Exercise: Promoting Healthy Peer Influences

Is your child or teen on medication? What type of medication (s)? What has your experience been with medication (s) so far? What problems have you encountered? Is it difficult to address your concerns with the prescribing physician? How could this be handled? (You may be surprised to know that even professionals sometimes respond remarkably well to a thoughtful L.E.A.P. Approach.)

Have you run into problems having the medication administered to your child or teen at school (if needed) or at camp? Are there other members of the family or extended family who question your teen's need for medication? How is this handled best?

Is your child insisting that others not know about the medication? Is this reasonable? Is it difficult to get your child or teen to take medication? What helps?

If your teen is not on medication and you think it might help, discuss this option with him objectively, including possible advantages and disadvantages. Make it clear that you respect his opinion on the subject, but would like to explore it further with a professional.

Then, see if he will go to the family doctor with you. Sometimes a check-up that addresses psychological as well as physical concerns is more acceptable to a teen initially than being sent to a "shrink." If your teen is agreeable, the family doctor can then prescribe antidepressant medication, or refer to a psychiatrist if this is preferred. If not, at least the doctor is aware of your teen's problems and can intervene quickly if he changes his mind.

In this week's L.E.A.R plan, focus on the most challenging situation you have encountered in relation to your teen's medication. If he's not on medication and you would like to pursue this option, check with the doctor to see if this is indicated. If so, do a L.E.A.R plan aimed at introducing the idea to your teen.



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