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Sept. 13, 2004 They come to school every day acting sluggish. Many times they appear exhausted and fall asleep in their classes. Their clothes are disheveled and their hair is uncombed. They seem more like walking zombies than teenagers. But even as they ‘creep you out’ you feel sorry for them and wonder if they are living alone out on the street with no one to care for, or, about them. The first reaction that comes to mind is that they are on drugs. All the signs of drug abuse are visible: the vacant stares, the nodding off, the not caring about personal hygiene. Anyone would assume that they are addicts. The truth of the matter is that they are on drug, but they’re not the kind bought furtively on the streets. Their drugs are perfectly legal and they are not abusing them. They are part of a growing number of children, eighteen and under, who live their lives under the influence of prescription drugs. Prescription drugs for mental and emotional problems provide the pharmaceutical industry with an enormous amount of revenue. Drugs, such as the anti-depressants Zoloft or Prozac, once considered only for adults, have now crossed over to childhood as more and more children are being diagnosed with depression. Paxil, Effexor, even Lithium, are being prescribed for children as young as three years old. Mood elevating drugs are the modern and easy way to go for many families. Parents discuss drug therapy for their children in much the same way they discuss toilet training and bottle weaning. It is very common. Too common. There has to be something wrong with a society that condones the liberal dispensing of drugs to children under eighteen years of age. It is sending the message to our youth that drugs are the quick fix for feeling down, or, for any unpleasant feelings you may have. We live in a time when any but happy feelings need to be dealt with immediately. Doctors are very quick to prescribe mood-changing medication. Drug companies are in hot competition for doctors’ prescriptions. Certainly there are cases where a child suffers from real depression and the drugs can be life-saving. Unfortunately most times they need counseling more than drugs. The problems that many children face are in the area of domestic problems: divorces, new marriages, step-parents and step-siblings. Instead of being taught how to work through feelings of sadness, frustration, and anger, they are taken by a parent to doctors who deal with the problem through mood-elevating drugs. Parents are asking doctors for these prescriptions. Why? It is a quick answer to the problem of what one mother called, “a rebellious teen.” Quoting a friend of mine who is a psychiatrist: “Children on anti-depressants? They are a multi- billion dollar a year business.” This is a sad statement on modern society Teachers have seen the effects of these drugs on these students. The concentration levels are low, the lack of emotion is frightening, and the grade performance levels have dropped dramatically. We need to teach our children that certain feelings are inevitable in certain situations, that temporary sadness is okay, that everyone feels anger and frustration at times, and that we can learn to deal with these things without drugs. ------------ About the author Kristen Houghton: Working on a book of short stories, I write a column, "The Writer's Block" on observations of everyday life and a column for educators called iTeach! Email: Krisnalan@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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