Now I have been getting out and about in the Bipolar world, a question has been possed in my mind as to whether doctors in the US are generally over prescribing medications?

I do NOT belong to any particular religion and am on Lamictal and Seroquel and have over the past four years tried many medications. So am NOT anti medication by any means.

I saw on TV a documentary about doctors prescribing medications in the US and in particular children. I saw a child say about nine at his pedritian's(sp) surgry, already on two or three medications for his ADHD given yet another medication for his being a bit active in the mornings for a couple of hours before school. Why not give him his first med of the day a little earlier? I gather he was okay at school with his meds. Why consider that being a bit active for two hours in the morning rates 'fixing' if all else is right with the child on its current medications?

Then there was the 13 year old who was now suffering from an extrememe case of Tourette's (drug related?>he will never be cured of this. His parents were confused as to why he was put on medications in the first instance. All this child did was to be a little hyperactive at the age of three and the teacher recommended he be placed on medications! Over the years since this teacher's diagnosis this child was on a first class coctail of medications. As well as different diagonsis.

Yipes now teachers diagnose and recommend treatments. Of course I realise that these may well be isolated cases.

I also know that there are adults with Bipolar in the US who are on say three or four different drugs and then head off to their prescribing doctor and are given Ritalin, Concerta for what reason I know not, but gather it is to help with the side effects of the other three or four medications which may be causing the person taking them to be a little or a lot "dull"

I am told that there is a tendancy in the US when people go to the doctor that there is a desire to be given a "pill" which will cure whatever complaint they may have. Pills to assist with side effects, which may then cause further side effects?

Parents complain about a child's behaviour, ah a medication is the answer?

Remember when answering this I am NOT against medication at all. Each day I am very grateful for my curent medications.

There is a good possibly due to ethics that clincial trails of drugs with children as participants are few and far between.

I am just interested in what others have to say and their opinions in regard to the prescribing of medications in the US, in the case of children and in particular children on more than one "adult" medication and adults as well.

Ah, this is NOT a research thing. Just in case some think that it is.

JennyRobin