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In Brief
- Stimulant treatments for ADHD are effective; they can improve attention, concentration and productivity and suppress impulsive behavior, producing significant improvements in some people’s lives.
- Over the past 15 years doctors have been prescribing stimulants for a rapidly rising number of patients, who also increasingly take the drugs for many years. With the expanded and extended use of stimulants comes mounting concern that the drugs might wreak silent havoc on the brain over the long run.
- A smattering of recent studies, most of them involving animals, hint that stimulants could alter the structure and function of the brain in ways that may depress mood, boost anxiety and, in sharp contrast to their short-term effects, lead to cognitive deficits.
A few years ago a single mother who had recently moved to town came to my office asking me to prescribe the stimulant drug Adderall for her sixth-grade son. The boy had been taking the medication for several years, and his mother had liked its effects: it made homework time easier and improved her son’s grades.
At the time of this visit, the boy was off the medication, and I conducted a series of cognitive and behavioral tests on him. He performed wonderfully. I also noticed that off the medication he was friendly and playful. On a previous casual encounter, when the boy had been on Adderall, he had seemed reserved and quiet. His mother acknowledged this was a side effect of the Adderall. I told her that I did not think her son had attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and that he did not need medication. That was the last time I saw her.
This article was originally published with the title Do ADHD Drugs Take a Toll on the Brain?.
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78 Comments
Add CommentShould we be surprised by these findings? Psychopharmacologists are little more than sanctioned drug dealers. They know virtually nothing about the etiology of the "disorders" that they treat and have little knowledge of the mechanism of action of the drugs that they prescribe. I am confident that in subsequent years medicine will look back in shame at the current practice of psychiatry. Psychiatrists have virtually pathologized all human behavioral variation and treat patients with potent agents for which there is little to no data on the long term health risks. Unfortunately, psychiatry has not progressed significantly since the days when "hysteria" was believed to be a dysfunction of the uterus, Tourette's was believed to be the product of a poor disposition, and homosexuality was pathologized as a psychiatric illness. The danger now is that psychiatrists have an arsenal of powerful agents heavily marketed by profit seeking drug companies. Prior to the "drug revolution" psychiatrists were relatively harmless quacks. Now, armed with the dangerous stimulants, antipsychotic, and antidepressants, these dangerous quacks are jeopardizing the long-term health of the public.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisALL prescription drugs have been tested through multiple studies and shown to be effective versus placebo. Do you think that human behavior that is abnormal should NOT be pathologized? By definition abnormal denotes pathology. Is behavior related to the brain? Is the brain a body part? I am curious to know Szasz's qualifications for making blanket statements about psychiatry. Is he some kind of expert? What are his qualifications? Or is he a misinformed, prejudiced egomaniac with an opinion? About as worthless as anyone's living under a bridge, totally worthless.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLots of innuendo, but no substance to this article. We've known for years these drugs can have negative effects if used at higher doses. Doses have to be individualized according to side effects. Giving all animals or humans a "one size fits all" dose will lead to adverse side effects in many individuals. The problem is in the research approach.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article mention that the drugs stunt growth of children by affecting the pituitary gland. Since this gland regulate all the other glands in our body, did anyone research possible changes in the endocrine system as a result of stimulant use?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI was surprised that you did not address the difference between methamphetamine and amphetamines.
http://www.effectivepsychotherapy.net
The problem is... there is no one way to treat a "problem" but there are hundreds of ways to treat a problem poorly including how problems are classified. I found Szasz' post balanced, thoughtful and concerned.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI would like to add that it is not only the size of dosing but also the span of time with which chemicals are administered. One final comment: Drugs and medicine are serious and ought not be commercially motivated. Powerful psychoactive mixtures are being authoritatively prescribed to an increasing population of DSM flunkies daily. This will have a less than optimal effect on the infrastructure of people's biology and the society they comprise. In a matter of years it is likely that the majority of Americans will be "proven to be abnormal" and will be strongly encouraged to ingest drugs before any other form of therapy. the Syndrome syndrome is the new black.
It is unfortunate that Higgins would take such a lazy, if not downright disingenuous, approach to reporting the facts. This kind of failure to read the literature and to report accurately on complex issue should mean he is considered incompetent to treat anyone with ADHD. (Well, that much is obvious just from reading the opening story...what a reckless way to conclude the child doesn't have ADHD.) He conflates and confuses so many issues, it would take an article of triple its length to clarify.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLet's get it straight: This kind of shooting from the hip arrogant ignorance is what got psychiatry into trouble in the first place -- and has wrecked so many lives -- not psychiatrists who have done pharmacological research.
A psychiatrist should know better. There is no excuse for this. And no excuse for Scientific American running this without a thorough fact-check.
Gina Pera, author
Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.?
http://www.ADHDRollerCoaster.com
My 17 year son takes Adderall for treatment of his Narcolepsy. I HATE THIS DRUG and I want him off it. It has completely changed who he is. While it is true he has always been hyper-sensitive, ever since he started taking Adderall a year ago, he has even less control of his emotions. I fear for his life when he gets upset because I think he's going to commit suicide. He has never expressed any ideas of committing suicide but the sadness/anger/rage he feels when he gets upset over what we think is the slightest of things causes him to go into a state of mind that anyone around him can feel. It's scary. In addition, I have noticed over the last 6 months or so that he gets these bursts of energy usually in the late afternoon. It's like he's running on pure adrenalin. What's the other alternative? He's been to the Mayo clinic, 4 different sleep doctors, a Neurologist, 4 different types of medications, he sees a Psychologist every week and tomorrow he has an appt with a Psychiatrist. All this within the last 16 months. The Dr.'s have told him there is nothing more they can do for his Narcolepsy. This is a devastating blow to my son. The only thing Adderall has done is help him to stay awake during school hours. But the penalty has been that I now have a son who has behavioral issues that literally leave me in tears as I am helpless to do anything more for him other than what I am doing now. I do watch my son's diet, try to keep him on a regular sleep schedule, have tried vitamins, Melatonin and changing our lifestyle to minimize any stress. I don't know what the Psychiatrist is going to tell me tomorrow. Fact is, we don't have a lot of options but if I don't try to find a better way and my son takes his own life one day because he can't deal with the situation, I will probably lose my mind.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisi have narcolepsy and an adhd also. for the last 30+ years i have taken generic dexadrine and found it to very effective. i know of many adolescents who have had problems with adderall. i also suggest that he balance his academic life with a lot of music (not just popular contemporary--but also classical, world music, folk, jazz, etc. ) and a regular physical activity ( walking, running, swimming, dancing or some sport). both of these are very helpful in balancing the mind and reducing negative 'emotional' states. regular exercise elevates mood. people with adhd's especially need some form of regular physical activity. finding something he enjoys doing with his hands--some craft such as woodworking, pottery, etc., art, gardening, etc. also releases negative pressure.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thispeople who have adhd's need to move. a lot of negative pressure builds up if they don't. too much sitting and too much time spent in the more passive ,less physically participatory modes of learning , such as school time, watching tv, sitting in front of the computer creates too much negative pressure. people with adhd's need active ways to express their energy. he also needs to take an active part in his treatment and his life. what makes him feel good? what fills him with positive energy? let him discover what these things are, let him be part of the process of making his life into a good one. finding ways to make his life good and meaningful is ultimately his responsiblity. explain this to him and give him a chance to do it. i'm sure that will help enormously with his behaviour problems as well as his negativity. medicines, doctors, vitamins, etc. can all help a person to find his way to have a good life, but they can't do it for him. neither can a mother. at 17 he'll soon be on his own. it's time for him to start assuming the responsibility for his own well being.
