I came across an interesting article Psychiatric Medication or Play Therapy? by Bob Fiddaman, a New Zealand writer.
The article compares the efficacy and dangers of play therapy vs. pharmaceutical products for children with various problems.
Here are some quotes:
“…play therapy outcome studies support the efficacy of this intervention with children suffering from various emotional and behavioral difficulties.”
“Pharmaceutical companies spend billions on marketing psychiatric medication.”
“Front groups that purport to fly the mental health flag are, in fact, nothing more than agents, pimps for the pharmaceutical industry.”
“Psychiatrists…are…often paid huge sums of money to promote the use of antidepressants in children and adolescents.”
“If you, as a parent, do your own research on the drug your child has been prescribed and you bring your concerns to the prescribing doctor’s table you will, more often than not, be dismissed as either not knowing what you are talking about or be accused of reading too many Internet conspiracies.”
“Psychiatric medication as first-line treatment is absurd when the option of play therapy exists.”
The point of the article is that play therapy is an effective way of helping children communicate and become more contented and successful. And it entails no nasty side-effects. So why are the drugs the front line “treatment” of choice?
Definitely worth a read.