232 The Explosive Childthe door to such teaching. The goal of this chapter is to
provide a brief overview of (rather than a comprehensive
guide to) the medical options.
Deciding whether to medicate one’s child should be
difficult; you’ll need a lot of information, much more
than is provided in this chapter. Ultimately, what you’ll
need most of all is an outstanding child psychiatrist.
You’ll want one who
- takes the time to get to know you and your child, lis-
tens to you, and is familiar with treatment options
that have nothing to do with a prescription pad - knows that a diagnosis provides little useful informa-
tion about your child - understands that there are many things medication
doesn’t treat well at all - has a good working knowledge of the potential side
effects of medication and their management - makes sure that you—and your child, if it’s
appropriate—understand each medication and its
anticipated benefits and potential side effects and in-
teractions with other medications