@rita8791 - If your son has Narcolepsy (even with ADHD symptoms presenting) and does not tolerate Adderall, you might want to discuss with his psychiatrist the possibility of switching to Provigil (aka Modafinil) instead.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisModafinil works quite differently than Adderall, Ritalin, or Concerta. Unlike these, Modafinil has less dopaminergic effects (though it does have some) and seems to have fewer irritability/aggression-related side effects.
I have taken Adderall, Ritalin, and Provigil, for adult ADHD and mild Narcolepsy, and while the side effects of none of them bothered me much, Provigil/Modafinil was the least "speedy" by far. (It is quite costly though.)
Rita, your son is obviously on the wrong medication for him. Adderall doesn't work for everyone, and for many it can cause agitation, irritability, etc.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's important to not blame a medication that has helped many people but to instead LEARN about ADHD and its treatment. If you don't, you are stuck with psychiatrists who know as little as this article's author -- and you stand to lose a lot.
Rather than rely solely on subjective information and behavior ratings, clinicians are increasingly using the T.O.V.A. test, an easily administered office procedure, to objectively and reliably measure attention and to monitor treatment, insuring an effective LOW dose of medication that minimizes side effects. The test has brought the diagnosis and treatment of attention disorders into the 21st century.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLawrence Greenberg, MD
Author of the T.O.V.A.
Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry
University of Minnesota
I am interested in what your opinion of Higgins article is, Dr. Greenberg. It seems to me that he touches on some positive and negative points of using meds for ADHD, and his sources seem valid although this is not a peer reviewed journal. Does the animal testing have any weight for what he is attempting to correlate to humans?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOur brains are about the most complicated things on earth. Some folks speculate that a human brain may be so complex that it may not be able to understand itself. Shouldn't it scare us to give drugs to children whose brains are still in the process of developing? Teachers who encourage, and parents who allow doctors to prescribe the powerful drugs to their children should be ashamed of them selves. The drug is the easy way out it is a lot quicker than taking the time to understand what the kid needs and deliver it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wouldn't trust toxicity research from Ricaurte, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retracted_article_on_neurotoxicity_of_ecstasy
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am interested in what your opinion of Higgins article is, Dr. Greenberg. It seems to me that he touches on some positive and negative points of using meds for ADHD, and his sources seem valid although this is not a peer reviewed journal. Does the animal testing have any weight for what he is attempting to correlate to humans?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am interested in what your opinion of Higgins article is, Dr. Greenberg. It seems to me that he touches on some positive and negative points of using meds for ADHD, and his sources seem valid although this is not a peer reviewed journal. Does the animal testing have any weight for what he is attempting to correlate to humans?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a physician and a parent of two children, one of whom has had some ADHD symptoms, I remain convinced that the vast majority of so called ADHD amounts to normal male age appropriate behavior. The problem is that American suburban societal and school expectations are unreasonable and pathological. In an open environment, more active animals will explore a larger range. The simple fact that homo sapiens now cover the ENTIRE globe should provide a clue that even 50,000 years ago little Johnny didn't stay in his desk while Ms.SixthGradeTeacher peered over her spectacles at him. And has anyone ever considered "treating" one of those unfortunate zoo-leopards that pace their cage all day with ritalin?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAll prescription drugs have NOT been thoroughly tested and evaluated correctly by the FDA. Most times they are rushed through the testing phase, and even more times, the results are either manipulated or discarded, so that they can push whatever drug into the market as quickly as possible and make as much money as possible.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor instance.
The birth control patch. - kills
Chantix - causes abnormally high numbers of suicide
The HPV shot. - also kills.
these are three of thousands of drugs that hit the market without being thoroughly tested, and turn out to be hazardous to humans to say the least.
You should do a little more research before posting such an asinine response like that.
Here's some more food to chew on... when a randomised double blind, double dummy, reference controlled, multicentre non-inferiority trial between St john's wort and paroxetine (Seroxat, Paxil) guess what happened?
St john's wort turned out to be as effective, if not more... and better tolerated, considering paxil has a withdrawal period, and pretty bad side effects.
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paroxetine#Side_effects
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/330/7490/503
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm111085.htm
All prescription drugs have NOT been thoroughly tested and evaluated correctly by the FDA. Most times they are rushed through the testing phase, and even more times, the results are either manipulated or discarded, so that they can push whatever drug into the market as quickly as possible and make as much money as possible.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor instance.
The birth control patch. - kills
Chantix - causes abnormally high numbers of suicide
The HPV shot. - also kills.
these are three of thousands of drugs that hit the market without being thoroughly tested, and turn out to be hazardous to humans to say the least.
You should do a little more research before posting such an asinine response like that.
Here's some more food to chew on... when a randomised double blind, double dummy, reference controlled, multicentre non-inferiority trial between St john's wort and paroxetine (Seroxat, Paxil) guess what happened?
St john's wort turned out to be as effective, if not more... and better tolerated, considering paxil has a withdrawal period, and pretty bad side effects.
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paroxetine#Side_effects
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/330/7490/503
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PostmarketDrugSafetyInformationforPatientsandProviders/ucm111085.htm
I have most of the symptoms of ADHD and I have never taken any medication for it. I ended up with two bachelor's, two master's, and I am fluent in six languages, without counting my own.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOf all the modern psychological ailments, ADHD is increasingly appearing to be nothing more of an artifact of overdiagnosis and the desire to overconform with the rules. It is not surprising that the medicated cases in the US are so much higher than anywhere else in the word. In most other places, most of the symptoms can be considered normal behaviour during prepuberty and puberty.
In the last 35 years, psychiatry in the US has been inclined towards pathologising a very big number of behaviours that are not pathologic but differ only slightly from "accepted" behaviour norms, while the disregard the fact that human behaviour is not monolithic but has a wide spectrum that is quite normal.
