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ENGL 1302
Parents Rely Too Heavily Upon Medicating Their Children
Children across America suffer from a wide variety of behavioral disorders. Many
parents turn to medications to fix their children. Olympic swimmer and gold medalist Michael
Phelps suffered from ADHD as a child. His parents opted to place him on medication in order to
improve his performance in the classroom. Yet, at age 13, already a competitive swimmer,
Phelps chose to take himself off medications, instead using the techniques he learned in
swimming to focus his mind in the classroom (Wedge). This example begs the question: Are
American parents willing to turn to medications too easily? American children are, in fact, over-
medicated. Parents need to be more cautious of the number of drugs they allow their children to
take, especially since there are alternative treatment options available, because many drugs are
never adequately tested on children, conditions are often misdiagnosed, in some cases, and, in
some cases, giving children access to drugs leads to drug abuse.
Children today are being prescribed medications which have never been properly tested
on developing bodies. About ten years ago, the FDA began to test the specific effects of drugs
used on children, but due to the ethical ramifications of using children as guinea pigs, doctors
still have little to rely on when it comes to prescribing medications (Frontline). Because the
research just has not been done, little is known about the long-term impact of many drugs.
Furthermore, the FDA has not even approved any drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia or
bipolar disorder in children, so doctors are prescribing medications for a range of symptoms
outside of their intended use (Frontline). Dr. Patrick Bacon, a child psychiatrist, claims
prescribing children behavioral medications is "to some extent an experiment (qtd. in
Frontline). Children prescribed these untested medications are in danger of unknown and
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possibly serious side effects, potentially dangerous drug interactions, and lasting health
conditions that may not present themselves immediately (Frontline and Park). Dr. Marianne
Wambolt, chief of psychiatry at Denver Childrens Hospital, explains medications have a whole
different impact in the young developing child than they do in an adult" (qtd. in Frontline).
Parents must be wary of rushing to a quick-fix medication for their childrens ailments,
especially when the effects of the medication are not fully understood.
Often, behavior problems themselves are being misdiagnosed, especially in younger
children. Because there are very few child psychiatrists in the U.S., many children are being
diagnosed by their medical doctors, who often have less experience and certainly less specialized
experience in correctly diagnosing behavioral disorders (Frontline). There is such a limited
number of child psychiatrists that parents may find themselves on a waiting list for anywhere
between six and fifteen months (Reinberg). Often, family doctors simply prescribe drugs to treat
symptoms, as opposed to treating disorders. Children may act out after a death in the family,
abuse, poor parenting, or other life experiences (Park). A symptom such as hyperactivity may
actually be a sign of a problem in the home or a sleep disorder; ADHD is not the only answer
(Velez). Behavioral child psychologists would be more likely to trace the root cause of a
symptom accurately, rather than just medicating the symptom. In many cases, parents actually
contribute to the misdiagnoses by requesting prescription drugs because their children have
started to act out in school, get lower grades, or perform poorly on tests (Park). Parents need to
acknowledge that not all symptoms are related to a behavioral disorder, and allow specialists the
opportunity to correctly diagnose their children to avoid medicating the children without cause.
Sometimes, however, there are ulterior motives at work when parents seek treatment for
their children. Some parents abuse their children by making a conscious decision to
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unnecessarily medicate their children in order to better control their behavior. At other times,
parents seek the unnecessary medications for their children so they may take the drugs
recreationally themselves. Even in instances where a parent is not seeking unnecessary
medications for their child, the child may be misdiagnosed or may choose to not take the
prescribed medications when they ought to. Instances such as these have allowed children to
distribute their unwanted medications to their peers, which has allowed illicit drug abuse to
proliferate amongst public schools and universities (Park). Parents need to see that turning to
medications to solve their childrens problems is not always the best solution.
Additionally, there are other, lesser-known forms of treatment available for children with
behavioral disorders outside of medication. Dr. Mani Pavuluri believes that behavioral
medications should only be considered as a last resort after all other measures have been
exhausted. In some cases, medication may be necessary, but she recommends trying therapies or
behavioral interventions for mild cases (Park). Behavior therapy has been proven to be very
effective in modifying childrens behaviors, and changing behaviors of those involved in a
childs life also works wonders (Frontline). Family therapy has been found to be surprisingly
effective since there is never just a single solution to fit all circumstances, although simply
changing the way parents communicate with a child often helps (Wedge). Pavuluri also believes
in examining the childs life as a whole when determining the best treatment (Park). Sometimes,
for a child with ADHD, sports can be the answer. Allowing the child to expend their extra
energy constructively can combat the symptoms of the disorder over time (Wedge). Parent
management training and cognitive problem-solving skills training are other examples of
alternative treatments children suffering from disruptive behavioral problems (Reinberg). Once
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parents open their eyes to the possibility of alternative treatments, they may find far safer
possibilities exist for managing their childrens behavioral disorders.
With the many risks associated with prescribing children behavior-altering medications,
parents ought to be more wary of hasty diagnoses. Treating behavioral disorders through
therapies seems to be the best option, resorting to prescription medications only as a last resort.
When parents realize that the easiest option may not always be the best option, children will be
rewarded with a better future. Parents are medicating children too often, children are suffering
for it.

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Works Cited
Frontline. The Medicated Child. 8 Jan. 2008. Web. 19 May 2014.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild/etc/synopsis.html>.
Park, Madison. Little People, Lots off Pills: Experts Debate Medicating Kids. 24 May 2011.
Web. 19 May 2014. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/23/kids.overmedicated/>.
Reinberg, Steven. "U.S. Kids Might Not Be Over-Medicated After All." Health Day. 3 Dec.
2012. Web. 20 May 2014. <http://health.usnews.com/health-
news/news/articles/2012/12/03/us-kids-might-not-be-over-medicated-after-all>.
Velez, Mandy. "Dangers Of Prescribing ADHD Meds To Toddlers: 'We're Living In The U.S. Of
Adderall'." Huffington Post. 19 May 2014. Web. 19 May 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/19/dangers-of-prescribing-adhd-drugs-to-
toddlers_n_5353697.html>.
Wedge, Marilyn. "Why Are We Still Medicating Our Kids?" Huffington Post. 28 Mar. 2011.
Web. 19 May 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marilyn-wedge-phd/child-
medications-_b_834119.html>.