teenmom2111
10-14-2006, 11:53 AM
Dr. Bradley
I am new to your forum and am in need of advice. My daughter is 15 and has a lot of emotional issues. Her father is not a presence in her life and has not been for most of her life. She has always been a difficult child and was diagnosed with ADHD about 5 years ago and has taken medication since that time. Typically she only takes it while she is in school to help her focus. She is being seen by a therapist and a psychiatrist periodically who manages the meds. As she has headed into adolescence, she has begun to struggle with self-esteem issues and has experienced with sex and marijuana. She has always struggled to keep friendships and often alienates other kids because of her impulsiveness and insecurity, i.e., she ends up getting busted for talking about friends' behind their backs. As you probably know, this is not uncommon for teenage girls, but for whatever reason, there is always someone angry at her. All of this adds up to sadness, anger, etc. She also gets nervous and has anxiety problems surrounding homework, projects, etc. I always attributed this to ADHD, but as she has gotten older, I've begun to wonder if it isn't something else. She can also be loud, volatile and extremely disrespectful to me. Our family therapist has helped to some extent, but now feels that she may have a mood disorder and has suggested a psych eval to determine if meds are needed. This is the reason for my post. I have serious concerns about putting her on depression medication or mood stabilizer as the reports about suicides and the lack of any long-term studies that address the effect on children deeply concerns me. I have also read that it is nearly impossible to diagnose children because their brains are not fully developed. I would like your thoughts/opinions about this kind of treatment for a child with a mood disorder. I will seek the advice of this new psychiatrist, but I would love your perspetive on medications such as these for teens.
Thanks for your input as I am at my wit's end, but not willing to sacrifice my daughter's well being for some short-term peace.
Teenmom
I am new to your forum and am in need of advice. My daughter is 15 and has a lot of emotional issues. Her father is not a presence in her life and has not been for most of her life. She has always been a difficult child and was diagnosed with ADHD about 5 years ago and has taken medication since that time. Typically she only takes it while she is in school to help her focus. She is being seen by a therapist and a psychiatrist periodically who manages the meds. As she has headed into adolescence, she has begun to struggle with self-esteem issues and has experienced with sex and marijuana. She has always struggled to keep friendships and often alienates other kids because of her impulsiveness and insecurity, i.e., she ends up getting busted for talking about friends' behind their backs. As you probably know, this is not uncommon for teenage girls, but for whatever reason, there is always someone angry at her. All of this adds up to sadness, anger, etc. She also gets nervous and has anxiety problems surrounding homework, projects, etc. I always attributed this to ADHD, but as she has gotten older, I've begun to wonder if it isn't something else. She can also be loud, volatile and extremely disrespectful to me. Our family therapist has helped to some extent, but now feels that she may have a mood disorder and has suggested a psych eval to determine if meds are needed. This is the reason for my post. I have serious concerns about putting her on depression medication or mood stabilizer as the reports about suicides and the lack of any long-term studies that address the effect on children deeply concerns me. I have also read that it is nearly impossible to diagnose children because their brains are not fully developed. I would like your thoughts/opinions about this kind of treatment for a child with a mood disorder. I will seek the advice of this new psychiatrist, but I would love your perspetive on medications such as these for teens.
Thanks for your input as I am at my wit's end, but not willing to sacrifice my daughter's well being for some short-term peace.
Teenmom