There are many "scary" articles concerning ADHD medications. If they don't say the meds will make your or your child crazy; they criticize the parent for not being perfectly supportive. This "possible long term problem" I can speak to because I was first given ritalin 22 years ago. Since then I am signifcantly less explosive, can concentrate and complete tasks, not let my mind out run my mouth & have a degree of impulse control. I am a little better at organizing things, but those are skills you learn as a child and I am an adult. If these had been available in the 40's & 50's I would have been in less trouble in school and perhaps been able to pursue my original degree goals.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI immediately stopped taking my medicine but now I can't finish the article. Can someone tell me how it ends please?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHave you considered trying Provigil (Modafinil) as a treatment for Narcilepsy rather than the stimulants? I have tried both and Provigil may seriously reduce or eliminate the side effects you've described. If you're not familiar with it, I'd suggest reading further and speaking to your doctor.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRe: "I know kids who can't function in school without ritalin". You miss the point. School is the pathological entity, not the child. The children whose behavior is nonconforming may simply need to be older,perhaps by several years, or to be educated in a radically different environment. Any time you have a situation wherein 10% of a population is judged abnormal on an axis that exhibits a wide and continuous variation, something is wrong. One of the things wrong is the public education environment. Public education is in general an impersonal, bureaucratic, factory production type enterprise with a rigid and highly feminized culture. Small wonder that active boys don't do well in it. In the case of psychiatrists, the problem is "the rule of the instrument" which stated simply is that if you give a small boy a hammer, you find that many things need a good hammering. Ritalin is their hammer.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI know that these drugs have helped people get ahold of their lives, but I can't help but feel that giving people drugs for a disease that doesn't have much evidence of even existing ("One hallmark of ADHD is an underactive frontal cortex... This area may, in some cases, be smaller than average in ADHD patients") is medicating for personality. Some people may truly be hyperactive, but where do we draw the line? As this article shows, we barely have a line, it would seem. Should we start medicating for someone not being good at basketball, or physics? Some people aren't good at school, but oftentimes they have other skills that they can use to make a good life. Some people may be hyperactive, but perhaps they can harness this for something useful. Granted, I do not know what it is like, and I may be very wrong, but the whole things seems like medicating your personality.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen you say someone is wrong, shouldn't you give reasons? You become just as dangerous, I would think. Not to be rude, you know far more on this than I do, but it's hard to trust someone saying they're right primarily by saying someone else is wrong and not giving reasons. If the kid does well in school and is sociable, I don't see a reason to medicate. And he HAS seen the kid before, as he mentioned. He may know more than he shared. He may have felt any extra knowledge was superfluous. Granted, he may be a nightmare for his Mom when the doctor isn't around, but I don't think he's as ignorant as you suppose. Once again, I may be wrong. I just don't like seeing slander the way you were putting it. If he IS a bad doctor, perhaps it was justified, but please... let us know with more concrete info than what you gave. I don't think you would like to be slandered like that.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe most important related issue is that the most recent research (the only long term study) demonstrates that while these stimulants do benefit children short term, they have not shown any long term benefit. That is correct none. Check out the NIMH site yourself.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLOL. Though I doubt that's the real Szasz, look up Thomas Szasz and you can look up his qualifications for yourself.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA DEFINITION OF DISEASE: a disordered or incorrectly functioning organ, part, structure, or system of the body resulting from the effect of genetic or developmental errors, infection, poisons, nutritional deficiency or imbalance, toxicity, or unfavorable environmental factors; illness; sickness; ailment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSeems to me that ADHD may in fact be a disease of the brain. However, many people fail to recognize the malleability of the brain and its ability to change itself. In most cases, I would even call obesity a disease of the brain.
Just as I can increase my muscle mass by exercising my body, I can also increase the mass of my brain. Most importantly, I can increase my powers of ATTENTION by PRACTICING. Don't believe me, try meditating and see if it gets easier. Isn't this proof enough that you can become more attentive without medication?
Has your son tried Provigil/Modafinil for his narcolepsy? I've tried both Adderall and Provigil, and the Provigil doesn't cause the physical agitation/anxiety that I get with Adderal. The only place I feel "stimulated" by Provigil is in my brain, and it's the only stimulant I can tolerate. It was specifically invented as a narcolepsy treatment -- maybe you can ask about it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTime does not stand still. The knowledge gained from research of stimulants and other drugs is different than it was 10 years ago and it will be different ten years in the future. Today it is what it is.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAdderal has improved the quality of my life significantly. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of ADD without hyperactivity came late in my life. ADD without hyperactivity is the source of my severe Social Anxiety Disorder and depression. I suffered all through high school just barely graduating with a D-. Flunked out of college twice but finally, struggling and miserable, received a BA. I wanted to go to graduate school but my intense undiagnosed Social Anxiety Disorder/depression and root ADD left me unable to continue. At the remarkable age of 65 I was diagnosed with ADD and prescribed Adderall. Is Adderall effective for me? Absolutely. I regret not having it earlier.
There can be no doubt about the fact that a certain proportion of children (maybe 10% or more) have difficulty handling modern education and schooling. On an individual level, some of them may benefit from psychostimulants but at a societal level, we also have to give more thought to HOW we educate and school our children (and even how we organize child rearing in general) because the notion that 10% of our children are "diseased" and need cure should not be accepted uncritically. It may be that our social organization is the thing that needs a cure.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou start from the presumption that ADHD is an actual disorder. If so, it's an awfully odd one - it has really hit only over the past decade and predominately in the US. Applying Occam's Razor, one must conclude that it's either an extraordinary illness following patterns far more like those of a viral illness, or that the whole thing is a load of rubbish. I know where where my money goes.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere are neither striking chemical or behavioral differences between methamphetamine and the more common clinical amphetamine, dextroamphetamine. For more information, see my recent reviews:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPotential adverse effects of amphetamine treatment on brain and behavior: a review. Berman SM, Kuczenski R, McCracken JT, London ED. Mol Psychiatry. 2009 Feb;14(2):123-42. Epub 2008 Aug 12. Review. PMID: 18698321
and
Abuse of amphetamines and structural abnormalities in the brain. Berman S, O'Neill J, Fears S, Bartzokis G, London ED.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 Oct;1141:195-220. Review. PMID: 18991959
if he be Thomas Szasz, then he is eminently qualified. Google the name.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRegarding independentthinker99's reactions to the first writer who posted (signing as "Szasz"): " . . .I am curious to know Szasz's qualifications for making blanket statements about psychiatry. Is he some kind of expert? What are his qualifications? Or is he a misinformed, prejudiced egomaniac with an opinion? About as worthless as anyone's living under a bridge, totally worthless."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou might be interested to know that there is indeed a well-known psychiatrist by the name of Thomas Szasz, MD:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Szasz
I don't know if the initial post's author was this same Dr. Szasz, but it's possible. Dr. Szasz is particularly known for his book, "The Myth of Mental Illness."
I'm a psychiatrist also. Best wishes in your learning and discussions.
I have ADD (no "H" for me). When I was a kid- 1960's, they said, he's bored and kinda smart. So they skipped me up a grade. It "worked". It happened twice for me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNow, indeed there are certain challenges that go along with it- I tend to be a little bit chaotic in my approach to life. But the real fallout is that I find myself to be exceptionally creative, inventive, intelligent, articulate and energetic. Good things to be at 51. Doesn't work so well in a corporate office setting, but who wants to do that anyway? Not you...
