Lithium questions, Doctor wants my 10 year old on it...
Quote:
>>[Someone writes:]
>>>I have a 10 year old son that lives with my ex-wife. She has been having
>>>difficulty with his behavior and has had him on Ritalin, Tofranil, and now
>>>wants to try Lithuim at the local doctors suggestion. I would like to
>>>know whatever is important that I should know. I worry about this sort of
>>>thing and would like pros/cons regarding Lithium therapy.
>>I get "antsy" about posts like this. Is the concern more for son or about ex-w
>>ife??? The standard impartial procedure is to ask for a second opinion
>>about son's condition.
>>Then too, is son "acting out" games between divorced parents????
>Precisely. One wonders what unusual strain the boy might be under that
>could be causing "difficulty with his behavior". Standard practice would
>be to get a second opinion from a child psychiatrist. One would want to
>rule out the possibility that the "bad behavior" is not psychiatric
>illness at all.
>(Disclaimer: I am not a medic. But I am a parent.)
Hear, hear! I am a medic, though in a different country (UK), and I'm frankly
appalled by the idea of treating bad behaviour with major tranquilizers and
mood-altering {*filter*}. If the kid is suffering because of the divorce, it's
hardly appropriate to dope him up to the eyeballs, rather than trying to work
it through with him.
Christ!
