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In just the past 15 years, prescriptions for Ritalin for children and teens has quadrupled, along with the diagnosis of the same. It is not uncommon at all now for children to take their "meds" for the same with breakfast, getting ready for school in the morning....
We already consume, per capita, far more prescription drugs for sundry maladies than any first-world country, by far. Are we now passing this down to our children, creating a mindset that meds are necessary for problems that prior generations would work out sans drugs, on their own? Are we creating young addicts? Is this just bad/negligent parenting. Too much Dr. Oz/Oprah?
Worst of all, is this possibly a "pill babysitter" for harried mothers who don't have the time/energy to deal with what used to be considered a normally rambunctious kid(and not only boys)?
Divorced single mothers are twice as likely to administer Ritalin to their children, per studies, which gives credence to that. Per the article:
".Some people who study drugs make the commonsensical point that every age has its chemical remedies of choice. And so one answer might be that just as Valium was the it-pill for mothers and doctors in an era when many women were at home with plenty of kids while their husbands were away working, so do today’s pediatric medications seem to help a different group of women: those who aren’t home all day, who are working outside the home, and who often don’t have husbands. A study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, for instance, found that divorce essentially doubles the likelihood that a given child will be prescribed Ritalin...."
Some schools are abolishing recess, or cutting it down per time/occurence, as they feel children are too rambunctious, at the same time as so many children are sedated all day at school from their morning dose of Ritalin. Per the article:
"..Thus, school under the new family regimen becomes longer than ever before (before- and after-care programs have exploded in tandem with Ritalin use). Districts overburdened by their role as parent substitutes respond by reining in whatever they can (recess and exercise hours have been cut back in tandem with Ritalin use). Today’s kids are now institutionalized for more hours than their parents were, with less time to jump and run and move muscles and bones than their parents had. Many are also without fathers, as everyone knows. Is it any wonder that the advertising wizards have come up with the message that at least something will help Mommy out: 'taking your meds?'..."
By the way, Ritalin is classed as a Class 2 narcotic.
On the other hand, is this drug perhaps actually properly prescribed? Is it possible we actually are addressing a real issue that would have been dealt with in decades past if this was around? Or are we a marketly different culture now, looking for drugs/medicine to solve all our imagined/real ills, mentally as well? Or are we just too busy to guide/discipline our children, as prior generations seemed to have no problem doing whatsoever?
Comments?
Last edited by scottkuzminski; 01-20-2015 at 06:40 PM..
ADHD is not normal rambunctiousness, properly diagnosed people respond well to medication, and some of that increase in prescribed medication is because ADHD does not go away and more adults are being treated, too. There is a strong genetic component to the condition, so the mom in your cartoon might very well benefit from treatment.
If a child does not respond to medication, the diagnosis should be re-evaluated.
ADHD/ADD is very real, and medication can make a tremendous difference in the lives of people with the condition.
OP, your points are spot on, but sadly, not a new concern. As a previous ''mental health professional'' who has also worked in childrens' programs, I have observed this first hand.
Not going to be popular, but I am going to say it, I think ADHD and ADD are ''designer'' diagnoses. Meaning ''pharma excuses''. Poor or nonexistant parenting is the culprit. In very rare instances a child might have some chemical imbalances in the brain beyond a Red Bull/high fructose constant sugar high, but very very few do.
I came to believe that ''family life'' as we used to know it has become non-existant for many kids. Exercise and outdoor play are being taken away by schools and overly protective parents and hours of sedentary video game watching and texting instead of being active with friends.
Kids are being ''ware housed'' like many pets and old people. Drug 'em up to keep them compliant. I left that world of mental ''non-health'' as I could no longer tolerate the ''instant fix'' mentality of the parents and doctors.
OP, your points are spot on, but sadly, not a new concern. As a previous ''mental health professional'' who has also worked in childrens' programs, I have observed this first hand.
Not going to be popular, but I am going to say it, I think ADHD and ADD are ''designer'' diagnoses. Meaning ''pharma excuses''. Poor or nonexistant parenting is the culprit. In very rare instances a child might have some chemical imbalances in the brain beyond a Red Bull/high fructose constant sugar high, but very very few do.
I came to believe that ''family life'' as we used to know it has become non-existant for many kids. Exercise and outdoor play are being taken away by schools and overly protective parents and hours of sedentary video game watching and texting instead of being active with friends.
Kids are being ''ware housed'' like many pets and old people. Drug 'em up to keep them compliant. I left that world of mental ''non-health'' as I could no longer tolerate the ''instant fix'' mentality of the parents and doctors.
Sorry, but I have a nephew who is severely ADHD. His father has the same disorder and even in his 30's, cannot sit still for 5 minutes and must constantly be in motion to hold a job. He wrecks cars more than a teenager due to his impulsivity and inability to remain focused. The parents reluctantly agreed to put my nephew on Ritalin because at the age of 9, he still cannot read. The medication has had immediate positive results on his ability to focus and stay attentive in class and he is finally getting the help he needs to catch up academically. Unfortunately, his father still likes to take him off the medicine in the summer and weekends when he is not in school because "he acts like a zombie". No, he acts like a child with some self control. I only wish his father would get some medication to help with his inattentiveness and hyperactive impulsive behavior. It infuriates me when people trash the use of these medications to help those who truley have a disorder. Sure, lot's of kids are misdiagnosed but, for those that need help, the medication makes a huge difference. People need to get educated and stop making judgements based on what they "feel".
I have pretty severe ADHD (I'm a 53 year old female). I do agree drugs are not the magic answer and that too many kids are being drugged, however to make the leap from that to "ADHD/ADD isn't real" is not logical and not in any way correct, IMO. I tried Strattera once because it was non-stimulant, but I never tried the stimulant meds because I know I have an addictive personality (most with ADD do). It is a very real diagnosis, however.
My son has ADHD. He has never been on medicine. It is a real disorder. I do not believe that mothers and fathers of children with ADHD are drugging their children because they are too tired to deal with their children.
I think the OP's premise is incredibly denigrating to many people, those with ADHD and parents of children with ADHD.
By the way, ritalin and other drugs are nothing close to a magic bullet. You should educate yourself on how these medicines work, how many different medications there are and how much trial and error people go through in order to find the right combo.
AdHD is pure nonsense and starting these poor kids on drugs is silly and harmful to the child.
1. What lots of kids need is more discipline. That is, get out of line, misbehave, etc. and you'll be punished. That's what a spanking was for. That's part of the way to keep a child to behave.
2. Children, with very active bodies and lots of energy, need time to blow it off. What I was in school we have a morning and afternoon 15 minute recess, and a one hour lunch time, all of which was spent outside, playing on the playground, playing kickball, that kind of stuff. And this was in Wisconsin, all winter long. YOu can't expect kids, especially boys with lots of energy to sit in a classroom all day and pay attention. Its unnatural. I really feel sorry for kids today. Recess and play time is also a good remedy for this problem.
My son has a delightful combination of ADHD and autism, and it was only after years of trying holistic methods did we finally resort to medication (Quillivant). The only thing I regret was waiting so long, because he can now finally get through a whole day of school and do his homework. He's finally making friends because kids actually want to play with him now.
It's no mystery why he has ADHD, because I have it, too. And I grew up in as pure and natural an environment as it gets (Northern VT), and didn't even have a TV until I moved out on my own.
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