I think its disgusting that a Doctor should offer a 4 year old anti-depressants?

Question

Surely the root cause of the problem can be sorted out or does anyone think differently? I also think this doctor should be struck off.

The parents did not ask fo anti-depressants- they just wanted advice on why their daughter was bed-wetting and anxiuos all the time. It was apparently because she could not go to the same school as her friends. (News on Yahoo homepage)

Now this sounds to me like a confidence problem and not something serious enough for anti-depressants. Although I appreciate they are needed in some cases - drugs should not be dished out for any little thing that kids are not happy with.

Answer 1

I totally agree! How can a 4 year old be depressed when they have fully developed emotionally, to me this is the age when children start to develop how to handle their emotions. If a child of this age emotions are surpressed be chemicals how are they supposed to learn how to handle them.
I also agree that this doctor should be struck off as this is the most irresponsible thing that i have heard!!!!!

Answer 2

I think it's got a lot to do with the parents!!who, in their right mind would give anti depressant to a 4 year old child ??? Agree with you ,that doctor should be struck off

Answer 3

he didn't actually offer them, he said if things don't improve she might need them. although i know what you mean, and the simple answer to that is let the girl go to the school she wanted to go to. and also the mother should be making more of an effort, does she take the girl to other places where children are, because maybe the poor kid isn't used to mixing with other children and only sees the same ones everyday. i personally dont think drugs like that should be given to anyone under the age of 18 unless absolutely necessary

Answer 4

I agree with you, there is some underlying problem here and anti-depressants are not the answer. Does she go to day care or something like that, she may be getting picked on by the other kids.

Answer 5

Most antidepressants aren't labeled for use in children that young! (Never mind that they can actually be harmful.)

There's many other ways this could've been addressed - starting with just generic therapy.

What a prime example of BAD medicine. I hope someone reports this doctor to the AAP.

Answer 6

That does sound rather strange..
if it is your child that has the problem, i suggest buying Calms (or Kalms not sure which is it) theyre a herbal anti depressant where you cant get addicted to them. I found they didnt work for me but im 22! But for a child of that age maybe itd work as a placebo, if anything!

But still, i am sure if a child of that age has problems, councilling would be a much better option. And even then... depending on what problems the child has, alot of children of that age are hormonal, theyre growing up and their minds can play havoc on them!

Answer 7

there was once a child who had behaviour problems and was hyperactive and after anti depressants at like age 4 or 5, he was as calm as any other child and was normal but was hard to handle before them. it could be for reasons like that. its not to make them sleep or become a vegetable, its for other reasons too. just coz the name is anti-depressants, dont mean they only for depressed people. im sure they done extensive research for what anti depressants can be used for in other illnesses to do with the brain and its function and what behaviours it portrays coz of it. i was put on anti depressants for OCD (obsessive Compulsice Disorder) im not mental, im not depressed but i was washing hands too much so anti depressants help when the thinking structure of the brain does not work the way it should. like u tend to put toothpaste on a burn but toothpaste should be used for brushing teeth but also helps to reduce burning on a burn. its an example but i do knw ur not suppose to and its a myth but like that, anti d's could be used for other stuff too if the doc thinks so. hope i answered ur question.

Answer 8

the mother is psychotic she probably thinks that just because she has deepression and is on anti dep. drugs it will work for her 4 yr old..she's a lazy *** mother that does not want to take time for her 4 yr old and work Thur it...it can be fixed with counseling or talking and not by yelling..obviously the child is repressed.

Answer 9

My mother in law is a child therapist & the way she talks many hand them out to young children like candy. Which unless something is terrabaly wrong, I just find that discusting.

Answer 10

Maybe the doctor, as a proffessional person with years of study behind him knows what he is doing.
Getting the doctor struck off is an extreme reaction, especially as there is a shortage of GPs.