To Medicate or Not

So often schools and doctors jump to the quick assumption that our children need medication to function at the level that is expected.  I fought the public schools for almost two years on this issue before making the decision to home educate my son.  His father and I thought that with the right environment he would thrive without any help from medication.  We tried several types of therapy.  We read stacks of books on Aspergers Syndrome and how to manage meltdowns.  For a short time, our new found knowledge and the help of various therapies worked.  However, we did not take into account the way our son's brain perceives stress or the way his receptors work. 


A few weeks ago, we all endured several days of meltdown after meltdown.  It wasn't just that we were unhappy or that the environment at home was tense.  Our son could not cope with what we consider to be everyday thing - like putting up his clothes, talking to me about something he thought was unpleasant, or finish writing a sentence without a meltdown.  I called my son's doctor in tears.  "We are to the point where we need to look into an anti-anxiety medication,"  I told him.  Later that day, I picked up a low dose, generic form of Celexa for our 9 year old son.  It was one of the best decisions I have ever made for him. 


This morning I awoke to hear my son whistling a happy tune while doing a math worksheet!  When I asked him what he was doing, he smiled and told me he wanted to get an early start so that he could have more play time in the afternoon.  Never before has he been so focused or happy!  I must say, I have been truly amazed.  And although medication is still not my first choice, I realize that sometimes it is the necessary choice.