapy was helpful with, but incomplete. I believe the medication is very helpful calming those urges and then she can use the skills learned in therapy to work through anxiety-provoking situations. [/quote]

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