Medicating child for selective mutism & anxiety

amother

Yellow

Mon, Jun 12 2017, 8:18 pm

Why not? Ssri can greatly reduce anxiety and really help your child break through.

I don't know if it's the same thing but I suffered from social phobia for years. It wasn't until I got married and got myself some Zoloft that my real personality came out. Suddenly I was able to socialize and make friends.

I dish I'd taken the meds earlier/ school would not have been such a struggle for me if I did.

amother

Khaki

Mon, Jun 12 2017, 9:01 pm

personally, I wouldn't medicate a four year old. Medication does not address the cause/root of the problem.
There was an area with contaminated water and people were having diarrhea and flu like symptoms. The local docs said, "we can give them antibiotics, or we can go see what's in that water and remove it"
There is more than one way to skin a cat. Choose the one that makes sense to you. Clearly, medicating your child makes sense to you, otherwise you'd not be doing it.
I wish you hatzlacha in finding relief for you lo.

amother

Coral

Mon, Jun 12 2017, 9:55 pm

amother wrote:

Medication for anxiety is like a Band-Aid it's just there to cover it up and not to heal it.
When an individual presents anxiety it usually means that there's something underneath it like an incident happened or something.
Go to a professional!!

Not necessarily. There is a biological basis for many anxiety disorders. Not everyone has to have psychological reasons for anxiety. Often it is just due to an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain.

amother

Plum

Mon, Jun 12 2017, 10:09 pm

OP here - my child is not 4, he is almost 12 and is suffering terribly, not doing well in school, etc. He had already told me that if there was a magic pill he could take to make him not be scared to talk, he would want to take it.
This is of course my last resort. We have been trying all kinds of things for years. I am at the end of my rope. Meds have been suggested in the past but I always refused.
To the poster who said meds didn't help her sm... that is interesting. what were you prescribed?? did you have side effects?

amother

Coral

Mon, Jun 12 2017, 10:24 pm

amother wrote:

For a child this age and given that you have been trying many approaches over the years, medication is absolutely warranted. Please don't let people discourage you.
Who is prescribing the meds? Child psychiatrist? Are you at the max dosage yet? Have different meds been tried? Is the child still in therapy? Why have you been reluctant in the past? What approaches have you tried? I'm asking these questions to give an informed opinion.
Signed,
Mom of kids with anxiety disorders

amother

Khaki

Mon, Jun 12 2017, 10:56 pm

amother wrote:

I'm sorry, I must've confused your post with another current post re a 4-yr old.

Play therapy might help. Or sandtray therapy. Or Somatic Experiencing therapy. If you can find a focusing-oriented therapy who works with children and youth, that might help.

I was 12 when my parents took me to a psychiatrist. I don't recall the name of the drug. After a few months they stopped taking me because the drugs did nothing to make me unmute. I remained mute until my mid-twenties when I got myself to a therapist. I wasn't able to speak in therapy either, so we did non-verbal therapy (therapy was in person, and I would write my responses to the questions, or I'd write what was on my mind and hand my notes to the therapist who'd read them silently)

Today I talk within normal range. I often get comments that I speak very ''to the point'' and people enjoy conversations with me (I'm an introvert, if that matters). It can be difficult for an introvert to live in an extroverted world.

In my humble opinion, there is no magic pill for this age range. A non-verbal play therapy might be the way to go.