Deciding to put your child on medication is such a personal and heavy decision. Each set of parents must weigh all the pros and cons of this huge issue.
We have struggled for years with my daughters OCD issues that cause serious health issues(Putting thing in her mouth edible and non-edible). We have worked for years with a behavior specials, wait...not just one...but two! I am a teacher and am knowledgeable about positive and negative reinforcement...etc. However, nothing we have done for the past EIGHT years has helped!
So I finally agreed last year to give a psych med a try! Wow....that was a tough decision. Could this pill make her act strange? What if it causes another problem? Would she still be the same ol "k" I know and love? I have struggled with the fact that my daughter lacks communication skills. And if this "pill" is causing headaches, stomach aches, etc, she wouldn't be able to tell me. And what a horrible mother I would be to have my child take a med each day that makes her feel bad.
So...how did I overcome that dilemma?? Well, my behavior specialist looked me in the eye and said, "Heather...you know your daughter inside and out! If she feels bad, you will see it!" And with that.....we tried our first drug. However...after a year of testing out that pill, we really didn't see any results. So this past two months, we moved on to another drug. Now...I don't know if it is the pill...but the main behavior that was so dangerous has STOPPED! Literally...overnight!!!!!!!! Who knows if it is the pill, her growing up....etc....but something has clicked and it is working!
Now....being a mom...and always worried about what we have or haven't done all the time....the guilt has hit! WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS YEARS AGO!?? I can only say...I wasn't ready to go there then. And didn't feel it was right for my daughter at that time. And be ever thankful that it is working now!
So...we as parents must learn to trust our gut, do what we feel is best for our children, and when you know better....you do better!
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