Here's an eloquent reply to the recent New York Times article about children taking multiple psychiatric drugs. July writes:

The Times article is particularly distressing. as their previous pieces have shown, there are situations where mental health diagnosis and psychiatric drugs can be appropriate for children (though particularly adolescents). i don't know what i'd do if my child punched hole through the walls and ripped doors of the hinges. something's wrong and if it's his brain chemistry, i'd want him to take any drugs that would fix that. at the same time, i'd be terrified that i'd might be damaging his body and mind in other ways.

on the other hand, you have a three year old who has tantrums and insists on "eating the meat, cheese and bread in her sandwiches separately." with her antipsychotics, she can now sit sweetly for hours. i don't have words to express my horror. the drugs are already shown to produce children who are "short and underweight." we don't know what other harm they do to developing minds and bodies. particularly with a three year old!

children don't prescribe psychiatric drugs or choose to take them. adults decide for them. we are responsible for all of their effects. these drugs permanently alter their bodies in a way we don't understand. if dispensed at all, it should only be as a last resort - not used for temporary behavioral control or as a babysitter.

I completely agree.

[Photo copyright Liz Spikol]