Teenagers and Medication

If you are a parent and your teenager has recently been put on medication, you may face several hurdles. It is likely a very difficult time in your teenager’s life, and because of that, also a very difficult time in your life as well. If your teenager’s psychiatrist or physician has determined that medication would be useful or necessary to improve their functioning or quality of life, getting your teen on board with taking medication is a common problem. Teenagers seek to gain more control of their lives and their bodies in general as they move through their formative years. Adherence to a medication regime can potentially cause your teen to feel less in control of their life and their body.

The best way to get your teen on board is to have an open discussion with them on the idea of taking the medication. In allowing your teenager to voice their opinion and exploring with them why they may be averse to the idea, you are giving some of that control back to them. In doing so, you begin to establish an alliance with your teen. The theme surrounding the conversation becomes less “you’re doing this because I said so”, to, “your opinion matters in this decision”. In these conversations, the education of potential benefits is important. Perhaps the medication will provide relief of symptoms currently experienced, better ability to perform in school or social situations, or improved level of functioning in general. Whatever the case may be, it is important to highlight the benefits and how these benefits will improve their quality of life. Most importantly, it is crucial that your teenager understands that you love them and that you are here to support them at this difficult time in their life.

Once your teenager has begun a medication regime, staying regimented can be hard. Many medications can take weeks until the therapeutic level is achieved. A therapeutic level is a dosage of medication taken that allows the medication to be effective without negative effects. If weeks have passed and little progress is observed, dosage may need to be increased to reach a therapeutic level. That being said, human beings respond uniquely to different medications. Unfortunately, the first medication prescribed may not be the best fit. During this period, many people, not only teenagers, can become very impatient. It is important to discuss the reality of this process with your teenager.

If your teenager has reached a therapeutic level with their medication, celebrate that. If you observe progress and positive changes because of them taking their medication, find constructive and congratulatory ways to express this to them. This may sound like, “I recognize how much your grades have improved lately.”, or “You have done such a good job of communicating with me this week.”. Recognizing positive changes because of your teen’s participation in this process is essential. The road to reaching a therapeutic dose for your teen can certainly be tough, but the potential benefits can have a transformative impact on your teenager’s life.

If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about this and are in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167^th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.

Hillary R.,

Masters Level Intern, 2023