Medication to address anger,aggression and violence. Thoughts?

The issue of medication is a senstive one. I have read about people finding it beneficial in controlling depression or sensory issues.

Temple Grandin took medication for anxiety/panic attacks that she found crippling, and it made a difference taking mediation. She wrote about this in her "Believer in Biochemistry" text usually included in "Thinking in Pictures and other reports from my life with autism".

It seems to depend on how serious is the need. If medication reduces disruptive or controlling symptoms that obstruct lifestyle then they may be valid. But this is at a cost of some levelling/dulling effect on other aspects, so if you can live without medication it may be better.

It is discussed by Tony Attwood in "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" p165-6 in his chapter on the understanding and expression of emotions. He records the experiences of some people on the spectrum that medication slows their thinking and hinders their cognitive skills.

More importantly, as no-one seems able to agree on the causes of autism, or the mechanism by which it compromises people's lives, medication can hardly be used in an informed environment. Simply using it in the way it might be used for people with other conditions not on the spectrum but who have anxiety, or ocd or depression just isn't responsible medicine. And there doesn't seem to be much understanding of the long term effects.

I think parents need to access the facts about medications. There aren't unfortunately many good effective dialogues on the subject to which to refer.

Maybe NAS Moderators could comment on this.....

The issue of medication is a senstive one. I have read about people finding it beneficial in controlling depression or sensory issues.

Temple Grandin took medication for anxiety/panic attacks that she found crippling, and it made a difference taking mediation. She wrote about this in her "Believer in Biochemistry" text usually included in "Thinking in Pictures and other reports from my life with autism".

It seems to depend on how serious is the need. If medication reduces disruptive or controlling symptoms that obstruct lifestyle then they may be valid. But this is at a cost of some levelling/dulling effect on other aspects, so if you can live without medication it may be better.

It is discussed by Tony Attwood in "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" p165-6 in his chapter on the understanding and expression of emotions. He records the experiences of some people on the spectrum that medication slows their thinking and hinders their cognitive skills.

More importantly, as no-one seems able to agree on the causes of autism, or the mechanism by which it compromises people's lives, medication can hardly be used in an informed environment. Simply using it in the way it might be used for people with other conditions not on the spectrum but who have anxiety, or ocd or depression just isn't responsible medicine. And there doesn't seem to be much understanding of the long term effects.

I think parents need to access the facts about medications. There aren't unfortunately many good effective dialogues on the subject to which to refer.

Maybe NAS Moderators could comment on this.....