Oh, Give Me a Break!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19035269/

So, now there are RISK factors for being PRESCRIBED a drug??? I always thought that the highest risk factor for being prescribed any drug was the act of walking into the doctor's office in the first place... silly me...

I can't say I'm against giving mental health medicines to any children under any circumstance whatsoever, but a little investigation and caution on the part of the prescriber would be in order. You know, if a kid is acting up the psychologist ought to at least ask the obvious questions. Because if dad just got out of prison and is beating the kid, you really don't have to wonder why the kid's all out of whack.

Sometimes I think situational prescribing, or prescribing ritalin so that kids can overachieve in school, makes it harder for those of us whose children have genuine problems to get the understanding we need. I *suppose* in the long run a large number of kids on these meds would call attention to our bad mental-health system, but I sure wouldn't want my kid to be a guinea pig for a new drug, or new use of a drug, unless things were really bad.