As parents, we want to do what is best for our children. When they are hungry, we feed them; when they scrape a knee, we bandage them, but what should we do when they are depressed, unable to focus, anxious or obsessed? No one likes to think that mental disorders can touch a child's innocent world, but sadly, sometimes they do.

It's no one's fault, not the child's or the parent's. Mental disorders, like any illness, strike randomly. In fact, adolescent suicide attempts are on the rise, reaching numbers of up to 8%. Furthermore, 60-80% of adolescents who have committed suicide were suffering a depressive disorder at the time, yet only 7% had received any form of mental health care.

The connection between children and mental disorders is a relatively new area of study. In the last 30 years, experts have come to understand that childhood mental disorders, such as depression, manifest in much the same way as in adults. Even babies can be afflicted, exhibiting various symptoms such as "failure to thrive." Other symptoms that depressed children may present are failure to enjoy play, change in sleep or eating patterns, rage, chronic complaints of sickness etc.

Other mental disorders that can affect children are bipolar disorder, attention/deficit disorder, eating disorders, self-injury behaviors, oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive/compulsive disorder, panic disorders, phobias etc.

While traditional "talk therapy" can help a child deal with a traumatic past or the confusions of adolescence, increasingly, experts are realizing that mental disorders are genetically based chemical imbalances in the brain. When a troubled child is properly diagnosed with a mental disorder, the doctor may prescribe a medication designed to adjust abnormal brain chemistry. This can easily give a concerned parent pause, evoking many reasonable questions, such as:

• Will the medication work and is it safe? 
• What are the side effects of the medication?
• Can it damage the child?
• Are medications being used too often?
• Are we producing drugged-out kids?
• What do we really know about these medications?

How do we know if a child is suffering from ADHD or just a lack of discipline? Is it depression or an ordinary bad mood? Once diagnosed as a mental disorder, should we use medication to help our child? If we decide to consider medication, what medications are available and exactly what do they do?

Dr. Herbert Wagemaker, M.D., answers these questions in his book, “Psychiatric Medications and Our Children: A Parent’s Guide.”
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"Finally, a book about complicated medical problems, which is readable for regular folks. Dr. Herb Wagemaker puts complex research studies, understanding about psychiatric illness, and up-to-date information about medicines in a common sense format. Straight talk about tough issues and practical advice on treatment is Dr. Wagemaker's approach in this useful guide to parents. If your child might be in need of a drug therapy or if you want more knowledge about psychiatry in children... do read this book!"
Steven Lippmann, M.D. Louisville, KY

psymedication$17.95