Why do you all want to suppress yourselves? If you're more curious and creative than most, go with it! If you like paying attention to a whole bunch of things, a little bit at a time, go with it! If you have "too" much energy, you'll definitely appreciate it when everybody around starts slowing down. There is no Deficit nor Disorder going on here- we invented the "condition" and named it so we could stuff these creative little kids into the box and not have to deal with them.
I'm not talking about pathological situations. I know that everything can get to an extreme, and that's where medical science can step in. But like Szasz pointed out so eloquently, the Pharma companies are not out to help, they are out to make a profit no matter how it impacts us.
I have ADD (no "H" for me). When I was a kid- 1960's, they said, he's bored and kinda smart. So they skipped me up a grade. It "worked". It happened twice for me.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNow, indeed there are certain challenges that go along with it- I tend to be a little bit chaotic in my approach to life. But the real fallout is that I find myself to be exceptionally creative, inventive, intelligent, articulate and energetic. Good things to be at 51. Doesn't work so well in a corporate office setting, but who wants to do that anyway? Not you...
Why do you all want to suppress yourselves? If you're more curious and creative than most, go with it! If you like paying attention to a whole bunch of things, a little bit at a time, go with it! If you have "too" much energy, you'll definitely appreciate it when everybody around starts slowing down. There is no Deficit nor Disorder going on here- we invented the "condition" and named it so we could stuff these creative little kids into the box and not have to deal with them.
I'm not talking about pathological situations. I know that everything can get to an extreme, and that's where medical science can step in. But like Szasz pointed out so eloquently, the Pharma companies are not out to help, they are out to make a profit no matter how it impacts us.
See- there you go. I must not have been paying attention, and I submitted my comment twice. :)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wasn't diagnosed with ADHD until my cocaine addiction almost killed me at age 35. I have been on Stratera almost 8 years and take 160mg per day. I feel it waring off much earlier now, at 4 PM my confusion inside my head begins. Everything and every feeling is like an internal crossword puzzle.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have had 5 good years inside my body and brain my entire life. I feel a resistance to strattera and now in search of a Doctor and a drug that will connect me to being at ease inside my mind & body....
does anyone have anything to say about how they've been affected by strattera?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have a 12 year old who was diagnosed by 3 different doctors as having ADHD . Aderall was the original consideration but after evaluating family history the doctor decided strattera was best. so far, my son hasnt had any complaints but I was always unsure about any type of medication for him. As far as side effects its too early for us to see any... however, im curious about what other peoples experience with it is...
My 21 year old son was prescribed Strattera last summer. He took it for about 3 weeks. He said it improved his focus but he discontinued using it because it made him irritable.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisADHD medicines are horrible! Before taking these medicines my son was a very, very, very ACTIVE and happy boy. He was impulsive, but a lot of great people in history were too! I was convinced by his pediatrician to give these medicines a shot. Shortly after taking these medicines came anger outburst, tantrums, raging fits, anxiety, hearing voices, depression, obsessing over everything, fights at school & the new diagnosis of OCD, etc, etc and we are still trying to figure it all out. One neurologist wanted to give him Risperdal (an anti-psychotic drug) to offset the effects of the ADHD medicine. Risperdal can lead to nervous tics, life threatening issues and more long term problems. I put my foot down and said enough is enough! When my sons teacher and the student study team found out I was refusing the treatment they started harassing me for my decision and telling me how can you not follow the doctors advice, he is a doctor, and wouldnt do anything to harm a child and why do you think youre qualified to say these are side effects from the medicine ! Well qualified or not I chose to stop all these medicines. I am his Mother after all! I put the pieces of the puzzle together on my own& before medines he had almost everything on a list signaling he had ADHD, however he was happy and lacked OCD, anxiety & the signs and symptoms of psychosis. After taking these medicines I was scared to do homework with him, because he may grab a vase and throw it at the wall or emotionally explode on the play ground when something went wrong. Which medicine did he take? Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta & Strattera (and a few more that I cant recall because we quit them quickly) they all had horrible side effects even the Strattera. While on the stimulants he would complain of chest pain, hmmm? Also when switching from Stimulants to Strattera on two different occasions he went from below the 50th percentile for weight to the 90 percentiles within a few months& this happened on two occasions, he had lost weight in-between! He would act famished and would grab food as if he was starving. I was told this is not a side effect from the medicines. However, he was underweight for height prior to starting ADHD treatment and when people go off meth they usually gain weight& could that be a side effect with these medicines? I wonder sometimes if there is not much research on this topic because most kids dont go off the medicines. But, I can say another kid in my sons school had the same issue with weight gain while treated for ADHD and switching from
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisswitching from stimulants to non-stimulants. I think these medicines are horrible and should one should be cautious. If you are a parent, remember you know your child best, not these professionals who are trying to treat any variation of “normal.” Some of the greatest people in the world had symptoms of ADHD such as Einstein and Edison. Yet look at who they became without the drugs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this(continued) had the same issue with weight gain while treated for ADHD and switching from stimulants to non-stimulants. I think these medicines are horrible and should one should be cautious. If you are a parent, remember you know your child best, not these professionals who are trying to treat any variation of “normal.” Some of the greatest people in the world had symptoms of ADHD such as Einstein and Edison. Yet look at who they became without the drugs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have stopped these medines and my son still is called ADHD, has anxiety, OCD and battles with weight. Yes, he is very active and a little over weight. Fortunalely the violent outburst and voice went away after quitting the treatment.
Love and believe in these children and they will probably turn out to be more than normal. I think ADHD can be a gift, if you know how to direct it. Unfortunately, some of these children hear so much negativity about being different they sometimes stop believing in themselves.
(continued) had the same issue with weight gain while treated for ADHD and switching from stimulants to non-stimulants. I think these medicines are horrible and should one should be cautious. If you are a parent, remember you know your child best, not these professionals who are trying to treat any variation of “normal.” Some of the greatest people in the world had symptoms of ADHD such as Einstein and Edison. Yet look at who they became without the drugs.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have stopped these medines and my son still is called ADHD, has anxiety, OCD and battles with weight. Yes, he is very active and a little over weight. Fortunalely the violent outburst and voice went away after quitting the treatment.
Love and believe in these children and they will probably turn out to be more than normal. I think ADHD can be a gift, if you know how to direct it. Unfortunately, some of these children hear so much negativity about being different they sometimes stop believing in themselves.
The article was food for thought. I am concerned about the boy with narcolepsy. If he is "worse off" with the meds. please stop them. You don't want him to commit suicide as you are worried about him doing. He sounds miserable. Keep looking for treatments and get all the education you can. Maybe this gets even a little better with age. Ask. Bide your time and support him.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHe can get a home teacher or home school him yourself as you are able if you need too. Get him into activities that are safe. He needs to have some physical activity, good food and friends. A social worker may be able to help both of you if you find the right one. Find resources from narcolepsy organizations, other doctors,parents, on line support groups.
