Students and Medication

Today's grade team meeting got really interesting. We were discussing some of our student issues and we brought up a couple of the new freshmen who are taking several medications. On one occasion, a parent called asking us to excuse their child's misbehavior since they were not keeping up with their medication or they were switching medication.

One of our students is depressed and has stopped taking their anti-depressants, which can be dangerous if not properly monitored at home (and chances of that are pretty slim considering the inconsistent home lives of most students).

I have never felt so bad for my students until I learn more about their medical history. It's strange to me to have to look at these kids and wonder if they ever had a chance at living a pharmaceutical-free childhood. I suppose I can't underestimate the number of people I went to high school with who probably had their own set of prescription issues, however, this seems far more tragic when you compare the prevalence and the number of prescriptions per student.

I mean after a while you have to wonder if the medications are actually solving anything or if they're responsible for inhibiting their development since they've been on these meds since 5th or 6th grade. I suppose it's pretty impossible to tell since it could be a side effect of the medication or it could be a normal progression for their disorder.

I find it hard to blame anybody but it shows how broken these systems are: the medical system, the educational system, and the stability of urban families.