Children and Antipsychotics An Antipsychotic is a medication that tranquilizes individuals who have aggressive outbursts. This medication blocks neurotransmitters, causing the brain to not receive chemical messages. Antipsychotics being prescribed to children is a controversial issue because the drug(s) can affect the growth of the child physically and mentally but also has the ability to recline aggressive behavior. Children should not take antipsychotic drugs because the effects can cause fatal injuries, psychiatrists prescribe antipsychotics without proper diagnosis, and there is a lack of research on the drug.
Effects of antipsychotics can cause fatal injuries. Psychiatrists many times underestimate the different risks of putting a child …show more content…
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM) is a book that contains a list of all existing mental disorders (Psychiatry). The DSM also lists symptoms that the disorder provokes, and statistics (Psychiatry). Many psychiatrists use DSM to diagnose their patients based on the symptoms displayed and statistics listed (Psychiatry). Diagnosing children based of the DSM book lead to inaccurate diagnose because many disorders have the same symptoms (Psychiatry). “Throughout much of its history, psychiatry was considered a "soft science," due to the inherently subjective nature of diagnosing and treating mental disorders. For example, a patient could have been diagnosed with social anxiety by one psychiatrist, while another psychiatrist might have diagnosed depression, while yet another might have found nothing wrong with the patient at all,” (Psychiatry.) Children should not be diagnosed based off what other children’s disorders. Children being diagnosed based off statistics of others leaves the child with inaccurate diagnosis. Nine out of ten kids having a disorder does not prove that the tenth child has a disorder. Psychiatrists need to pay more attention to the child’s displayed symptoms and consider other factors, so the child is diagnosed correctly. Atypical antipsychotics are thought to be better than typical antipsychotics by psychiatrists, but some psychiatrists are unaware of the fact that atypical antipsychotics have physical side effects to the user, such as weight gain, and shakiness (Experts Alarmed). Psychiatrists should be aware of all effects of the medications they are prescribing to children ages 5-18 and need to take them those effects into
Effects of antipsychotics can cause fatal injuries. Psychiatrists many times underestimate the different risks of putting a child …show more content…
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM) is a book that contains a list of all existing mental disorders (Psychiatry). The DSM also lists symptoms that the disorder provokes, and statistics (Psychiatry). Many psychiatrists use DSM to diagnose their patients based on the symptoms displayed and statistics listed (Psychiatry). Diagnosing children based of the DSM book lead to inaccurate diagnose because many disorders have the same symptoms (Psychiatry). “Throughout much of its history, psychiatry was considered a "soft science," due to the inherently subjective nature of diagnosing and treating mental disorders. For example, a patient could have been diagnosed with social anxiety by one psychiatrist, while another psychiatrist might have diagnosed depression, while yet another might have found nothing wrong with the patient at all,” (Psychiatry.) Children should not be diagnosed based off what other children’s disorders. Children being diagnosed based off statistics of others leaves the child with inaccurate diagnosis. Nine out of ten kids having a disorder does not prove that the tenth child has a disorder. Psychiatrists need to pay more attention to the child’s displayed symptoms and consider other factors, so the child is diagnosed correctly. Atypical antipsychotics are thought to be better than typical antipsychotics by psychiatrists, but some psychiatrists are unaware of the fact that atypical antipsychotics have physical side effects to the user, such as weight gain, and shakiness (Experts Alarmed). Psychiatrists should be aware of all effects of the medications they are prescribing to children ages 5-18 and need to take them those effects into