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ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) / Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
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HYPERACTIVITY--They can't stay still. They are constantly moving and fidgeting. They are under chairs or tables or climbing over furniture. (I know I did this as a child and I wasn't labeled).
IMPULSIVENESS--They move or change directions very quickly. They will be doing one thing and then suddenly start doing something else. They "act before they think." So what? I know adults that do the same thing. There are other mental aberrations that make a person do things on impulse.
DISTRACTIBILITY--They can't stay focused on one thought or task. They will be doing a task and the smallest noise interrupts them. Once again, perhaps there are other causes for this. This is simply labeling a person with a "syndrome". If someone visits their physician having chest pain, the doctor doesn't all at once say that the person is having a heart attack.
LACK OF ORGANIZATION--They cannot do the more complex tasks which require them to organize the larger task into a series of steps. Somebody has to tell or show them how to do each step. So what? Perhaps they need proper education.
FORGETFULNESS--They forget instructions. They forget to do things or tasks they have been told to do. They will start to do something and forget what they were supposed to do. Oh boy, doesn't this happen to adults to?
PROCRASTINATION--They have trouble starting and completing tasks or assignments. They are constantly putting off doing things. They can't seem to "get started." There are other "whys" on why a person can't get started. Perhaps they have a personal or family situation and feel withdrawn. Have you ever felt this way? A drug won't solve inabilities to cope with life.
A medical "diagnosis" of ADD is simply by symptoms. There is no defined disease called ADD. There is no clinical proof of its existence. PERIOD.
The adverse reactions (side effects) for Ritalin include nervousness, insomnia, joint pains, fever, anorexia, nausea, dizziness, palpitations, headache, dyskinesia, drowsiness, increased blood pressure and pulse, rapid heart rate, angina, cardiac arrhythmias, abdominal pain, actual psychosis. And there is a major warning in the Physician's Desk Reference regarding drug dependency.
The Physicians Desk Reference of Drug Side Effects notes that, regarding the pharmacology of Ritalin: "The mode of action in man is not completely understood." And this is what you're giving your child! The pharmaceutical manufacturers admit that they don't even know how it works. They're just experimenting -- on your child!
Ritalin has effects similar to other stimulants including amphetamine, methamphetamine and cocaine. There are 6 million prescriptions for Ritalin filled annually. The U.S. pharmacists distribute five times more Ritalin than the rest of the world combined. No other nation prescribes stimulants for its children in such volume. In fact, the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board has on two recent occasions written to U.S. officials expressing concern about the sixfold increase in Ritalin usage since 1990.
What about Ritalin and cancer? Scientific studies on carcinogenicity were finally released in June 1993 revealing that feeding mice Ritalin, induced liver tumors including very rare and highly malignant cancers. These results were found at dosage levels close to those routinely prescribed for children. Animal tests are very good predictors of human health effects. In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer suggests that if a chemical is proven to cause cancer in animals, it should be treated as if it were cancer-causing in humans as well.
But the response by the FDA and the pharmaceutical company that makes Ritalin was predictable. The drug company wrote to 100,000 physicians informing them of the study showing that the drug caused cancer but said "It's not enough of a signal that we think kids should be taken off the drug." They reassured the doctors that Ritalin is believed to be "safe and effective" by the FDA.
Does the public school system have the right to force parents to accept the drugging of their child? They do in America. But the drug's side effects, according to vocal opponents of Ritalin, include: zombie-like behavior, growth suppression, behavior or thought disorders (exactly what it is supposed to treat) seizures; headaches, blurred vision, scalp hair loss, barking like a dog and babbling profanities. It can also result in mood swings, depression, drug dependence and inclination for criminal activity.
 The American Psychiatric Association describes a hyperactive child - the target child for this drug--as follows:
"One who exhibits behavior such as fidgeting, squirming, answering questions before being called on, difficulty playing quietly, engaging in physically dangerous activities such as running into the street without looking, or one who has difficulty following instructions." That sounds like a normal kid to me!
I hope it's clear that drugs do NOT cure anxiety, depression nor supposed hyperactivity. In fact the English word pharmacy comes from the Greek word pharmakeia. Pharmakeia means sorceries and witchcraft. That's what drugs are - sorceries and witchcraft because they only treat symptoms while the underlying disease or condition continues to get worse.
The main stimulant used for "ADHD" is an amphetamine-like drug, which purportedly acts as a tranquilizer in children. It is more potent than cocaine, numerous health risks attend its use and it can lead to later drug abuse. The drugs prescribed for so-called learning disorders are not like the routine medications that a medical doctor would prescribe for a cold or fever; they are no less than habit-forming and mind-altering, psychiatric drugs.
 "While studies indicate that the drug is probably only a weak carcinogen, increasing the future risk of millions of children—even a little bit—is not something to be done lightly. Another recent report warns that [the stimulant] 'may have persistent, cumulative effects on the myocardium' (the thick muscle layer that forms most of the heart wall)."33
Dr. Sydney Walker, III Author, The Hyperactivity Hoax |
There are numerous risks and inconsistencies associated with the prescription of mind-altering drugs for so-called ADHD or Learning Disorders. Here are some of the documented facts.
