FCYU-Feature Story

Too Many Pills
What you should know about mood-altering medication.

When you’re depressed or struggling with a serious mental illness, medication can help you function and even allow you to feel well enough to confront your problems. But sometimes kids in care feel they are prescribed drugs that aren’t helping them, or that are making their problems worse.

As a recent article in the Associated Press reported, many parents and advocates are also worried that doctors overmedicate kids in the system to make them easier to handle, and that other options, like therapy or peer support groups, aren’t fully considered.

Investigations in both Tennessee and Florida revealed that 25% of youth in care in each state were prescribed mood-altering drugs, information which recently led both states to pass stricter laws regulating the prescription of those drugs to foster children.

In California, the court must review all prescriptions of psychotropic (mind-altering) drugs to foster children, and a bill now under consideration would require the state to collect information to prove whether youth in care are being overmedicated. In New York City, child welfare officials say a database of similar information should be completed later this year.

No matter what state you live in, if a doctor has prescribed medication for you because of a mental health issue, or if you’re wondering if medication could help you, you should know what to expect. In the following interview, psychiatrist Dr. Leon Hoffman shares some straight talk on medication:

Q: When should medication be prescribed and when shouldn’t it be?

A: There are some situations when medication is absolutely necessary, and other situations when it’s overused.

If someone is in a severe emotional state, they aren’t going to be able to address their real problems. Then the goal of prescribing medication is to help that person be more in control of their feelings. If you take medication and the depression gets a little better, maybe you can find a better way of dealing with the depressing situation. That’s where therapy can help.

But some doctors do over-prescribe medication. Sometimes it’s easier to give a child a pill than talk to that child.

My philosophy is that with most cases, it’s important not just to be on a pill. It’s important to talk to someone about your problems.

Q: All of us act strangely sometimes, but that doesn’t mean everyone should be on medication. How do you judge if someone should be?

A: What you evaluate is a person’s relationships and how they’re coping with life in general. Does that person have friends? How do they function in school? How are they getting along with their family? If your depression becomes so severe that it’s interfering with your interactions, or if you become suicidal, then medication is needed.

Q: Some of us take medication but don’t like how it feels. What should our doctors do?

A: Sometimes you can change the dosage. Sometimes you have to switch the medication. It’s very important to be closely monitored by a doctor for any unforeseen reactions.

Q: When I was on medication, I would get zoned out, and it still happens sometimes now that I’m not on medication. Why is that?

A: It’s very important to realize that people get zoned out for all kinds of reasons. People may get zoned out from medication. But they can also get zoned out from unpleasant feelings. So it’s important not to automatically blame everything you’re feeling on the medication.

Q: What should you do if you’re upset about your medication, but your doctor doesn’t seem to be listening to you?

A: I think the best thing to do is to try to speak to a different doctor in the same clinic.

(Editor’s Note: Your caseworker, a family member or your law guardian can help you find another doctor to review your case to see if the medication and dosage you’re taking is appropriate for you. If necessary, your law guardian can get a court order to stop or change your medication.)

Dr. Hoffman was interviewed by Gloria Williams, Jackie Knight, Shawn Fred and Kareem Banks.