How I Made the Decision to Put My Child on Medication

By Carrie Vittitoe

Carrie Vittitoe had a tough determination to brand close her 8-year-old son's health. 


One of the biggest challenges of beingness a mom is that you lot don’t bargain alongside but your problems anymore. Your kids’ problems elbow grease you lot much to a greater extent than worry than your ain challenges.

I’ve written as well as spoken close my obsessive-compulsive as well as generalized anxiety disorders for a long fourth dimension now, but I’ve lately entered all novel territory piece belongings my middle child’s hand. We’re trying to navigate this terrain together.



Graeme is a smart, funny, empathetic eight yr old, but for a duo years, my hubby as well as I receive got been seeking answers to explicate behaviors that nosotros haven’t fully understood as well as definitely haven’t liked. Toddler-style hitting, kicking, as well as screaming tantrums were unpleasant when he was a 2, but grew increasingly worrisome as he began simple school. We couldn’t empathise why putting on socks or a wintertime coat as well as chapeau caused then much upheaval.

Most of parenting is throwing a bunch of materials at the wall as well as hoping to a greater extent than or less of it sticks, as well as I mean value this sums upward perfectly what the past times 2 years receive got been for us. We’ve been trying everything nosotros could mean value of that powerfulness assistance Graeme (and us) contend improve as well as lessen his tantrums: cognitive behavioral therapy for a time; ongoing occupational therapy; a total psychological as well as cognitive evaluation to dominion out learning disabilities, autism, as well as ADHD.

I chalked Graeme’s repetitive pre-bedtime ritual to typical childhood bedtime avoidance. It was but ane idiosyncrasy. But when he began throwing tantrums whenever I moved accessories inwards the identify or purchased novel items, as well as when he started repeating phrases during the daytime as well as checking as well as rechecking, it was no longer an idiosyncrasy. This was becoming a pattern.

As much as I worried close taking antidepressant medication myself inwards 2004, it was nil compared to the internal wrangling I’ve done at the sentiment of putting my kid on an antidepressant. I hated the sentiment of giving Graeme anything that I sentiment powerfulness forestall his encephalon from developing “normally.” I tolerated 4 years of his every-night, multiple-times-a-night wakings (from ages iii to 7) earlier I lastly talked to his pediatrician close trying melatonin, an over-the-counter supplement.

When I consulted alongside the pediatrician as well as later on the kid psychiatrist close Graeme’s obsessive/compulsive behaviors, it occurred to me that his encephalon wasn’t developing “normally” without psychotropic medication. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 kid who weeps as well as screams because I deed a blossom organisation from the dining room to the living room is likely non surgical operation at his best. An 8-year-old man child shouldn’t fifty-fifty unwrap that I rearranged tchotchkes, as well as if he does, he shouldn’t care.

In helping Graeme bargain alongside his mental wellness issues past times putting him on a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), I’ve had to remain much to a greater extent than on tiptop of my ain mental wellness challenges. Through blogging, I’m keeping my ain distorted worries inwards banking concern fit as well as “talking myself down” as warranted. I’m paying greater attending to my physical needs of slumber as well as exercise. I’m hoping to laid upward a adept representative for my boy that one’s mental wellness is every bit of import as one’s physical health. I’m letting Graeme know that his mom understands as well as has his back.
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