Good for the mother who took her Ad/HD son off stimulants when she felt it was the right thing to do. Often stimulants really help kids...those that are helped are helped. Support his self esteem as always feeling wrong or bad hurts kids much more than the adhd. Lean how to do that if you need ideas. (books and online site have lots of help) Don't let the school bully you. Keep everything written down and copies of everything you send or receive in a binder and keep a note book. You can look back and see dates and meds. and conversations and meetings etc. This is important.
Consult with experts such as Dr. Ned Hallowel ( his books and online site) (I may have spelled it wrong) and Dr.Larry Silverman ( I think that's his last name.These people should be names frequently found on line) Read books by these people -they are cheap when bought "used" on Amazon. Consult with an ADHD organization such as CHADD (children and adults with add) , at www.chadd.org. Read through online support groups. Read a magazine called Additude and their web site additude.org or com---can't remeber which it is. The current issue (4X a year) is the special school issue and has lots of info.
Read Dr. Barkley who is THE expert. Ask the librarian how to get these books for you if they are not in your library. They can be ordered from other libraries. See if your area has a parent support group. There is a catalog and on line called addwarehouse.com that has lots of books available that may also be available used on Amazon.com. They have books for things other than ADD as well. Google the names of some authors that may have ideas. Wish I could fix your situation, but at least here are some resources that may help.
Annb
The trouble is- there is upwards of 50 yeqrs clinical experience with dexamphetamine and with methylphenidate- with virtually nothing to show in terms of long term side effects. The drgs are not without limitations- and do not suit everyone- but for many they do deal with a problem that otherwise seems insoluble. Not only that - but they are off label- and make very little profit for the drug companies. Provigil, on the other hand, is new, relatively untried, and worth a fortune for the company manufacturing it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe argument about self interest is a totally sterile one anyway. All parties in all these debates have self interest in their own positions. The scientologists profit from their own form of psychological treatment that they call auditing. Posters like Szaz- well ego is as good a motive as any. Impugning motive is a futile exercise- as questionable motives apply to all of us.
My motive?- well I was diagnosed with ADHD and put on dexamphetamine 1 year ago- at age 46. It has made me safer at work, and a better parent- and I personally would have to see very substantial risk to outweigh the clear benefit my treatment has brought to myself and my family.
I feel rather stupid that I allowed the doubters and the flat earthers to put me off finding an answer to this problem years ago-as the answer was within my grasp. ( My wife had joked for years that I had it!)
Falcon- look at it like this- try living with a situation where you continually forget commitments you make to your wife and kids, where you live in embarrassmentat your latest piece of forgettery, and in dread of making a really serious mistake at work. Try living in asituation where you can barely read a page of text without losing the thread half a dozen times- where yourattention wanders from conversations so often that everone thinks you are insulting them, try living in the resulting social isolation and what is worse - knowing that you can do so much better. This is not just about academic results- this condition causes widespread and deep chaos and distress in the lives of thosse who have it, and in thelives of their families. You are right - you do not know what it is like. I do- in great detail. It is not easy to live with. The alternative of taking a job well below your real level of abiliby is just as stultifying as tring to struggle on at our true level of function.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFruminous- I find the stimulants have allowed me to express my creativit. In no way would I say that I have been limited or confined by them. I find that the stimulants give me the persistence to see an idea far enough along the track to uncover the next link in the chain.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere is very clear evidence that the stimulants assist learning- and the onething I have learned above all else is that I need to learn about the process of paying attention. I find myself in the happy position now of being able to put the knowledge I have learned as a would be Buddhist into my day to day life and learn the skills to manage my attention.
I had been an admirer of the dharma for many years- but never could put it all together. To find this coming within the range of practice for me is a great pleasure.
how can you say are you professional some thing
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAdderall seems to have harsher side effects than a lot of the ADHD medications. If an ADHD medication is the only option for him to gain alertness during the day, he should definitely try another medication. I have ADHD and I was once on Adderall, it very much made life an emotional roller coaster. I now use dexedrine and it works very effectively and also keeps me alert during the day- without the constant fluctuating moods and intense side effects. I have tried about 4 different types of mediation and found dexedrine to have the lowest side effects.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAdderall seems to have harsher side effects than a lot of the ADHD medications. If an ADHD medication is the only option for him to gain alertness during the day, he should definitely try another medication. I have ADHD and I was once on Adderall, it very much made life an emotional roller coaster. I now use dexedrine and it works very effectively and also keeps me alert during the day- without the constant fluctuating moods and intense side effects. I have tried about 4 different types of mediation and found dexedrine to have the lowest side effects.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI heartily echo what andrewk1901 says in both comments.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAlso, I don't know whether I'm more annoyed by the "ADHD doesn't exist" crew or the "ADHD does exist and it's GREAT! I'm so Creative! (just don't ask for any results cause I've never actually finished any of the projects I've started)" crew. Probably the latter, since they presumably know what this feels like.
I can completely understand the first group. If I didn't have ADHD, I would also doubt its existence. From the outside, it seems almost trivial. "Oh you're forgetful? you interrupt people when they're talking?" "You have trouble focussing?, Well I'm like that too. Just try a bit harder".
My thoughts and experiences relating to ADHD are many, and there's not enough room here.
I recommend this article I stumbled on that describes the subjective experience very well:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-doyle/attention-deficit-dj-vu_b_319457.html
This, from the New York Times in 1987 also resonated with me:
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/11/magazine/out-of-a-darkness.html?pagewanted=all
As for my own two cents, yes amphetamines are serious drugs, and should be treated cautiously and with respect. Yes, they are rampantly being abused by people who don't need them. But going too far and suggesting that nobody should take them is highly unfair to those of us that are profoundly helped by taking them.
Hi 'independentthinker99'. Pharmacological drugs may be tested to show they have some measurable effects in the short term. But then they are prescribed over often endless periods of time well beyond the tested period and to populations they were not tested for.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn addition there are no long term studies to show what happens later in life after a period of use earlier in life. This is something very difficult to study with much clarity too due to uncontrollable variables. So essentially, it is a great unknown.
This a one of the great scams of our time. Think how many people's not insubstantial incomes depend directly on maintaining the facade that these pharmacological drugs are truly tested to account for the way they are prescribed and used. However well intended some of the people involved may be or pretend to be, it is still a potentially dangerous scam.
