When Kids Need Meds: Everything a Parent Needs to Know About Psychiatric Medication and Youngsters

A nationally known psychiatrist and author specializing in children and adolescents, Henry A. Paul M.D. has practiced in New York City for over thirty years, and has appeared on hundreds of national and local television and radio shows. He has evaluated, treated, and prescribed medication for literally thousands of young people in settings that include hospitals, outpatient public clinics, residences, foster agencies, and in private practice, and has followed the progress of many of them over the course of many years. As a result of his specialty, Dr. Paul has experience prescribing all of the current psychotropic drugs, and has treated children and teenagers with all the varied disorders listed in the current psychiatric diagnostic manuals. He has seen the therapeutic effects of medication when administered properly, the harmful effects when they are abused or prescribed incorrectly, and has observed the side effects that occur on rare occasion. While Dr. Paul, a multi-published author, doesn't believe every child with a mental disorder needs medication, he strongly feels that some do. To withhold these important therapeutic agents can be harmful and, in some cases, tragic. However, he fully understands why parents are often anxious, hesitant, and concerned for their children's welfare. All too often, such feelings arise from the biased, misleading, and even fabricated stories that are conveyed through the media. In When Kids Need Meds, Dr. Paul discusses mental disorders, explains the process of psychiatric evaluation, answers many questions, and talks about stimulants, antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, sleep medications, anti-anxiety drugs and others. He also stresses the importance of non-medication therapies and provides references for readers to obtain more information. Friendly and easy to use and easy to read, this essential guide covers almost every aspect of an extremely important and very prevalent topic as it educates, comforts, and provides support. Parents and other caretakers will find it invaluable.