Overmedicated Children in Society Today

My pet peeve of the day, the week and so far, the year is the way society tries to "fix" things with "letter diagnosis"...and "meds". And this isn't just happening to one child. It is happening to many more children than many even realize. In fact, some authorities estimate that in the next 10 years almost half of our children will be medicated for one "problem or another". And what is the reasoning for all this medication? "Case studies" in the school systems have been the source of many a concerned parent, resulting in medication for these children.

For example, in a school I regularly teach at, .there is a little girl I know in 1st grade...the sweetest, most gentle child I have ever met. She is soft spoken, well behaved and performs well in school.....you may ask..."what's the problem?!?" Bear with me here and read on about three entirely different children found in one school with little trouble. These kids are but a sampling of the case studies done in a regular school system but will in fact, give the reader an idea of the case studies used and presented to parents everyday.

Case study #1: This child...let's call her ANNE, is a quiet, polite child. She enjoys solitary pursuits and because she prefers to sit quietly and read a book or draw instead of engaging in horseplay, has been diagnosed as "clinically depressed".....medication has been suggested to "bring her out of her slump and happy her up"!

Case Study #2:..This boy ...let's call him JACK, is a 3rd grade boy, full of energy, life and questions. He does well in the classroom, participates in small groups with a minimum of discourse and enjoys being "on the go". He and his friends are often seen tearing around the playground heatedly discussing what game to play at recess time! He oftentimes likes to perch of the edge of his chair or stand up when he colors or writes or even reads a book...often all at the same time!!!.....he has been diagnosed as ADD and medication has been strongly suggested for his problem.

Case Study :3...This child is in 5th grade...verbally precocious, he talked before the age of two, spoke with adult sentence structure when he was 2 1/2 and has always been a fireball of information, questions and conversation. He also enjoys humor to the point of having an extensive collection of joke and riddle books and he loves to have "center stage" when he shares his "joke of the day". He has been diagnosed as ADHD and medication has been suggested with an emphasis on Ritalin for this child.

OK...these kids sound like the case studies were well thought out and diagnosis made with care, don't they? The hallmarks of the diseases are there....the diagnosis is in professional terms and the answer in terms of medication, as well. Many would say they have all the symptoms, and that the diagnosis were on the mark and right to the point.

The problem is (and this is where my pet peeve comes into play) is that NONE of these children have been diagnosed by physicians or anyone in the psychological sciences. Instead they have been diagnosed by individuals who have NO professional background to assess these problems. In medical terms, they have been diagnosed by "the common man".

My pet peeve is schools, day care centers, community centers, clubs and even church groups have jumped on the bandwagon of diagnosing children and putting them on meds in order to have what Like to call , "a cookie cutter classroom". It is far too easy these days for those "self taught authorities" to diagnose problems with children...and if that isn't frightening enough...consider this. Over half of the parents I have come into contact with, have taken these diagnosis' to heart and at the advise of these "so called" authorities have insisted their pediatrician put the child on medication for his or her problem. When I asked if the child in question had been diagnosed by a professional, 9 out of 10 times the reply was "...why should I, they see kids every day, they know what's wrong!"

This statement and the fact that we well may be over medicating our children sends a chill down my spine. While it is true that some children do in fact NEED these medications, the majority of children needing them were diagnosed by a physician or psychologist...not the common man. My concern with the over medicating of our children boils down to this. If we teach our children from an early age that (to paraphrase what Alice said)"...one pill makes you happy and one pill makes you sad.....and the ones that others give you are anything but bad!...." what will they turn to when they have an emotional upheaval as an adult. Most, I am afraid, will turn to the medicine chest and when they cannot find the "magic pill" to numb them there....where do you think they will go....well, you fill in the blanks.

With our society today being so obsessed with "feeling good" and "looking good" and "performing well"...we have turned into a society of "medication freaks".

In conclusion....consider this if you aren't' convinced. Each and every one of these children have been observed individually and each prove to have over 90% of the hallmarks of a talented and gifted child. The same hallmarks that convinced others they were clinical depressed, ADD, and ADHD are also hallmarks of a gifted individual. Not enough yet.? Then consider this. Many highly gifted individuals have extreme amounts of energy, have problems socially relating to their peers and as a result, may actually prefer their own solitary pursuits instead of joining in on the playground chaos.

That's it...my pet peeve...the over medication of our children......if anyone with any opinions on this article I would be all too happy to discuss them....but for today here is mine!