--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ...all I could think about was how both…" description: "\"“...all I could think about was how both sets of parents had needed to make their decision, on whether to medicate their child, in a scientific vacuum...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b77/robert-whitaker-27072_children_all-i-could-think-about-was-how-both-set_2023348.jpg" --- # ...all I could think about was how both sets of parents… ![“...all I could think about was how both sets of parents had needed to make their decision, on whether to medicate their child, in a scientific vacuum. (p. 35)” quote by Robert Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b77/robert-whitaker-27072_children_all-i-could-think-about-was-how-both-set_2023348.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b77/robert-whitaker-27072_children_all-i-could-think-about-was-how-both-set_2023348.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b77/robert-whitaker-27072_children_all-i-could-think-about-was-how-both-set_2023348.jpg) > ““...all I could think about was how both sets of parents had needed to make their decision, on whether to medicate their child, in a scientific vacuum. (p. 35)”” [Robert Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-whitaker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parents face tough choices about medication without clear scientific guidance, leading to uncertainty and moral burden. **In simple terms:** Parents must decide on child medication without clear science. Key Takeaway Seek evidence and support before deciding. Themes medical ethics parental responsibility uncertainty Mood anxious thoughtful Type ethical reflective When to use this quote - pediatric care - family meetings - policy debates - clinical trials Key Concepts informed consent risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - How can clinicians improve guidance for parents? - What safeguards help families navigate uncertainty? A Different Perspective Scientific knowledge is often incomplete, making decisions risky. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Medication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/medication/) [Mental illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mental-illness/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes parents needed to be protected.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/sometimes-parents-needed-to-be-protected/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I think it's very important to send the message that, while parents are needed to remind you to practice and occasionally force you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/i-think-it-s-very-important-to-send-the-message-that-while-parents/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“If you expand the boundaries of mental illness, which is clealry what has happened in this country during the past twenty-five years, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-whitaker/if-you-expand-the-boundaries-of-mental-illness-which-is-clealry-what/) [Robert Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-whitaker/) > [I take medication every day for mental illness and depression and don't feel bad about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-take-medication-every-day-for-mental-illness-and-depression-and-don/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [I was in the drug store the other day trying to get a cold medication...Not easy. 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I mean, the advances on the medication side have been enormous, and the advances on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/and-we-have-come-so-far-like-that-i-mean-the-advances-on-the/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [Because I'm not, in fact, depressed, Prozac makes me manic and numb - one of the reasons I slice my arm in the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marya-hornbacher/because-i-m-not-in-fact-depressed-prozac-makes-me-manic-and-numb-one/) [Marya Hornbacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marya-hornbacher/) > [The World Health Organisation has a lot of its medical experts sitting in Geneva while hospitals in Africa have no drugs and desperate patients…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/the-world-health-organisation-has-a-lot-of-its-medical-experts/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) ## More by Robert Whitaker > [“The history of psychiatry and its treatments can be a contentious issue in our society, so much so that when you write about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-whitaker/the-history-of-psychiatry-and-its-treatments-can-be-a-contentious/) [Robert Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-whitaker/) > [“The off-drug patients also suffered less from depression, blunted emotions, and retarded movements. 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