What are YOUR qualifications? Szasz is correct. I had a colleague in college who wrote a research paper on the deleterious effects of stimulant meds. Even at therapeutic doses they can cause brain damage via the Ca2+ cascade. That drugs have been "tested" does not necessarily mean they are either safe or effective. Pharmaceuticals are a multi-billion dollar per year industry. Don't you think there is some incentive for "regulators" (i.e. the FDA and other organizations) to look the other way? Also, many drug studies are done directly or financed by the manufacturers themselves. Bias? I would think so. I read an article published by a manufacturer of a popular antidepressant medication. In it, the manufacturer stated that it was not recommended to keep patients on the drug any longer than 9 months, as they couldn't guarantee its safety after that time period. I know from personal experience that patients are kept on this drug for years. Anybody that has studied any neuroscience knows that the brain adapts to psychoactive drugs over time. You think it is any different with ADHD meds? Not all of these long term adaptive changes are therapeutic. Not all of them are "balancing" underlying chemical "imbalances." People should really do some reading in the primary literature and in neuroscience texts. People should really try taking these meds themselves for years and years and experience the motor tics, cognitive decline and other side effects themselves before they go spouting off about how great these meds are, how many lives they've saved, etc. Always keep in mind, drug companies can (and do) make BILLIONS of dollars per year on the sale of just one drug alone. So, do you really think they care whether they are safe and effective? Do drug lords care if cocaine is safe and effective? It would be nice for them, but since they are making big money, they really don't care. The same can be said of the drug companies. Billions of dollars makes people blind to a lot of realities.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am glad a professional like Gina Pera responded to this, I could not come up with the right way to respond to some here! I am an adult with ADHD and take Concerta to help me function in my profession and life in general. In my personal experience, Concerta does not "speed" me up, it is the opposite, it calms me and helps me to slow my random thought process down, it lessens my anxiety. I participated in an 18 month clinical trial on the safety aspects of this drug, if people need this type of help, they should not be ridiculed for making that decision! I have held down the same job for the past 20 years and gone up the chain of command, trust me, could not do it without coaching and concerta!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust want to thank wahsjtap and the other succesive commentors for the input. I was just doing some research and i got a little side tracked with this article (my sister has aspergers so i'm invested in this stuff). It's good to see someone providing information for reasons other than broadcasting their decidedly "correct" opinion or similar things. It also seemed like he/she knew what he was talking about. These comments are kind of unrelated to the article itself, but far more useful than the rants posted earlier. Sorry for the ramble.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDear Editor,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a clinical researcher specializing in the field of ADHD for the past 36 years, I was very interested in the recent article by my colleague at the Medical University of South Carolina, Edmund S. Higgins (Do ADHD Drugs Take a Toll on the Brain? July/August 2009, pp. 39-43). His article raised serious questions about the possible hidden risks for children that may be associated with these medications in view of a few animal research studies on stimulant medications. He implies that a later risk for anxiety and depression exists in children receiving long-term treatment. No human research supporting that thesis is presented. This thesis is news to me and led me to address Dr. Higgins hypothesis directly using data from my own long-term longitudinal study of children with ADHD followed to adulthood that my associated, Mariellen Fischer, Ph.D., and I have been conducting since 1978 at the Medical College of Wisconsin. We have been following 158 children with ADHD (then called hyperactive child syndrome) and 81 control children from similar schools and social classes and have extensively re-evaluated these children at mean ages of 15, 20, and most recently 27 years (see Barkley, R., A., Murphy, K. R., & Fischer, M., ADHD in Adults: What the Science Says. New York: Guilford Publications, 2008). We have information on the length of time these children were treated with stimulants as well as measures of anxiety and depression at the age 20 and 27 follow-ups. More than 70% of these children had been treated with a stimulant by the age 15 year follow-up for an average of 3 years with some taking medication as long as 13 years (range 0-156 months of treatment).
I analyzed these measures and found no significant relationship between the duration of childhood and adolescent stimulant treatment and self-reports of anxiety and depression symptoms at age 20 (correlations of .06 for self-reported anxiety/depression, and .04 for parent reported anxiety/depression in the patient, neither of which was statistically significant). At age 27, the relationship between length of stimulant therapy and anxiety was again not significant (.006 for self-reported anxiety and .115 for self-reported depression symptoms). I did find, however, that the duration of taking stimulant medication since leaving high school was highly associated with a reduction in the level of anxiety/depression symptoms by age 20 (-.42 for self-reported symptoms and -.70 for parent reported symptoms). While it is possible that this may signal a protective effect from stimulant treatment on young adult symptoms of anxiety/depression, the sample size that continued on stimulant therapy after high school was quite small (N=6) and thus makes this relationship prone to numerous confounding variables. Thus, evidence from this actual study of children with ADHD followed to adulthood finds no relationship between stimulant treatment and later risk for anxiety or depression. This contradicts the hypothesis of Dr. Higgins and undercuts the rather sensational suspicions raised in the article concerning potential dangers associated with stimulant treatment for ADHD. It also illustrates, as Dr. Higgins noted, that one cannot directly extrapolate from animal research on intravenous stimulant treatment to human research and oral use of stimulants.
Respectfully,
Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Research Professor of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
Dear Editor,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a clinical researcher specializing in the field of ADHD for the past 36 years, I was very interested in the recent article by my colleague at the Medical University of South Carolina, Edmund S. Higgins (Do ADHD Drugs Take a Toll on the Brain? July/August 2009, pp. 39-43). His article raised serious questions about the possible hidden risks for children that may be associated with these medications in view of a few animal research studies on stimulant medications. He implies that a later risk for anxiety and depression exists in children receiving long-term treatment. No human research supporting that thesis is presented. This thesis is news to me and led me to address Dr. Higgins’ hypothesis directly using data from my own long-term longitudinal study of children with ADHD followed to adulthood that my associated, Mariellen Fischer, Ph.D., and I have been conducting since 1978 at the Medical College of Wisconsin. We have been following 158 children with ADHD (then called hyperactive child syndrome) and 81 control children from similar schools and social classes and have extensively re-evaluated these children at mean ages of 15, 20, and most recently 27 years (see Barkley, R., A., Murphy, K. R., & Fischer, M., ADHD in Adults: What the Science Says. New York: Guilford Publications, 2008). We have information on the length of time these children were treated with stimulants as well as measures of anxiety and depression at the age 20 and 27 follow-ups. More than 70% of these children had been treated with a stimulant by the age 15 year follow-up for an average of 3 years with some taking medication as long as 13 years (range 0-156 months of treatment).
I analyzed these measures and found no significant relationship between the duration of childhood and adolescent stimulant treatment and self-reports of anxiety and depression symptoms at age 20 (correlations of .06 for self-reported anxiety/depression, and .04 for parent reported anxiety/depression in the patient, neither of which was statistically significant). At age 27, the relationship between length of stimulant therapy and anxiety was again not significant (.006 for self-reported anxiety and .115 for self-reported depression symptoms). I did find, however, that the duration of taking stimulant medication since leaving high school was highly associated with a reduction in the level of anxiety/depression symptoms by age 20 (-.42 for self-reported symptoms and -.70 for parent reported symptoms). While it is possible that this may signal a protective effect from stimulant treatment on young adult symptoms of anxiety/depression, the sample size that continued on stimulant therapy after high school was quite small (N=6) and thus makes this relationship prone to numerous confounding variables. Thus, evidence from this actual study of children with ADHD followed to adulthood finds no relationship between stimulant treatment and later risk for anxiety or depression. This contradicts the hypothesis of Dr. Higgins and undercuts the rather sensational suspicions raised in the article concerning potential dangers associated with stimulant treatment for ADHD. It also illustrates, as Dr. Higgins noted, that one cannot directly extrapolate from animal research on intravenous stimulant treatment to human research and oral use of stimulants.
