Dealing with different opinions on medication

Teens are not the only ones who sometimes have concerns about taking medication for depression. Adults in the teen's life can influence his attitude as well. Many parents who recognize the benefits of antidepressant medication for their teen struggle with the conflicting opinions of school personnel, grandparents, and even spouses. Interestingly, when dealing with these adults, a problem-solving approach that includes some empathy often works well. It reduces the tendency for people to argue or to blame each other, by keeping the focus on the problem, and empathic comments invariably increase the level of trust in the relationship. Thus, you can do a L.E.A.R plan for these people, as well as for your teen.

In Izz/s case, for example, his mother was initially quite concerned about the risks of antidepressant medication. Her own mother had been hospitalized for psychiatric reasons many years ago, and she still remembered the horrible effects of insulin shock, large doses of antipsychotic drugs, and other pharmaceutical treatments of that era. Explanations of how much more specific, better studied, and less toxic current treatments are did little to reduce her fears. Fortunately, Izzy's father was able to discuss the situation with his wife. Here is his L.E.A.R plan:

Label thoughts and feelings: I'm so worried about Izzy. He's thin, he's not doing any school work, he's in his room with his music all day, and he doesn't sleep. We've tried counseling, but he just can't get his life back on track. Medication might make the difference, but Helen (wife) refuses to consider it. It's so frustrating!

Empathize with your teen: Maybe if I'd gone through what Helen went through with her mom I'd be skeptical of medication too. Whenever I try to convince her the newer treatments are better, she just feels pressured to give in, and gets more scared for Izzy. She must be really scared of reliving the past.

Explore ways to respond: Maybe I can get her to agree to a little bit of medication for a short period of time, just to make sure that Izzy is OK on it. Then, if she sees that he doesn't have horrible side effects, she may be willing to consider giving him a therapeutic amount. I could invite her to join us at the doctor's too, so she can ask about what happened to her mother, as well as what might happen to Izzy. She could get her mother's records from the hospital, and the doctor could help her make sense of them and explain exactly how things are different now.

Apply alternative ideas/plan: I'll make these suggestions to Helen, and see if she'd consider even one of them. (Helen agreed to see the doctor and maybe try Izzy on a small amount of medication with close supervision by herself, but declined to pursue her mother's medical record.)

Pick a follow up time and plan ahead: After a week on the smallest amount of medication, I'll talk to Helen again to see if she'll agree to another step.



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