Behavior Modification Through Medication

Children with behavioral problems, especially in the foster care system, easily end up on medication. Anti-psychotic medication is given for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety. If you read the warning label on these drugs for side effects, note that they can cause new or worsening mood changes, agitation, depression, severe anxiety, suicidal thoughts or attempts, and a host of other symptoms. It appears that if the patient didn’t have the diagnosis that prompted administration of these drugs initially, the patient could very well end up with the symptoms and the diagnosis after taking them.

There are those that truly have a chemical imbalance in their brain and need medication to help balance out what their body isn’t producing naturally. However, after working with teens in the foster care system for over nine years, my conclusion is that most children are medicated in the attempt not to stabilize the child, but to keep placement from being disrupted.

One of our first placements came to us on two very high doses of anti-psychotic meds, topped off with ADD/ADHD medication because this child had a hard time concentrating, was aggressive, always restless, and according to the care providers that he lived with before coming to live with us, he was very irritable. A few months after living with us, and under the supervision of a medical professional, we were able to take him off of all medications. One month after being off of the meds, he came up to Nancy, threw his arms around her in a big hug, and thanked her saying, “I have been on these meds since I was eight years old, and I have never seen the world so clearly as I do now.”

The social worker that had placed the child in our home was concerned that without the meds there would be a blow out and a disruption in placement. We wanted to see who this child was without the drug induced mask. Our philosophy from the start has been and continues to be, if the child is on medication to modify behaviors, and the child continues to act out with extreme behaviors, the meds must not be working and another course of action needs to be attempted.

Changing behaviors, especially in traumatized children doesn’t happen overnight, and there usually is never a quick fix. It takes time and patience to bring about a positive change that will help the child become successful in life after foster care. Those that work with traumatized children need to equip themselves through education, and gleaning from others that are doing the work and are successful. Only through education and experience will a foster parent be capable of handling the behaviors when they appear.

As caregivers we must work hard with medical providers to get these children off of medication that has the potential to destroy their vital organs and hinder social development. Once a child has aged out of care, the chances of them continuing to take the meds, let alone being able to afford the meds becomes, for the most part, non-existent.

Never do this on your own, always work with a medical provider when removing children off of medication. Understand that there are those children that do need medication to be able to function, although that should be an exception to the rule, not the rule.