Metrowest Daily News
In 2001, Harry Markopolos repeatedly warned the authorities about Bernie Madoff. No one listened. Only a serious downturn in the economy led to Madoff's downfall. It's not a Ponzi scheme, but once again, no one is listening and the red flags are everywhere. This time the victims are our very young, innocent children in the millions. Today, children as young as 2, are being prescribed powerful anti-psychotic medications. Side effects include tics, drooling, and incessant eating. Some children have gained up to 100 pounds and often progress to becoming diabetic.
Virtually nothing is known about the long-term impact of these medications. And no one seems to care. Certainly not the drug companies pushing these drugs, nor the doctors who have been coerced by the pharmaceutical industry and panicking parents alike into prescribing them. The increase in the use of anti-psychotics is directly tied to the rising incidence of one particular diagnosis, bipolar disorder. Experts estimate that the number of kids with this diagnosis is now more than one million and rising, making it more common than autism and diabetes combined. To treat it, doctors are administering medications that have yet to be approved for children. Mothers are legally medicating their two-year-olds with Risperdal to quiet their tantrums, Trileptal to stabilize their moods, and Clonidine to help them sleep.
This is not the old story about ADD or ADHD and the use of Ritalin or other approved drugs in use since the 1970's. This is not about helping the child who fidgets and can't concentrate in their elementary school classroom. This is about tens of thousands of energetic, outgoing, healthy, and normal 3- and 4-year-olds who just won't sit still in Mommy and Me. It is those children who have now been diagnosed with a new and controversial diagnosis - Childhood Bipolar Disorder.
On Sept. 4, 2007, The New York Times stated that studies in the 1970s and 80s concluded bipolar disorder was rare in children, but between 1994 to 2003, there was an astounding 40-fold increase in the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[...]
In 2001, Harry Markopolos repeatedly warned the authorities about Bernie Madoff. No one listened. Only a serious downturn in the economy led to Madoff's downfall. It's not a Ponzi scheme, but once again, no one is listening and the red flags are everywhere. This time the victims are our very young, innocent children in the millions. Today, children as young as 2, are being prescribed powerful anti-psychotic medications. Side effects include tics, drooling, and incessant eating. Some children have gained up to 100 pounds and often progress to becoming diabetic.
Virtually nothing is known about the long-term impact of these medications. And no one seems to care. Certainly not the drug companies pushing these drugs, nor the doctors who have been coerced by the pharmaceutical industry and panicking parents alike into prescribing them. The increase in the use of anti-psychotics is directly tied to the rising incidence of one particular diagnosis, bipolar disorder. Experts estimate that the number of kids with this diagnosis is now more than one million and rising, making it more common than autism and diabetes combined. To treat it, doctors are administering medications that have yet to be approved for children. Mothers are legally medicating their two-year-olds with Risperdal to quiet their tantrums, Trileptal to stabilize their moods, and Clonidine to help them sleep.
This is not the old story about ADD or ADHD and the use of Ritalin or other approved drugs in use since the 1970's. This is not about helping the child who fidgets and can't concentrate in their elementary school classroom. This is about tens of thousands of energetic, outgoing, healthy, and normal 3- and 4-year-olds who just won't sit still in Mommy and Me. It is those children who have now been diagnosed with a new and controversial diagnosis - Childhood Bipolar Disorder.
On Sept. 4, 2007, The New York Times stated that studies in the 1970s and 80s concluded bipolar disorder was rare in children, but between 1994 to 2003, there was an astounding 40-fold increase in the number of children diagnosed with bipolar disorder.[...]
All objections aside, Ritalin is one of the harder drugs to abuse.
ReplyDeleteMost people can use caffeine to stay awake. People with ADHD or autism spectrum disorders are actually slowed down by lower doses of it. My son with Aspergers will get himself a cup of coke when he feels he needs help going to sleep.
Ritalin is chemically similar to caffeine, but with a stronger effect in the brain. Adderall is also a stimulant.
If you give either to a child who has a normal brain, you'll know. Rather than a more complacent child, you'll get someone who acts like they just had a few "Venti"s of Starbuck's finest.
You could probably use a trial run of one of these drugs as a diagnostic tool.
There are other drugs for ADHD that don't work the same way, so the same can't be said for them.
But even for children who really have ADD, why start them on drugs before they need to stay focused to succeed in school?
Sidenote: In today's world, where more of our day can revolve around responding to telephone calls, emails, IMs and other non-scheduled events that interrupt each other than revolve around our plans, ADD will prove to have its advantages.
-micha
Please reread the article. The key paragraph is:
ReplyDelete"This is not the old story about ADD or ADHD and the use of Ritalin or other approved drugs in use since the 1970's. This is not about helping the child who fidgets and can't concentrate in their elementary school classroom. This is about tens of thousands of energetic, outgoing, healthy, and normal 3- and 4-year-olds who just won't sit still in Mommy and Me. It is those children who have now been diagnosed with a new and controversial diagnosis - Childhood Bipolar Disorder."
He is specifically concerned with the Childhood Bipolar Disorder diagnosis
Just how in the hell would you diagnose bi-polar in an age group that that is capable of alternating between laughing and crying?
ReplyDeleteJust what kind of intelligent feedback can a shrink possibly get from a two year old in order to determine that child's outlook on life.
G-d save us from the psychiatrists!
Thank you for publicizing your concern about the abuse of excessively prescribing psychiatric medicine.
ReplyDeletePsychiatric drugs are not always bad- but they should be used only in severe circumstances such as when one has to be hospitalized. For the majority of disorders and patients, the goal should be to taper off the drugs and to find another way to deal with problems.
Ironically the use of psychiatric medicine for depressed, bipolar or schizophrenic patients can be justified by the fact that these illnesses are potentially fatal. But ADD and ADHD are diagnoses where the side effects of medicine cannot be justified by the severity of the illness.
Medication for ADD and ADHD is also potentially fatal while having difficulty focusing is by no means a life or death issue. Some ADD drugs like Strattera may cause a person to become very depressed or suicidal. This is well documented, yet children and adults are still given the drug, even though the risks far outweigh the benefits. Hopefully the wickedness of pushing for profits despite the human toll will quickly come to an end soon.