Discussing the touchy topic of….’Medication’

As a parent, one of the hardest parts of living with Autism is facing the subject of ‘Medication!’

So many of us at some point have had to (or will have to) confront these discussions, make the decisions, attempt the reality, and accept the outcome.......

I am not discussing this to state what is right or wrong as there is no true right or wrong action; at the end of the day it is each person’s right to make an educated decision that best suits their family and their child personally.

Remembering there are so many additional (or co-morbid) conditions ASD kids (and adults) are faced with, being the reason they struggle with day-to-day situations.

To assure you are making the right decision, one that you are truly comfortable with, it is best to collect all the information and address all the issues. Make note of all your child’s behavioural patterns, actions and reactions, etc, everything that they are faced with and make your decision purely based on all the information, to gain the best possible outcome for your child.

I was so scared the first day the Doctors started this conversation with me and my reaction was a firm and steadfast… “NO!!!!!”

I did not want and could not accept that this would have to be any type of reality.

So I went another route and addressed the area of natural remedies and herbal mixtures.

As more time went by and we were all still struggling with the many issues consuming our every waking moment, the main one being a lack of sleep, not only for A.J. but eventually affecting the rest of the family as well.

Then the reality of continually coping with a rollercoaster of events anxiety-stress-emotional dysregulation that could no longer be ignored, I was once again faced with the question ……medication……

My emotions were raw and knowing how we all couldn’t keep this up for too much longer;

Tears fell down my face as I continued the discussion, while addressing the truth with what had been happening and what I knew was needed

As the Dr handed me the prescription I froze and then cried some more

Feeling as though I had failed him somehow if I accept this

It goes against all that I had believed for so long

It was then that someone asked me to think of the big picture and put it into perspective……

I realised that I had been looking at things wrong 

What would I do if I was facing the situation of Asthma, Heart Condition, Seizures, Diabetes, etc?

Or any other life threatening diagnosis that could have been our reality

What would I do if I needed the medication to save his life?

We accept these things; we would take any medication without questioning ‘why’ or ‘if’

Why do we allow others perceptions to control our subconscious thoughts, all because the concept is so “unknown” so scary and different, all because the reality is an invisible illness that many won’t even accept as a real and justified medical diagnosis?

The visual reality will always be there for those dealing with it each and every day, and for that truth we need to step past what others think and believe, and be truly honest with ourselves and the lives of our precious loved-ones.