A rising number of teens are taking antidepressants and other medication for mental health. Contributor Tyra Damm writes that these kids need support, but that doesn't always mean pills.Our young people are struggling with mental health. Two years ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics, along with two other professional groups, declared a national emergency in child and adolescent mental health.
“We really need a healthy, moderate mean between two extremes because there should be concerns about medication overuse because any medication is with risk,” Atkinson said. “Medications, by definition, are altering something in the chemical composition or the functioning of the body. At the same time, we need to really watch out for a skepticism that is pre-emptively damning all medications.
He said parents and guardians should ask questions when medications are recommended or prescribed, such as, “What is the evidence base behind what you’re prescribing? Is it better than allowing the child to react without the medicine?”As both a mom of young adults and a middle school teacher who glimpses the pressures that our young people face, I frequently consider the availability of healthy coping skills.
“Inadequate sleep is probably a big reason for frayed nerves,” he said, which leads to another tip. “Before you add more chemicals in your life, make sure you’ve tried cutting out the ones that are already in there.” That includes caffeine, which can actually increase anxiety. And we often use caffeine because we didn’t get adequate sleep; these factors feed one another.
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