Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids

This is a must read for any parent considering medication for their child's condition--The books answers your questions in everyday terms. Easy to understand and very helpful.

It can be overwhelming and confusing to try and figure out which drug is best for a particular child with a special condition. This book explores all sorts of psychiatric drugs for conditions ranging from Attention Deficit Disorder to depression, bipolar disorder, etc. Each section is clear and each medication is discussed fully, including possible side effects. I've often felt like doctors haven't fully answered my questions about certain medications but this book helped me to fill in the gaps and feel confident about the choices I made for my child. The best book on the subject I've found so far (and I've looked at quite a few books).

When parents want to know more about medications for their child's disorder, I often refer them to this book. The book is organized by type of disorder (such as AD/HD, depression or anxiety) and by type of medication. This is good because some people want to know about a specific class of medications, while others want an overview of medication strategies for a particular disorder. I particularly liked his suggestions on communication between parent and psychiatrist. This should help parents formulate their questions and feel comfortable asking them. This book is also an excellent overview for medical residents and non-medical mental health professionals.

As a parent I found this to be a really helpful book in understanding what was wrong with my son. It was also comforting to know about the different drugs, how they work, and if they were safe. It is the best book about childrens problems I have read.

This book really helped me and my family understand what was going on with our 11 year old son. We were scared to use medications but after reading the book, we felt much better about the decision and our son is doing much better now. I am impressed that the book answers most all of our questions and has been useful for talking with my son's doctor. I definitely recommend this to anyone who has a child who is not doing well in school or has a behavioral problem.