Note: This was found in an article directory. I just thought it was interesting since so many foster children are medicated.
By Rod MacTaggart
Millions of American children are being force-fed prescription drugs that most of them -- and some experts think all of them -- don’t need, opening the door to potential drug abuse, dependence and prescription drug addiction later in life.
Surveys and research projects are unanimous in their findings that the younger people are when they start taking any kind of mind-altering and body-altering drugs -- not medicine for real sickness -- the more likely they are to wind up struggling with substance abuse in the future.
Meanwhile, millions of children and teens are being prescribed powerful stimulants and psychotropic drugs for “study problems”, “trouble paying attention”, and “behavioral problems” -- usually labeled as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.
And many of these kids are rapidly progressing, some at a very early age, into abuse of other powerful and addictive prescription drugs that lead to prescription drug addiction.
There is a growing consensus among alternative health care practitioners and tens of thousands of parents around the country that most or all of the dangerous drugs forced on kids are unneeded.
What is missing from the diagnosis are four key actions that any doctor worth his diploma or any educational system worthy of trust should make sure have been done before prescribing mind- and body-altering drugs:
A thorough physical examination by a competent physician often uncovers a treatable physical condition, such as poor eyesight, impaired hearing, painful tooth decay, nutritional deficiencies, food allergies or hypersensitivities, or toxicity from environmental factors, any of which can could cause ADHD symptoms. Not only can one or more cause ADHD symptoms, they can also lead to long-term discomfort, illness and pain, often the springboard to prescription drug addiction and abuse. Drugs just mask symptoms, they are not glasses, dentistry, or a proper diet.
A gentle, exploring one-on-one with the child by his or her teacher can uncover any unusual emotional stress from ongoing situations with family members or other kids. These are conditions that can throw a child’s attention span out the window, and ADHD drugs just mask them. Left unhandled, they can become the kinds of demons that fuel prescription drug addiction later in life -- just ask anyone who’s been through drug rehab.
A good teacher or caring parent or relative can also uncover some pretty goofy ideas kids have about life and “how things are”, revealing unworkable decisions the child has made that can lead to odd behavior and objectionable habit patterns that looks like ADHD symptoms. All drugs to is temporarily hammer these into the background, leaving them to fester and drive future prescription drug addiction and abuse.
A complete review should be made of everything the child has ever tried to learn or study. A good teacher working quietly with the child can isolate when and where a subject’s study went off the rails. Confusing words, concepts and ideas in any subject -- even just the subject of life and living -- can turn into reactive behavior that gets labeled ADHD. Ferreting out and clearing up these kinds of confusions can miraculously make “ADHD” simply vanish, and it should always precede anything as serious and dangerous as mind-altering drugs.
What is also missing from the diagnosis, say some scientists, is any real science to back up the condition called ADHD. But that’s another story, for another time.
Suffice it to say now that abuse of prescription drugs and prescription drug addiction are the leading drug problems in America, exceeding all the common illicit street drugs combined, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.
Anything we can do as parents, educators and health care practitioners to help prevent the tragic effects that drug abuse is having on our young people should be done before prescribing drugs that can lead to prescription drug addiction.
Most of the drugs being shoveled into America’s children for ADHD -- the ones to watch out for -- are Ritalin, Adderall, Dexedrine, Desoxyn, Cylert, and any of many antidepressants, tranquilizers, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and mood stabilizers.
Before you allow your kids to take any ADHD medication, ask the doctor who wants to pump drugs into your kid exactly what the drug is, how it works (the drug labels admit that no one knows how they work), and its side effects. And after you listen patiently to the reassurance that these drugs are just fine and dandy, do your own research, and the internet is a perfect source. The lists of side effects will curl your hair.
Get proactive, and ask the doctors, teachers, even the school board -- if they have ensured that the four diagnostic steps above were taken with every single kid recommended for ADHD medications. And be sure to read them the lists of side effects, and ask them if they would take these drugs themselves if they were feeling a little nervous or distracted. Unfortunately, too many of them probably would.
But be assured that by blindly taking “expert” advice without asking these tough questions, we are condemning future generations of Americans into life-long drug dependence and potential prescription drug addiction that will require -- if the drugs don’t kill them first -- medical drug detox just to recover a normal life.
Rod MacTaggart is a freelance writer that contributes articles on health.
info@novusdetox.com
http://www.novusdetox.com
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Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com
Surveys and research projects are unanimous in their findings that the younger people are when they start taking any kind of mind-altering and body-altering drugs -- not medicine for real sickness -- the more likely they are to wind up struggling with substance abuse in the future.
ReplyDeleteTo paraphrase: the younger children are when they abuse drugs, the more likely they will have drug abuse problems in the future.
This has nothing to do with ADHD since Ritalin is medicine for real sickness. Plenty of studies have shown that children who receive early treatment for their ADHD (including pharmacological treatment) are far less likely to encounter addiction and abuse problems later in life.
Medications have been over prescribed, especially in foster children.
ReplyDeletebeter preggin said "Ritalin is medicine... ". Ritalin is amphetamine, it is "speed", it is an addictive psychoactive, and it causes numerous hideous side effects on kids. And he/she said: "...for real sickness." ADHD is not a "real sickness" and there is ZERO physical science supporting it. When the 4 diagnostic steps covered in the article are actually performed, so-called ADHD becomes the symptoms of something else 99% of the time, none of which would ever be treated with amphetamines. "Real medicine" cures things. Junk medicine, like amphetamines, masks the real causes of any condition. As for "Plenty of studies have shown...abuse problems later in life" ... name one. Oh BTW, "beter preggin" - cute. I'm sure Dr. Peter Breggin, one of the few anti-drug pychiatrists, would have a laugh at that.
ReplyDelete