DEAR ABBY: My 17-year-old daughter, "Kelly," tried to commit suicide. She was admitted to a hospital and started on an antidepressant. Last night, when I was walking across the parking lot to the ward, I met her psychiatrist. When I asked how Kelly was doing, he said she's agitated, not sleeping and he was starting her on medication that night.
When he mentioned the dose, I told him my daughter had been given half that amount previously and didn't wake up for 24 hours. I said I thought he should give her less or change the medication. He said he'd change it, went back inside and I followed.
I'm glad I ran into him, but now I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't. What are the rules about medication being given to adolescents? Aren't the parents supposed to give consent? What can I do to prevent this from happening again? -- VIGILANT MOM IN COLORADO
DEAR VIGILANT MOM: Because your daughter is under 18, your consent is needed for treatment. Good care is both patient- and family-focused. You have a right to know what's going on in your daughter's treatment and to make sure her doctor has enough information to do an effective job.
It's perfectly all right to advocate for your child. Should you become overwhelmed, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) can provide support and help you navigate the system. Call NAMI toll-free at (800) 950-6264 or go to � HYPERLINK "http://www.nami.org" ��www.nami.org�. The toll-free number for DBSA is (800) 826-3632 and the website is www.dbsalliance.org.