What Ritalin is doing to our children's heads(UK)

The UK Telegraph ^ | June 13, 2011 | Andrew M Brown

[US Navy Vet]

Are we experiencing an explosion of mental illness among young children in Britain? That is what you’d reasonably conclude, looking at the rise in the number of prescriptions issued for psychiatric medicines for them.

One of the commonest of childhood brain disorders is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is in the news again: Darren Hucknall, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, has made a formal complaint to the NHS after his 10‑year-old son, Harry Hucknall, hanged himself. Harry was being treated with fluoxetine (Prozac) – an anti-depressant – and methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin or Equasym, the standard treatment for ADHD.

[US Navy Vet]

Great Article!

[Cowboy Bob]

Perhaps this is the source of Liberalism?

[ClearCase_guy]

Some people really do have a problem with their brain chemistry.
And some people really do benefit from medicine that alters brain chemistry.

That being said, a broken culture can also cause a lot of bad thinking. The UK (and America right behind it) has a rotten culture of personal irresponsibility. A lot of bad behavior is just evidence of a broken society. Those are the problem that you might be able to hide with a pill, but you can't cure with a pill.

[Puppage]

Hyperactivity Disorder

Growing up in the early 70's, they called this "being a kid."

Giving kids drugs during their most formidable growing years w/o knowing HOW this will affect them long term is just crazy.

[tisket]

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[xtinct]

ADHD = acronym for precocious child (especially boys)

reason for diagnosis is that their mostly liberal teachers don't want to handle anything beyond what they think is normal behavior in a classroom.

drug the teacher not the kid

kids grow out of the behaviors as they grow up ... and

think about the fact that boys are falling behind academically

think ritalin has alot to do with it

[Puppage]

Exactly

[albie]

Ritalin has become an acceptable way to deal with “unruly” kids for teachers. They suggest Ritalin way too often and parents just do what they’re told. “Teacher knows best” BS. When the teacher gets enough of the little bastards medicated, she has an easier time getting yes ma’am’s and no ma’am’s.

With drool cascading over thier chins and spirals in thier eyes the kids will do anything with relative ease.

[blackdog]

Amphetamines “cure” anyone of almost anything if they have never before taken amphetamines, for a while that is.........Amphetamine use takes a huge toll on the body. Today’s feeling better, ability to take on the world, and general enthusiasm, will without exception be followed by the opposite condition at some time down the road if the mechanism to make those improvements was on such stimulants.

[Tex-Con-Man]

So much easier than “teaching”.

School counselors and bad teachers would rather medicate boys than become better teachers.

[momtothree]

Many times, I think the boys are seen as a “disturbance” simply because of a lack of exercise. One teacher that I knew actually spent some time in between classes having the kids do a bit of exercise. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? However, she noticed that attention to education seemed to improve when the excess of regular energy is sort of expelled. I initially didn’t think a lot about it until a neighbor lady told me her daughter was diagnosed with AD/HD. They didn’t take the Ritalin but had her enrolled in physical exercise every day for at least an hour. Soccer, swimming, running etc... The girl is now in high school, doing extremely well in academics and hasn’t taken the medication. Just a thought.

[silverleaf]

Growing up in the early 70’s, they called this “being a kid.”

yeah, and a lot of those troublemakers who were sluffed off as just being “kids” in the 1970s went untreated and ended up evolving into conduct disorders, in trouble with the law, self-medicating on cigarettes, booze, pot and worse, in jail, drop outs, addicts, or just permanent underclass, and now they are breeding

I suppose the staggering number of kids now diagnosed with autism (of which true clinical ADHD is on the spectrum) is just society coddling kids and not spanking them and not getting them enough exercise and too much sugar? And has nothing to do with the toxins that permeate our entire food and water supply, air, soil, and vaccines we pump into our kids and vaccines the mothers and fathers had pumped into them when they were kids

While there are abuses of psych meds, some kids DO need them and when they work, they are a godsend and a ticket to “normalcy”

I am very sorry a 10 yr old who was on anti-depressants committed suicide, but would he have destroyed himself regardless? Sometimes depression is successfully diagnosed as to source, and treated, other times not. Did his parents seek and find therapy aside from the meds? Talking therapy with an appopriate clinician (Psych,Psychologist) is expensive, long term and hard to find, even for the most diligent parents

been there

[joe fonebone]

I really get upset at the ignorance of some people. My oldest was add ( diagnosed by a psychiatrist, not a schoolteacher ) and the ritalin really made a difference in his schoolwork and concentration. He choose to stop taking it when he was 15. His grades dropped dramatically, but he worked very hard to get the grades he got. He is now rather successful in his field.

My problem is when the untrained (schools) get involved in diagnosis. I had a teacher try to pin add on my youngest. I told her she was full of crap, as I had a real add patient at home. She insisted and tried to put him in a different class. It took a full year, and a written diagnosis of non add from the psychiatrist to get the school to back off...

[philman_36]

I wouldn't have a problem with diagnosing kids with ADD/ADHD if the tests were physiological instead of psychological.
One is objective while the other is subjective.

[mrmeyer]

Amen.

[momtothree]

“Some kids DO need them...”

Agreed! I think there are some that definitely need some type of medication; however, I don’t think it is as statistically as high as what it is now. With respect to Autism... I am just stumped. I don’t recall it when I was a child and now there seems to be a huge increase in it.

[NMEwithin]

The more proper diagnosis of ADD is a real disorder...the ADHD diagnosis was created to sell drugs.

[Puppage]

I suppose the staggering number of kids now diagnosed with autism (of which true clinical ADHD is on the spectrum) is just society coddling kids and not spanking them and not getting them enough exercise and too much sugar?

What a ridiculous argument. Autism is a clearly diagnosable condition whereas hyperactivity is not, IMHO. How do you distinguish between a kid who's just overly active to one who truly is hyperactive?

Look, I am not saying that the drugs don't have a place, they do. However, I think people are too quick to say "wow, he's really active, he needs Ritalin."

Lastly, I have a curious mind, I want to see data on the long term affects of Ritalin on children. To my knowledge, there isn't any. Which should be of concern to all parents, yes?

[JohnLongIsland]

Every kid that I know that was on ritalin had serious substance abuse problems in their late teens / early twenties; draw your own conclusions...

[Puppage]

My problem is when the untrained (schools) get involved in diagnosis. I had a teacher try to pin add on my youngest

Mine as well. Good for you for sticking to your guns.