Open Letter to Family Doctors and Mental Health Practitioners From an Average Kid Acting...
Hey Doc; I was wondering if before you see me the next time and tell my parents that I still need to be medicated for ADHD, you might consider a few things about me that you might not know. You see as a kid who can barely pick out an outfit that matches, make my bed, or wake up not hoping it's Saturday, I kind of have an active imagination. Like nearly all of my friends, I hate taking baths and I like to daydream. And when I daydream, I seem to not pay attention to what others are talking about. I kind of get lost in my own little world where rainbows do lead to pots of gold, leprechauns are real, life often feels like my favorite video game, and fart jokes never get old.
Lowered ADHD Threshold “More Harm Than Good” (BMJ)
Analysis in the British Medical Journal concludes that the lowered thresholds for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder diagnosis in DSM-5 will mean "that many children...
“ADHD Does Not Exist”
The New Republic assays into the the ripe fields of debate over the ADHD diagnosis.
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Only One-quarter of US Children Taking ADHD Stimulants Get Any Psychotherapy
Most US children and youth diagnosed with ADHD are taking stimulant medications, but less than one-quarter are receiving any amount of concurrent psychotherapy of...
“Rat Study Reveals Long-term Effects of Adolescent Amphetamine Abuse on the Brain”
A study of rats given regular, high doses of amphetamine finds that those exposed to the drug at an age corresponding to human adolescence...
Highly Praised Anti-Addiction Program For Prisoners Was “Fraud”
-A psychiatric study widely hailed in Swedish media which led to new treatment guidelines was a "fraud," states health reporter and researcher Janne Larsson.
“Move Over Big Pharma Amphetamines — Cannabis Successfully Treats ADHD in Clinical Trials”
At Alternet, Jay Syrmopoulos of The Free Thought Project discusses new research on the use of medical marijuana as a treatment for ADHD within the context of the ongoing debate over the validity of the ADHD diagnosis.
Pentagon Study Links Prescription Stimulants to Military PTSD Risk
A new study suggests that service members who take stimulant medications to stay alert are five times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, the LA Times reports. “Those who had been prescribed multiple stimulants and the biggest supplies of the drugs were the most likely to have PTSD.”
“Misuse Of ADHD Drugs By Young Adults Drives Rise In ER Visits”
"It's no secret that stimulant medications such as Adderall that are prescribed to treat symptoms of ADHD are sometimes used as 'study drugs' aimed...
Adderall Use in Women Up 750%
Citing reasons from weight loss to housecleaning, there has been a 750% increase in the use of Adderall among women in the U.S. aged...
Shire Seeks to Overcome European Resistance to ADHD Medication
Bloomberg reports that "The European debut of a pill to treat children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder faces a major hurdle: convincing people the...
NY Times: A.D.H.D. Experts Re-Evaluate Zeal for Drugs
Authors of a 1999 paper that promoted medication over behavioral therapy for A.D.H.D., in fact dismissing behavioral therapy as unnecessary in light of the apparent...
Connecticut Fails to Meet Deadline on Sandy Hook Mental Health Bill
The problem with instituting sweeping, costly and invasive mental health legislation is that there always are unintended consequences. The State of Connecticut, when passing Public Act 13-3, apparently didn’t consider that there are two sides to every story. And when it comes to “mental health” there most definitely is another side beyond the mental health we-need-early-intervention-to-help-those-suffering mantra.
“Think Twice Before Using Ritalin on Children as Terrible Side-Effects are Common”
Miriam Stoppard writes an opinion piece on the lack of good research on Ritalin, a drug often used for ADHD, and discusses the latest Cochrane review which found a high percentage of side-effects in children. Despite the lack of quality evidence, “NHS figures show that nearly one million ADHD prescriptions were handed out last year in England – a number that has more than doubled in 10 years.”
Are ADHD Drugs Causing PTSD?
In an opinion piece in today's New York Times, Richard A. Friedman notes the increase of PTSD in the miliatary from .2% in 2002...
“No Excuse for Adderall Abuse”
According to the University of South Dakota's The Volante, "In 1993, about four percent of American college students used prescription drugs for nonmedical uses, according...
ADHD Medication Use Rising Dramatically, Especially Adults
A report released today by Express Scripts, the nation's largest prescription drug manager, offers "the most current and comprehensive analysis of ADHD medication use"...
Chew on This: FDA Embraces Big Pharma; Takes Aim at Big Gum
May 8th in the USA Today: “WASHINGTON (AP) — Wrigley says it is taking a new caffeinated gum off the market temporarily as the Food and Drug Administration investigates the safety of added caffeine.” Really? Major Tranquilizers, Amphetamines, Benzodiazepines, and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors have all been approved by the FDA for the treatment of “mental illness.” These drugs are being prescribed to youth, some as young as 3 and 4 years of age. My Big League Chew is more dangerous than Uncle Jim’s Seroquel or my big brother’s Adderall?
“I Overmedicated my Kid: No, it Isn’t ADHD — Big Pharma’s Attention Obsession Puts...
Physician Daniela Drake writes on Salon that "When we rush to prescribe boatloads of Adderall, we miss lesser-known disorders holding kids back. I know...
“Why Are Our Toddlers Being Prescribed Antipsychotic Drugs?”
The Melbourne Herald Sun reports that "The prescription of some atypical antipsychotics has more than doubled . . . Psychiatrist Dr George Halasz who has been vocal about...
“Powerful Pill is Called Toxic Fuel for Fighters in Syrian War”
Peter Holley reports for the Washington Post that a powerfuland highly addictive amphetamine drug known as fenethylline or Captagon is being used to fuel ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq. “Captagon has been around in the West since the 1960s, when it was given to people suffering from hyperactivity, narcolepsy, and depression.”
“ADHD Meds Tied to Lower Bone Density in Kids”
A new study found that children taking ADHD drugs had, on average, lower bone density than their peers. This included children on common stimulants...
Tailoring Teaching for Temperament Improves Engagement
"A classroom program that helps teachers adapt their interactions with students based on individuals' temperaments may lead to more student engagement in kindergarten, more...
“United States of Adderall (Part II)”
Writing for Huffpost, medical doctor Lawrence Diller looks at the effects of the ever increasing diagnoses for ADHD and the addiction and abuse issues...
“The Hefty Price of ‘Study Drugs’ Misuse on College Campuses”
For the Conversation, Binghamton University researcher Lina Begdache tackles the issue of the growing use of 'Study Drugs' in the student population. “Animal studies show...
