[Confusedabouteveryt]

If i am under the age of 18 and my parent force me to take medicine do i have the right to tell psychiatrist i don't want to take them anymore.

[lizardlady]

It might depend on where you live. I am in the US. In the state where I live the minor could express their feelings to the doctor, but I believe the parents can still require the minor to take the med.

Maybe you could discuss your reason(s) for not wanting to take the medication with your doctor. S/he would be able to answer questions/concerns you have.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Confusedabouteveryt

If i am under the age of 18 and my parent force me to take medicine do i have the right to tell psychiatrist i don't want to take them anymore.

here in america even children have the right to say their opinions on things with their treatment providers. its actually encouraged. that means if you were here yes you can tell your psychiatrist you dont want to take medicine anymore...

thats not saying you will get your way. just that the psychiatrist wll just like with any other topic you want to discuss with them they will listen/discuss the matter with you.

example the psychiatrist here would ask you why you dont want to take the medicine and if its because of side effects they will consider changing your meds or adjusting it, if they feel you need to be medicated.

but again thats not saying they will agree that you can go without your meds. since your parents are the ones that make the decision after talking with you, the psychiatrist would meet with your parents to discuss the situation and they will do what they feel is best for you. ie medication change, dosage change depending upon what your side effects are, or whether its the right thing to do based on what your symptoms are , to allow you to go with out medication.

here in america if a teen ager aged 16 and up believe their parents and treatment providers are not making the right decisions then they can go to court and be emancipated. thats where a teen ager not 18 yet proves to the court that they can function just like an adult...(job, their own home on their own, pay rent, pay their bills, handle a bank account, follow doctors recommendations, handle their own scheduling of appointments, and attending them responsibly, taking meds if prescribed as prescribed while meeting with their treatment providers to work out what is best way for them to handle their health issues.....) here in america if teen agers can prove all this to a judge, the judge signs a paper giving that minor all the responsibilities and rights of an adult. its a very hard thing to do but it has been known to happen. once the minor is emancipated then the psychiatrist and teen work out the situation with out parents involvement.