The statistics connecting psychiatric drugs to tragedies such as school and family violence, depression, and even suicide are alarming and concerning. Parents cannot afford to leave the responsibility for their children’s well-being solely in the hands of the doctor. The more questions you ask, the more you will know.
1. What Specific Tests are used to diagnose Attention Disorders?
Simply basing a diagnosis on behavioral symptoms alone can have disastrous consequences because behavior itself cannot be used to diagnose a disease or disorder. Many children are diagnosed with an attention disorder solely by observing their behaviors, such as: not paying attention in class, fidgeting, talking off topic, not doing well in school, etc. These behaviors are not necessarily signs of a disorder.
For example, if you were sitting in a classroom listening to an instructor speak in a language you don’t know, you would eventually get quite bored. He may show signs that he wasn’t paying close attention. But the fact is that you are not able to understand the information that is being discussed. Many children who do not have an adequate vocabulary may exhibit these behaviors, but it is not due to an attention disorder per se, but rather due to a lack of vocabulary to follow what is said. It’s like the teacher in the Charlie Brown cartoon saying “Waaah waahh waah…” The child is not paying attention because to them the words being said are meaningless and therefore appear disinterested.
2. Is there evidence to show that attention disorders are in fact caused by a chemical imbalance?
Many psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies will tell parents that attention disorders are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and therefore the solution to their child’s problem is medication. However, there are no studies that really support this claim and there are actually many scientific studies that show just the opposite.
In fact, the claim that attention disorders stem from a chemical imbalance is an assumption stemming from the very real fact that some chemicals (such as LSD) can cause mental imbalance. Therefore, the unproven theory is that some chemicals can correct imbalances in brain chemistry. However, this extrapolation has not yet been backed up by any real evidence.
3. What chemical tests show that the prescribed medication will not cause adverse side effects?
Most people have friends and relatives who are prescribed drugs for attention disorders without any testing to show that there would be little risk of harmful side effects. When the side effects start to show (which they inevitably will), the doctor will simply start prescribing more medications (known as “cocktails”, yes, like the drinks you buy at a bar) to “counteract” the side effects. side effects, and some children and adults end up having to take 20 or more medications just to suppress side effects.
The problem is that each new drug carries its own risk of side effects. The theory is that if one mixes enough drugs together, they will hopefully mix to get the right concoction for the individual. However, while research is being done on the safety of each individual drug, no research has been done on the effects of mixing these drugs, and yet most psychiatric evaluations result in the prescription of these “drug cocktails” . Unfortunately, the cocktails one can get at their local bar are more precisely designed than those prescribed by doctors (at least we know what effect the drinks will have).
Well known and recorded side effects of popular attention drugs like ritalin, adderall, risperdal (classified as stimulants) are:
loss of appetite (can cause severe malnutrition)
tremors and muscle spasms
fevers
seizures and headaches (can be severe)
irregular heartbeat and breathing (can be deep and life-threatening)
anxiety
concern
paranoia
hallucinations and delusions
excessive repetition of movements and meaningless tasks
and ‘formicaton’ (sensation of insects or worms crawling under the skin)
These are all the same side effects experienced by people addicted to drugs like methamphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol.
The effects of mixing these drugs can have even more serious consequences, such as suicide and violent (often fatal) outbursts, as evidenced increasingly in the news.
Keep in mind that your child trusts you with his life and health. Use common sense and ask yourself if it makes sense to use medication to improve your child’s attention span. Keep in mind that your child may only need help learning to process information in the context of school and reading.
Drug-free solutions are often as simple as supplementing your child’s vocabulary, turning the “waaah waaah waaah” of the Charlie Brown example into meaningful teacher instruction.