I want to address in my latest series the antipsychotic medications and the disorders they treat. Of all the drug classifications, antipsychotics sounds the scariest to parents. They assume that by prescribing them, the doctor is saying their child is psychotic. It is essential to understand that this class of drug – in spite of its name – has many uses and has helped countless children with different disorders. Unlike stimulants, which essentially treat one mental disorder – ADD – antipsychotics are used in the treatment of not only psychoses (disorders that include the loss of touch with reality), as their name implies, but for many behavioral problems in children and teens.

These drugs are called antipsychotics because upon their introduction into mainstream psychiatry they were used primarily for the psychoses. However as time has passed, this has been greatly overshadowed by their widespread use treating a myriad of other conditions. Unfortunately, the name has stuck and thus the immediate anxiety parents and teens experience when they are suggested. Many parents simply won’t give it to their children just because of the label. Until someone comes up with a more suitable name, parents need to be educated and reassured.

In my next few blogs I will address the disorders and the use of these drugs for treating Schizophrenia, Conduct Disorder (CD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Stimulant-Resistant Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Tics (Tourette’s syndrome), Childhood Bipolar Disorder, and some other trends in the use of the antipsychotics.

DISCLAIMER

Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.