Why are we over medicating our kids in the USA ?

Question

is it just greed or is it the idea than any behavior that goes out of the line of what the psychiatric community deems fit gets slapped with a label deemed a disease and the kid gets drugged .. i say give them pot and be done with it because its safer

Answer 1

I agree but I don't think pot is the answer, they shouldn't be given drugs period.

Marijuana does help with all sorts of medical conditions such as ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer's, cancer, and many many more and I'm all for it but I'm not too sure about giving it to anyone under the age of 15, there are some psychological consequences that could occur and I feel they should be a little older so they can better deal with it if something were to happen.  

Answer 2

Medication is the new alternative to the "good old fashioned spanking", which modern day parents seem to be afraid to do. I'm not saying there's no such thing as ADD/ADHD....... It's just that I think all the modern day behavior disorders are being WAY over diagnosed.

Answer 3

I think so....I work in a pharmacy and it seems like for every little thing parents are like "well take them to the doctor for medication to control them"

its very sad....its one thing to give medication to a sick child...but because you cant do your job as a parent and decide to give your 6 yr old child Ritalin...thats another thing....

Answer 4

My son was hyperactive he is now 35, I put him on ritlan at age 8, I am now raising my grandson who acts  the same way as he did.

my son is now in prison for drugs. so I refuse to put my grandson on meds. look where my son is .  I think people had rather quick fix young children instead of helping them and letting them be children. as far as pot, my son started with pot, and I used to think is was one of the most terrible drugs, but now that I have seen the effect of  meth and other hard drugs, I wish that is all he had done., but noway would I give my grandson pot, that is the reason I have custody of him, drug infested inviorment, you have to break that cycle or nothing will change for the children of our future

Answer 5

Well, it's far easier than parenting, isn't it?

Answer 6

I think that if a six year old is hyper the solution is to let him be a kid cuz I have not seen a six year sit in a chair and listen to everything for hours on end.  The Doctor don't always know best.  My mothers was 4 months pregnant with my little brother and her doctor told her that he was going to have down syndrome cuz his brain was not developing right.  They told her that she could have a test done to see if he is really sick or abort the baby.  My parents did nothing but pray and came out just fine.  Know the school wants to give him meds cuz he hyper and my parents said "No"  They know that he is just a kid and that giving him meds is just going to lead to an other med. and then an other med.  People need to let kids be kids and stop giving the meds for being hyper and stop putting the back packs with leash on the kids and just get their *** up and watch their kids

Answer 7

I agree with the over diagnosing and over medicating.  However, your comment about giving them pot is unacceptable.  I would like you to post on your question some clear concrete evidence that it would be safe to give a 5 year old pot.  

Answer 8

I think its because there is a huge need for the quick fix in our society.  And it's not just with kids.  When you watch TV how many commericals do you see for one medication or another.  Both OTCs and prescription drugs.  

I don't agree with it and I don't understand it.  Doctors are less likely to prescribe antibiotics now they were when I was growing up, but at the same time they're more willing to put kids on these highly addictive drugs.  There is so much we don't know about the human brain and most good shrinks will even admit that they don't know how all the psychotropic drugs work and yet they prescribe them like candy.

It's like all the new diagnosises that they came up with just so they had another label to slap on people's foreheads and can shove more drugs down their throats.

The pharmacutical companies, AMA, and insurance companies are all a joke and the punchline is coming out of our pockets.  It's gotten to the point where you can't afford to go to the doctor unless you have insurance, but even then you're not guranteed that they're going to pay the bill and you're the one that's ultimately held responsible.

We need to start finding alternative methods before just shoving drugs down the throat of a hyper active kid because I have a hard time believe that every kid that gets a hyper is suffering from ADD or ADHD.  Or that just because you're a teenager that they should slap the label of ODD (oppositions defiance disorder) on them just so that they don't have to be accountable for their actions.

People want quick fixes with everything but that's not how life works, no matter how much we want it to.

Answer 9

It's because parents no longer have the time to devote to their children or they just don't care.  Or it's because the child genuinely needs the medication that wasn't available many years ago.

Answer 10

Yes, but if you gave them pot they would eat everything in the fridge.....

EDIT - yes, I find it's best to preface this type of question with a banner reading "Sarcasm Alert" just in case people think you are actually advocating drug use in the under fives.  Unless you are advocating it of course.......

Answer 11

Do you even have children? If a child is sick you give them medicine, it's as simple as that. I would never want my children to get so sick they have to go to the hospital, because I didn't give them medicine. You know they're actually trying to make it a law that if your child dies because you didn't get them proper medical attention the parent will be held responsible for their death! Pot is not the answer r****d!

Answer 12

Ok, I was going to star this question until I got to the

"I am saying that pot according to research is safer than these drugs ... and since parents don't want to be parents anymore it is a safer alternative ..."

Pack your children's bags because they are coming to live at my house!  Are you insane?  I thought you were talking about ritalin...etc...but to give a child pot to calm them down is simply absurd!  If you want your children to calm down for a while - simply get out a book or pop in a movie and veg out with them on the couch!

Edit:  after getting an email I would like to add - that yes it does seem like pot is safer to give children as it's not addicting - but would we as a society do this no - it's just easier not to parent!  I appologize as I thought the question was seriously thought out and this guy was planning on giving pot to his children.

Answer 13

it is laziness