Category Archives: Mental Health

Talking to your child’s physician about medication for church

If the activities our kids participate in through church are at least as important as what they do at school, it makes sense that we’d want to reassess their need for medication at church. Continue reading

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A milestone reached…and a look at what’s ahead

We need a forum for advancing the conversation within the church about the need to minister more effectively to families of children with mental illness, trauma and developmental disabilities. Continue reading

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Ten priorities for the disability ministry movement…

Here are some thoughts about how, with God’s help, God’s people might overcome the “giants” standing in the way of families impacted by disabilities who face barriers to connecting with their larger family in Christ through involvement in the local church. Continue reading

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If this were your kid…

I’ll try to share some general answers to the “If this were your kid” question pertaining to medication on the basis of diagnosis and clinical presentation. Continue reading

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When should we question if our child is getting the right treatment?

There’s an opportunity cost to ineffective treatment. If treatment is not helping, it’s probably hurting…if it’s preventing your child from having access to a more effective treatment.
Continue reading

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How long will my child need medication?

We’d like to think that medication can be a temporary tool to help kids through a rough patch of development. Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes it’s not. Continue reading

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Rick and Kay Warren on Mental Illness

This is some of the best teaching I’ve ever heard explaining mental illness from a Christian perspective. The video is definitely worth a look Continue reading

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Are the medications prescribed to kids and teens with mental illness safe?

o…what safety concerns associated with medications approved by the FDA for use in kids should be of greatest importance to parents? I’d suggest there are two big ones…along with considerations associated with specific drugs Continue reading

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How well should medication work for my child’s condition?

Medication typically isn’t a panacea for kids and teens experiencing mental illness, and in general, the more serious the symptoms of mental illness experienced by children and teens, the lower the likelihood is that medication will lead to an ongoing remission of the child’s symptoms. Continue reading

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When should parents consider non-medical treatment first?

Many mental health conditions are commonly seen in kids for which medication generally isn’t the first step in a well-developed treatment plan. Today, we’ll look at some situations when parents and clinicians might consider non-medical treatment alternatives first. Continue reading

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