Respectfully,
Russell A. Barkley, Ph.D.
Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Research Professor of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
Yes they do, they tried to prescribe them to my son all of his childhood. But, I refused to give them to him. He told me they made him nervous and feel weird and itchy. They tried so many doses and then It just wasn't anything that I wanted to give my child. I decided to use food to do the j
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHi wahsjtap;
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thissounds awful.....maybe try checking out Dr. Daniel Amen, if you haven't already - he tries to use spect imaging/brain scans to tailor treatment for ADHD (and other issues) to the individual..
good luck..
Lemay
Hi wahsjtap;
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thissounds awful.....maybe try checking out Dr. Daniel Amen, if you haven't already - he tries to use spect imaging/brain scans to tailor treatment for ADHD (and other issues) to the individual..
good luck..
Lemay
Hi wahsjtap;
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thissounds awful.....maybe try checking out Dr. Daniel Amen, if you haven't already - he tries to use spect imaging/brain scans to tailor treatment for ADHD (and other issues) to the individual..
good luck..
Lemay
What was SCIAM thinking when they ran this goofy, unsubstantiated article? As a physician and the father of 2 (of 3) children with ADD, I am aware of NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE linking most of the mainstream pharmoceuticals used to treat the disorder, to a long-term (or short-term) risk of depression or heightened anxiety.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI have observed exactly the opposite in both my children (my son, recently diagnosed with mild ADD at age 13... and a daughter, now in her early 20's). Their ability to achieve their goals during treatment, have been enhanced immeasurably.
Furthermore, with any medication, if the perceived side-effects exceed the perceived benefits, then any rationale person would 1. discontinue the medication and 2. seek alternatives.
DUH.
My heart is with you and your son. I admire your search for help and it is up to you to see when your son is to intoxicated to help himself. Drugs are drugs, and doctors do not treat the person as a whole but the disease itself. They also do not go home with thier clients to see the full spectrum. Maybe just some soberiety for a short time is what he needs? Then pray and go from there. The doctors may notice something or he may feel different, who knows? If you feel that sick inside it is better to demand the safety of your son then live in remorse and regreat if something does ever happen. I pray for you both it does not. There are so many articles about all the drugs people are prescribed some of positive and some of negetive, but we really need to be careful and watch out for one another. Not one way or solution is for everyone.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisStay strong, stay close to him and trust your gut..
My heart is with you and your son. I admire your search for help and it is up to you to see when your son is to intoxicated to help himself. Drugs are drugs, and doctors do not treat the person as a whole but the disease itself. They also do not go home with thier clients to see the full spectrum. Maybe just some soberiety for a short time is what he needs? Then pray and go from there. The doctors may notice something or he may feel different, who knows? If you feel that sick inside it is better to demand the safety of your son then live in remorse and regreat if something does ever happen. I pray for you both it does not. There are so many articles about all the drugs people are prescribed some of positive and some of negetive, but we really need to be careful and watch out for one another. Not one way or solution is for everyone.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisStay strong, stay close to him and trust your gut..
wahsjtap,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThank you for sharing your story. Mine is so very similar, and it is hard to explain to someone how a person can experience having narcolepsy 'and' ADHD , together.
Honestly, I don't really explain it anyway. I don't even have the chance. I generally stay in my 'cave' and withdrawn from all of my own 'species'.
I have also experienced depression most of my life and from 2001-2008, I may as well have been 6ft under. I probably would have if I could have even cared enough to have done that. During those years, I think I was prescribed just about every psychiatric drug available. And every combination of those drugs. None of them showing any change. All I did was sleep. I got up when I 'had' to. Which amounted to, the need to relieve myself, and when my Mother, who I lived with at the time, because I was not able to work, needed me to 'get over' my depressive state', at the drop of 'her' hat, for whatever her needs may have been at anytime. I just wanted to sleep. The total pain of complete apathy was more than I could stand, and sleep was my only escape. I guess, the 6mg of xanax per day I had been prescribed, did come in handy, for that.
After all those years, I guess something must have broke, and what happened, landed me in a psych hospital, and without anywhere to live.
Probably the best thing that could have ever happened in turning my depression around, and, what led me to being prescribed generic dexedrine, which really did increase my quality of life, all together.
I have run into some really negative issues, outside of medication side effects, of being on such a drug as this.
I applied for my current job, and then, was told I didn't get the job because the drug showed up on the drug test. Duh?
If I were not already aware of how drug tests were 'properly' handled, if, a positive, shows up, and it is one that is a possible prescription drug, I probably would have simply accepted the news delivered to me over the phone, from my employer, as, just, too bad. However, that was not the case, and he found out just how 'wrong' he was. Needless to say. I am working there. But, it seems this medication is something that other managers are willing to use against me too.
Apparently, 'some' information is given on my employment record, but only, just enough, for an idiot to be dangerous with. I guess it must read something like, "amphetamine", and that was all that was needed for judgment to be made.
I know no one has actually asked me why I am being prescribed the drug, so what little info they may have, ???
A designer drug that focuses our brain to think 'inside the box' ? What happened to thinking 'outside the box' ?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThese drugs are rewiring our brains. It is obvious that it will 'impair' our peripheral cognitive and emotional capabilities.
The drug companies are no fools. It is similar to what the cigarette comapnies did to kids during the 40's, 50's, 60's and the 70's. The ends do not justify the means !
Szasz,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhere do you live..I know two people who will change your mind instantly about how much the right drug will or will not help. Your comments show a total lack of experience and truth.
Maybe you could volunteer in special education or better yet at any local jail so that you can get your facts straight.
insidethegod,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou need to volunteer at the local jail to get your facts together. Just because you want something to be ok...does not make it ok. Your need to spend so time with people to see for yourself how serious the problems are.
The main reason that some illnesses get worst is because the unhealthy cells reproduce faster the the healthy ones. That's true with most mental illnesses. You really need to get out there and help so you can understand the problem better.
As you can see the double comments happens to others too!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMaybe the computer program is a bit tooooo slow!
Press the newest to oldest and you will see your comments there.
That maybe the whole point...are the problems bad enough to require drugs?
I agree with szasz. The problem is psychiatrists who have so little depth of perception and insight they cannot see the glaring holes in their approach. Seeing a rainbow they describe, red, then yellow, then orange in between, then reddy orange, then orangey reddy orange, then redder orangey reddy orange.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisConsciousness is a multi-multi-dimensional experience, the very act of pathologising it and crowbarring it into simplistic little dsm Shaped boxes betrays a childish ignorance and paucity of skill and insight.
