Half of U.S. Kids With Mental Issues Are Getting Help

I can understand that many feel that we are over diagnosing our children with mental health disorders, and perhaps we are. However, I think that today's lifestyles are not so traditional any more. Everything we put in our bodies is nuked in a microwave, has tons of dyes, preservatives and who knows what else in it. The very air we breathe is not the same as it was 20 years ago. The clothes we wear, the personal hygiene products, etc., all seem to have some kind of warning lable on them chemicals that can be harmful. Perhaps, just perhaps, that is part of the reason why we have so many children with mental health disorders. Add to that the "shhhhhhhhhh, don't talk about it" syndrome that used to be the norm in our society years ago, it really seems like we are over diagnosing mental disorders. We are trying to be more open to it as a society. We have also made many changes in the medical criteria for mental disorders, perhaps in part due to the amount of abnormalities that are showing themselves.

I am not for handing every child a pill whenever they throw a temper tantrum, in fact I think they should only be given any type of drug if other avenues have been explored. However, I think burying our heads in the sand will cause much larger problems in the future. As parents, we have a responsibility to make sure that we are doing what is right for the child and the entire family, especially if there is more than one child in the family. We as a society are very uncomfortable with mental illness, however, it is not going away. If we don't do something about it when our children are younger, their chances of being productive adults drops significantly. I think traditional methods of dealing with it are very wise, however, there are instances when medication is the right choice for the child. Every child has the right to be the very best they can be, and if meds are the only avenue left to giving them that chance, it should be done. It shouldn't be taken lightly, but it shouldn't label them as weak or stubborn. Often times if a child is not assessed and helped, when they hit their teens they start to self medicate with drugs or alcohol. Then they become adults with not just an undiagnosed mental illness that has to be figured out and treated, but they have the added struggles of addiction. Some make it, but many don't. The suicide rate for teens and adults with autism, depression, anxiety, and mood disorders is many times higher than your typical person. I am a single mom with four children ranging in ages of 8-26. I have a daughter with Asperger's Syndrome and a son with Bi-Polar disorder. I treat them like anyone else. I don't try to hide it, but don't make a big deal about it either. We work together as a family to make it work on a day by day, minute by minute basis. We seek medical help when we can't figure it out at home. We try to educate folks as we go along. Some get it and some don't, but some want to and some don't.

Valerie Taylor of MN 1:38AM December 21, 2009