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There is no pill, of course, that can substitute for healthy human interaction. Interaction builds self-confidence and self-esteem. Medications also don’t replace psychotherapy. There are situations, however, where love and support are not sufficient to solve problems. Our society has no qualms seeking treatment for medical problems.
Our mind and emotions, though, seem to be held to a different standard. Discipline, willpower, and spirituality are important. There are, still, times in mental health when they don’t remedy the problem. The dilemma is always where does laziness and lack of self-confidence end, and true incapability begin. This is more intense when children are involved. Children are fast to blame themselves and believe unfair criticisms leveled at them. It’s particularly dangerous to make a child feel responsible for controlling uncontrollable symptoms. This contributes to their developing an image of themselves as incompetent.
Academic disinterest, drugs, and sexual promiscuity call for communication not chemistry. Unfortunately, if detrimental behaviors and attitudes go on for a long time, they pose an increasingly urgent threat to the child’s life. Medication might be useful in such cases if rage, impulsivity, and mood lability are persistent.
“Addiction” is another concern. Just as addiction to drugs and alcohol can ruin lives, so can “addictions” to certain outlooks on ourselves, others, and life in general. These addictions come out of difficult life experiences, and not out of a bottle. There are times when they reach crisis proportions and must be dealt with aggressively.
Unlike street drugs and alcohol, psychiatric medications on the whole, do not seek to numb people or help them forget their problems. Medication seeks to restore a level of function and clarity of perception. Duration of treatment is another concern: will my child have to take this stuff the rest of his/her life? There is no reason to automatically assume that this will be the case. The answer to this question is always specific to the person’s unique situation. It is a given, however, that the lowest effective doses be used, and that the need for continued medication be periodically reviewed.
Alternative medications are another frequent source of inquiry. Studies have suggested that omega-3 fatty acids may function as well as a mood stabilizer or any prescription drugs used for that purpose. I, however, would underscore that herbal preparations are also drugs with a mechanism for action, and can also produce side-effects and have significant drug interactions. Herbal preparations are not all necessarily innocuous—we still need to learn more about them.