Making the Decision to Use Anxiety Medication for Kids

Should you try anxiety medication for kids?  This question alone brings out very strong opinions from parents, often leading to heated debates.  Here is my advice to everyone who must make the difficult decision on whether or not to provide anxiety medication for kids. Be confident in your decision.  What does it mean to be confident in your decision?  It means that you have spent a great deal of time learning about medications prescribed for child anxiety.  You have asked questions to medical professionals, therapists, and other parents. You have made the best decision for YOUR child and YOUR child’s needs.

Choosing to use anxiety medication for kids is not to be taken lightly.  For this reason, educating yourself on the options available, in regards to medication for your anxious child, is key to success.   All too often I read posts or articles and listen to conversations between parents where the words “I would never give my child medication for…” are shared among one another.  I am most definitely not being critical of these parents seeing that my list of “I will never…” for my children was quite long. My point is that when a child has a health issue, it is our job as parents to find out all that we can about this condition and all possible treatment plans.  Medication is not for everyone, but it positively changes lives for many anxious children.

 

We Must Stop Judging Parents Who Provide Anxiety Medication for Kids

This post is not intended to share my opinions on whether or not you should choose medication for your child.  It is intended to help guide you in making the decision. More importantly, I hope it raises awareness of the judgment placed on parents who do choose to provide anxiety medication for kids.  In being open and honest, my daughter is on prescription medication and has been for 6 years. We tried natural options for 2 years, as I was opposed to medicating my young child in the beginning.  

This opposition was due in large part to the fear of the unknown. I had little information on what medication for anxiety was available and what it meant for my daughter. Sadly, I also thought of myself as a failure and a horrible mother for even thinking about medication.  I hope anyone else feeling this way sees this and realizes that you are not a failure…you are an amazing parent for seeking the best option for your child.  (Truths About Parenting a Child with Anxiety.)

By the time we were finally able to see a child psychiatrist, I had spent a great deal of time researching treatment options for severe anxiety, as we were at a very low point.  I knew my daughter needed intense help…far more than we could provide at home. I felt confident that we were finally able to see a doctor at a well-respected hospital with specialists in child mental health disorders.  

After evaluations and discussions, the doctor recommended a small dose of an SSRI. I asked many questions, taking notes, allowing me to continue researching and discussing before making a final decision. Since that meeting 6 years ago, we have seen 3 other child psychiatrists due to insurance changes and long-distance moves.  The great news is that all of the doctors provided us with similar information regarding medication for kids anxiety, continuing to build my confidence in our decision.

These are my takeaways from my experience anxiety medications for children

Medication, in combination with therapy, is the most effective way to treat anxiety in children  

The medication works to decrease the physical symptoms and anxious thoughts, allowing the therapy to be received more successfully.  Medication alone will rarely treat anxiety long term.

Always choose to use the smallest dose and increase as needed

Many anxiety medications can be given to adults and children, although the dosage will vary greatly.  It is important to start small and increase as needed. Most anxiety medications take 6-8 weeks to reach their maximum effectiveness.  This means that it can be a slow process to reach the correct dosage for your child.

Pay attention to medication directions

As mentioned above, it can take weeks before you notice positive changes in your child’s anxiety.  Since this type of medication can often be slow acting, it is easy to skip or miss doses. You need to remember that medication must be given at the same time each day in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. Similarly, medications must be taken at certain times of the day.  For my daughter, her medication must be taken in the morning or it affects her ability to sleep at night. Also, remember that most of the medications prescribed for anxiety cannot be stopped quickly. Your child will need to slowly wean off of them.

Don’t jump to conclusions about the effectiveness

Some medications can cause mild side effects in the beginning.  It is important to ask the doctor about any and all reactions you notice.  Many reactions will last for the first few days then go away. IMy daughter has experienced severe tiredness for the first 5 days on one particular medication when she began and when the dosage was increased.  This minor inconvenience was manageable because of the positive effects the medication has on her overall anxiety. On the flip side, she has also experienced more severe side effects like blurry vision and body shocks which do not typically go away over time.  For this reason, we stopped those medications as soon as we could.

Combinations may be needed for maximum effectiveness

Many times, a combination of medications can provide the best relief from anxiety symptoms.  It is important that you start with one medication, becoming familiar with the way your child reacts, before adding another medicine.  

There is a lot of trial and error involved in medications for child anxiety

To me, this is the most frustrating part of medication.  Doctors often prescribe the most widely used and most effective medications first.  For many children, these medications will provide the needed relief. However, when these medications do not provide the needed relief, it becomes a process of trial and error.  This can be a tough time for everyone as new medications are introduced.

Stimulant medication is often a poor choice for a child with anxiety 

I learned this recently, as we were looking for a way to increase our daughter’s focus.  While she does not have a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, anxiety can often present itself in similar ways.  When discussing the options, two separate doctors mentioned that traditional medications used to treat these conditions are considered stimulants.  Stimulants can increase anxiety in children with anxiety. After learning this, we chose a non-stimulant to go along with anxiety medication and had great success.  

Anxiety is a medical condition and needs to be thought of as such

Seldom will anxiety disappear.  I think it is a great idea to start with natural remedies to treat anxiety…essential oils, yoga, meditation, quality sleep, even therapy.  However, when these are not enough, remember, anxiety is a medical condition. If medication was needed for your child’s heart condition or diabetes, would you question providing medication for those health issues?  I know that I would hardly give it a second thought. I would hate that my child has to take medication to be well each day, but I would be thankful that medication is available to improve their quality of life. The same goes for anxiety.

 I have seen my child at her worst and I have seen her at her best. I am 100% confident that the right medication has improved her quality of life and allowed therapy to be effective. My hope is that someday she will have the ability to manage anxiety without medication, but if that day never comes, I am happy that we have found a combination of medication and therapy that allows her to be her best self while living with anxiety.  

Use the Good RX app

If you are unaware of the app GoodRx.com- go download it now.  It is free (there is a new paid membership that saves you even more money but it just came out in the last month and I know nothing about it yet).  The app allows you to put in specific medications and find the best prices at nearby pharmacies. We have a high deductible insurance plan, meaning we pay for every prescription out of pocket.  This app has saved us hundreds of dollars.

I hope that every parent reading this understands that medication is not a weakness.  You know your child best, and if you have tried non-medicating methods without success, find a doctor specializing in child mental health and begin a discussion about options to help your child find relief.  For those who have found relief without medication, I am so happy for you and your family.