medicating children ?
Q.My 7 year old was initially diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Sent to a pediatrician who specializes in that stuff. She said, "PDD." Sent to a psychologist who said, "clinical depression." Now the psychologist wants to send her to a psychiatrist to get SSRIs. I know my daughter is a little different, but this is too much.
A.I think the first thing I would want to do is make sure she has the right diagnosis. Asperger's Syndrome is one of many PDD's, along with Autism. It is not clinical depression. You are getting different diagnosis here. You say your daughter is a little different, what is different? Do you know all the signs and symptoms of depression in children, PDD's, Asperger's and Autism? How about ADHD and ODD, which are often misdiagnosed as Asperger's and Autism and vice versa? I wouldn't want my daughter to be depressed either, but I would first want to know what is wrong. Is there any other family members with Aspergers or any other PDD? It does run in families, is more common in boys and usually diagnosed earlier. Did she have any verbal delays, is she clumsy, how is her socialization skills? (Can you guess what Mary Beth is studying in school? I just finished a huge project on this.) Now, if I was sure of what my child had, then I would try medications. Likes to make up math problems to do in her leisure time. Wwatches natioonal geographic shows and learnd and remembers. Completely ignores personal grooming. Refuses to answer questions. Never discusses emotion, or how the day went, or how she feels. Talks in monotone. Can't see others' POV. Does well in school, excels in math and science. Has very few friends. Very slow to respond to verbal commands. Makes excessive lists.
Other Questions :
Teen Depression ?
Does your child get headaches or stomachaches whenever it's time to go to school? Or is she a well-behaved, straight-A student -- who never plays with other kids? Each of these two very different children may suffer from depression, but how w...
Alternative Treatments For Depression?
Does anyone know of and/or can advise about alternative treatments for severe depression (where pharms. do not work) ? Supplements or otherwise. Any supplement, smart drugs, etc. that have been effective with long term depression. We're us...
Postpartum Depression Causes
One of the more popular theories of biologically caused depression has been hypoglycemia, which is low blood sugar. In his book Fighting Depression, published in 1976, Harvey M. Ross, M.D., said "In my experience as an orthomolecular psychiatri...
Depression Clinical Trials ?
A new clinical trial for Depression has recently been posted on the CenterWatch web site (http://www.centerwatch.com). This is a study with a commercially marketed anti-depressant medication in individuals with major depression for whom treatm...
Depression Medication Comparison, depression hurts... ?
I think there are lots of different types of depression, and different causes for it. Sometimes the cause is purely physical - body chemistry. In that case, probably medication is the only thing that will help. However, it is possible to go ...