Quote:
Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
See also David Sedaris. He had brutally bad OCD (feeling like he would die if he didn't lick his neighbors' doorknobs on the walk home from school qualifies as brutally bad, IMHMO) that went away when he found cigarettes. Of course, that later led to such other mind-altering substances as meth and art school . . . .
While thankfully this is still a hypothetical question for me, I'd like to think that I would never be cowed into medicating a child today because some child psychologist says it might lead to drug abuse later. You know what the primary cause of drug abuse is? BAD PARENTING. BAD CHILDHOOD. When this generation of "medicate him" children reaches college, do you think they'll have any moral compunction against self-medication? They're being raised to think that their moods need to be chemically managed, and we think this will reduce drug use? Insane.
No offense to anyone whose kid is currently medicated after due deliberation.
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I think drugs are terribly overused, and that the alternatives (more direct attention, care to diet, etc.) are woefully underused.
But there are some cases where the drugs are appropriate. A broadside against drugs can do some harm (as well as some good).
(And, on self-medication, I actually do think that self-medication helped me achieve a reasonable state of self-awareness; there are times when a few pieces of dried cactus can have a positive impact).