People will look back at the crude barbarism and arrogance of 'modern' psychiatry now with the same horror with which we look back on the destructive quackery of early medicine.
If you are too doped up to show your symptoms, you are 'cured' it would be hilarious if it wasn't so deeply disenfranchising to so many people. My depressed friend's psychiatrist prescribes her a drug that makes it difficult to get out of bed. I mean for gods sake!
Yeah, you study people without asking questions, you get uninformed answers. The reason, at least in my case, that I became depressed when I started on Ritalin, was that I suddenly saw cause and effect much more clearly. And one of those cause-effect chains was this: I try really hard to make friends. Then opportunistic jerks swoop in while normal kids think I'm creepy and desperate and keep their distance. Being unable to see cause and effect off the drugs, I keep trying to make friends with the antisocial jerks, and keep getting used and dumped. Once I started on Ritalin and could get the sequence straight in my head, I realized that I had alienated all the people who were worth being friends with and was stuck in a harmful diminishing-returns feedback loop with the antisocial maladaptive people.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe anxiety came largely from the realization that so many of my decisions, though fun at the time, were detrimental to the achievement of any worthwhile goals. It's great and all to be an autodidact/ dilettante when you're twelve. That makes you precocious. It's fun to be seen as a rambunctious little Caddie Woodlawn/ Anne of Green Gables type, chasing butterflies and making disastrous decisions to do your hair yourself, and not getting your work done, then being the chipper little truth-teller and being honest about why it didn't get done, but try that after compulsory school age and you'll be the drifting dreamer who's out of a job and living at home.
I know people want a quick and easy answer, and a mysterious chemical compound whose effective properties upon the brain are as yet unknown is a great scapegoat (a wonderful modern version of a poisoned well, with Big Pharma as the scapegoat that poisoned said aquifer), but maybe what we really need is more attention to the proximate, rather than peripheral, causes of these supposed "side effects." Ask the patients to keep journals, not just of symptoms, but of thoughts and feelings, too. It's like listing "hair loss" as a side effect when the truth is that the product causes trichotillomania -- close, but sometimes, no cigar is no cigar.
i have been on dextraamphetamin then adderall fot the past 15 yrs I have done wonderfuly on thes meds as i am an accomplished ,composer ,singer,songwriter, musician and thespian having played at the most promiant venues in the phila. pa region. for ex. THE MAIN POINT , THE SONGWRITERS CAFE, THE GUIDED CAGE THE KYBER PASS PUB AND THE wALNUT ST. THEATRE AND SUDENLY WITH NO ADVANCE NOTICE OR TRANSIONAL PLAN mY PSY.D. STOPPED PRESCRIBING THEM TO ME SHE TRIED TO GET ME TO TAKE 2X'STHE AMOUNT OF WELLBUTRIN 100 MG. BID DAILY AND ANOTHER DRUG CALLED TRAZODONE 75 MG DAILY.SHE ALSO STOPPED MY 10 MG OF AMBIN FOR SLEEP YET KEPT RX ING LOW DOSE XANAX FOR S.A.D.EVENTHOUGH I TOLD HER I DID NOT NEED TO STAY ON THE XANAX AND I COULDWEAN OF THE .05 MIL A DAY DOSAGE OR hALF MIL. I'M NOT PERFORMING AAT ALL AND MY LIFE HAS COME TOA SCREACHING HALT AS I SUPPLEMENT MY S.S.I. AS AN ENTERTAINER W/ A PERMIT TO PERFORM INTHE GALLERY STATION AT BETWEEN 10TH AND 11TH IN THE MARKET EAST CONCOURSE PERFORMANCE SPOT #3 FROM 3 PM. TO 6PM EVERYDAY MARKET CONCOURSE FROM THE SOUTH EASTERN PENNSYLVANNIA TRANSPORTATION ASSOSIATION. s.e.p.t.a. GRANTED BY SUSAN DENNENBERG HEAD OF SEPTA HUMAN RESOUCES i'M KNOW AFFECTIONATLY AS THE "BEATLE GUY" BECAUSE I ASK THE PEOPLE TO TRY TO STUMP THE BEATLE GUY IF I CA'NT PLAY IT (ANY BEATLE SONG) i'LL GIVE YOU $2 IF I CAN YOU GIVE ME A BUCK OR ANY 2TO1 ODDS UP TO 4 BUCKS i'VE ELEVATED WHAT'S KNOWN AS BUSKING TO A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL THAT i'VE WORKED HARDTO MAINTAIN. I BRING JOY ,LIFE , AND HAPPINES TO ALL WHO PASS BY ON THER WAY TO WORK OR JUST SHOPING AT THE MALL IN THE GALLERY AND I DRESS THE PART ESP FOR HOLIDAYS I WORK INCOSTUME IE XMASS, EASTER, ST PAT'S DAY VALENTIES DAY THE 4TH OF JULY YOU NAME IT I MAKE THE OUTFITS TP FIT ANY OCCASIONAND iF THER IS NO EMMEDIATE HOLIDAY i' DRESS IMPECABLY-SO wont you PLEASE ,PLEASE ,HELP ME -HELP ME -HELP ME eee oooom
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI agree with GinaPera, I'm a 50 year old adult who has suffered from ADHD since I was a child. I have been on and off medication to treat it for years. Frankly I should never have stopped taking taking medication, as it makes such a difference, and I mean positive, that I will probably be on it the rest of my life . I am presently taking concerta, which works great for me. Adderall on the other hand made me very agitated, and irritable. Sometimes it takes time to find the medication that works best, with the least amount of side affects. I'm glad I didn't give up, and found the right medication and dose. Everybody is different, but the time and effort was well worth the result, it made in my life!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI am in total agreement with your views on cognitive enhancement drugs. I am firmly against the use of such drugs. I believe once doctors start prescribing these drugs casually for performance enhancement, there is no means to regulate its usage. We still do not know the full impact of these drugs and how they are going to affect the brain in the long run. Is it right to take these drugs to improve your short term performance without actually working hard and improving your skills to help you gain in the long term? Once students start taking these drugs, it leaves the other reluctant students with no option but to take these drugs in order to compete with them. These drugs leave no scope to judge an individual’s will power and test his/her determination. It just provides an easy way out of challenging situations, which is going to take you nowhere in the long run. It is also a disadvantage to those talented children who cannot afford these drugs, as they have to compete against the chemically enhanced brains, which doesn’t leave a level playing field for all children to compete.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRead your comment 3 years later, hope your son is better. I just went through a terrible time with my 27 year old son this past year, depression was killing him one day at a time while I could only watch by the sidelines. Nothing I tried helped, he was wasting away mentally and physically, so I could completely relate to your situation and feel your pain reading your comments. I thank God every day for the help I received from a nurse and her doctor friend, they saved his life and mine. I don't have the space to go into detail on what turned him around but I would love to share it with you. email-primitivefolk@gmail.com
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