ADHD and “The Merchants of Speed”
Pediatrician and UCSF professor Lawrence Diller has issued the fourth of a four-part memoir on Huffington Post, recounting the rise of ADHD medicating and...
“ADHD Drugs Could Harm Kids’ Sleep”
Children diagnosed with ADHD who are prescribed stimulant drugs have more sleep problems than those with ADHD that do not take these drugs.
ADHD Drugs Compensate for a Deficit of Attention to Schools
The New York Times describes a growing trend among doctors: prescribing medication to fix a "made up" diagnosis in children, in order to compensate...
“I Overmedicated My Kid: Big Pharma’s Attention Obsession Puts Children at Risk”
Daniela Drake, MD, writes on Salon about her son's misdiagnosis of ADHD - later found to be an auditory processing disorder and an allergy...
“Report Finds Florida Foster Kids Put on Psychotropic Drugs Without Following Proper Procedures”
After the 2009 suicide of a seven-year-old foster kid who had been on two “black box” medications intended for adults, Florida updated its policies to protect vulnerable children from over-prescription. Unfortunately, according to a report by Orlando Weekly, “foster children are still being put on psychotropic medications without caregivers following proper procedures.”
Pediatric Grand Rounds at University of Calgary
Pediatric Grand Rounds at University of Calgary from Mad in America on Vimeo.
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“A.D.H.D. Rates Rise Around Globe, but Sympathy Often Lags”
For the New York Times Well blog, Katherine Ellision writes about how the rise in ADHD diagnoses globally is sparking “debates about the validity of the diagnosis and the drugs used to treat it.”
What are the Dangers of Using Drugs for “Cognitive Enhancement”?
-Two neuroscientists call for "immediate action" to better understand the risks of using drugs like Ritalin and Provigil to "enhance" cognitive functions.
Study Claims Marijuana Can Treat “ADHD”
A small study of 30 participants in Germany claims that cannabis can be used to treat “ADHD” because it increases the availability of dopamine. "This then has the same effect but is a different mechanism of action than stimulants like Ritalin and dexedrine amphetamine, which act by binding to the dopamine and interfering with the metabolic breakdown of dopamine." According to the report, 22 of the 30 participants opted to discontinue their prescriptions in favor of medical marijuana.
One-third of Preschoolers with ADHD Taking Stimulants
One-third of US children aged 4-5 who've been diagnosed with ADHD are being prescribed stimulant drugs.
How Pharmaceuticals Sell A.D.H.D.
Dr. Aaron Kesselheim of Brigham & Women's Hospital analyzes several ads for A.D.H.D. medications for the New York Times to see how they play...
The Rotted Fruit
In the law if one falsehood is uncovered in sworn testimony, all of the statements made and the actions that follow are suspect. If...
Utah Supreme Court Allows Lawsuit for Psychotropic-Induced Murder
Ruling that health care providers, while important, "are not entitled to an elevated status in tort law that would categorically immunize them from liability...
“Are Doctors Diagnosing Too Many Kids With ADHD?”
Salon.com points out that "While data point to at least some over diagnosis (of ADHD), at least in boys, the extent of this problem...
ADHD Stimulant Sales To Adults Outstrip Sales To Children
Bloomberg reports that, "Adults in the U.S. have overtaken children in taking medication for the condition and accounted for 53 percent of the industrywide...
“Pediatricians Vary Widely in Diagnosing ADHD, Depression”
Researchers found that pediatricians vary greatly in how often they diagnose and prescribe drugs for ADHD and other mental health conditions. “The proportion of...
A Father Grievesa Rush to Medicate
"Diagnosis: Human", a New York Times op-ed, deftly and stirringly captures the paradoxes of the ADHD medication explosion: "My son was no angel (though...
“Here’s 1 More Map That Should Outrage Southerners”
The recently released report from Express Scripts showing a dramatic rise in the use of stimulant medications, often prescribed for ADHD, also shows that...
“Promoting Amphetamines for Over-Eating – What Could Possibly Go Wrong?”
-Roy Poses critically analyzes the research and concludes that "uncritical media reports that parroted drug company executives" have led to "overenthusiastic promotion of the latest wonder drug."
One in Seven Scots Take Antidepressants
Following a fourfold-increase in antidepressant use in Scotland over the last two decades, one in seven Scots are taking the drugs. Prescriptions for antipsychotics...
Hyperactivity Meds Jump 46%
Following an FDA study that found a 46% rise in ADHD prescriptions from 2002-2010, a review in Death and Taxes looks at better marketing...
Ireland to Decriminalise Heroin, Cocaine and Cannabis
The UK Independent reports that Ireland is moving toward a policy of decriminalizing small amount of drugs like heroin, cocaine, and cannabis in what amounts to a “radical cultural shift.” While it would remain a crime to profit from the sale of these substances, users will have specially designated areas for safe use. The chief of Ireland’s National Drugs Strategy told the paper: “I am firmly of the view that there needs to be a cultural shift in how we regard substance misuse if we are to break this cycle and make a serious attempt to tackle drug and alcohol addiction.”
“Drug Firms Have Used Dangerous Tactics to Drive Sales to Treat Kids”
Dr. Mercola writes that "the high rates of psychotropic drug use among foster children and poor children is likely a direct result of drug...