- In testimony at 1970 Congressional Hearings on whether or not to fund research into pharmacological (drug) treatment for school problems, Dr. John D. Griffith, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, stated: "I would like to point out that every drug, however innocuous, has some degree of toxicity. A drug, therefore, is a type of poison and its poisonous qualities must be carefully weighed against its therapeutic usefulness. A problem, now being considered in most of the capitols of the Free World, is whether the benefits derived from amphetamines outweigh their toxicity. It is the consensus of the World Scientific Literature that the amphetamines are of very little benefit to mankind. They are, however, quite toxic."34
- "Studies of the drugs used to treat ADHD illustrates how misleading it can be to draw conclusions about the cause of a disorder from a treatment just because it may be effective in ameliorating symptoms," said Dr. Valenstein. In fact, the psychiatric drugs used for "ADHD," can decrease activity and increase attention span even in "normal" children, according to one U.S. National Institute of Mental Health study.35
- According to the Physician's Desk Reference Guide, increased heart rate and blood pressure can result from the use of the major stimulant drug used to "treat" ADHD.36
- Suicide is a major complication of withdrawal from this stimulant and similar amphetamine-like drugs.37
- A study published in Science Journal in 1999, noted: "The mechanism by which psychostimulants act as calming agents in humans with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or hyperkinetic disorder is currently unknown."38
- In 2000, The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reported, "it is well known that psychostimulants have abuse potential. Very high doses of psychostimulants…may cause central nervous system damage, cardiovascular damage, and hypertension. In addition, high doses have been associated with compulsive behaviors, and in certain vulnerable individuals, movement disorders. A very small percentage of children and adults treated at high doses have hallucinogenic responses."39
 Drugs other than psychostimulants that are used for ADHD, have their own adverse reactions: tricyclic antidepressants may induce cardiac arrhythmias, buproprion at high doses can cause seizures, and pemoline is associated with liver damage.40
A 2001 newsletter to Doctors for Disaster Preparedness says, "In one study, six of 98 children treated for ADHD with stimulants developed psychotic symptoms."41 |
The FDA has reported, "A total of 4,400 health-related complaints of adverse reactions to methylphenidate, the main drug prescribed for ADHD, have been received since 1969. Thirty percent of those—more than 1,300 complaints—were reported in the last 15 months, including complaints of convulsions and tics, drug dependence, heart ailments, and death."
The U.S. National Institutes of Health Conference on ADHD in 1998 found that kids taking prescribed, mind-altering drugs still have a higher level of some behavior problems. As noted in the 2000 NIH ADHD Consensus Statement: "…stimulant treatments may not 'normalize' the entire range of behavior problems, and children under treatment may still manifest a higher level of some behavior problems than normal children. Of concern are the consistent findings that despite the improvement in core symptoms, there is little improvement in academic achievement or social skills.43
Recent studies show that children who take psychiatric stimulants for "ADHD" are 46% more likely to commit one felony, and 36% more likely to commit two or more felonies.44 Instead of overcoming supposed learning difficulties, these children are at risk of moving toward a life of crime.
Joe Vegas started down the road to methamphetamine addiction and despair when, at age seven, his mother first gave him a stimulant pill.51 This widely prescribed stimulant and "speed are the same thing whether people want to admit it or not," said Joe, now twenty-eight.
Psychiatrists prefer to call their drugs "medications." Perhaps this word conjures up images of some benign cough syrup prescribed by a kindly family doctor. Psychiatric medications however, are all mind-altering drugs, many are addictive, and all are abused.
The childhood use of mind-altering drugs is a major contributing factor to later cocaine dependence.52 The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reports that taking the most used stimulant drug prescribed for ADHD, predisposes the user to cocaine's reinforcing effect—in other words, cocaine addiction.
According to the DEA, the street abuse of methylphenidate has become a major problem. Introduced to American schools in the 1960s, the drug now sells for $5 to $10 a pill on the black market. Known also as "Vitamin R," "R-ball" and the "poor man's cocaine," it is abused by grinding up the drug and snorting or injecting it.53
In an analysis of a community based group of adults born in the 1960s, the DEA concluded: "Preliminary data indicated the medicated ADHD group had a higher lifetime frequency of cocaine use and a higher percentage that used cocaine more than 40 times…this preliminary data suggest that stimulant treatment of ADHD in childhood may be a risk factor for cocaine abuse in adults."54
A study in the Journal of Forensic Science in 1999, agreed that there is increasing evidence that methylphenidate is being diverted to illicit use by snorting or injection, with some fatalities, at least one from intranasal use.55
A 1998 study of Californian adolescents diagnosed with ADHD found that, as adults, those treated with the stimulant were three times more likely to use cocaine.56
Mary Ann Block reported that between 1992 and 1996 production of the main "ADHD" stimulant tripled for psychiatric use; at the same time, cocaine use among teenagers increased by 166%.57
In August 2001, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that methylphenidate acts much like cocaine. Injected as a liquid, it sends a jolt that "addicts like very much," said Nora Volkow, M.D., psychiatrist and imaging expert at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY. The drug is chemically similar to cocaine, the study says. The study also admits that although psychiatrists have used this drug to treat ADHD for 40 years, they and pharmacologists have never known how or why it worked.58
Consider this study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal:
 After a painstaking analysis of 62 studies of Ritalin treatment for attention deficit disorder, a team of Canadian researchers says it has found little scientific evidence the drug lives up to its reputation. More than 200,000 Canadian schoolchildren take methyl-phenidate, the generic name for Ritalin, a stimulant drug prescribed to help them concentrate and control their impulsive behavior. Many parents, teachers and doctors praise the drug for turning around the tumultuous lives of millions of young children. Yet a meta-analysis published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal says the clinical trials of the drug have often been biased and poorly constructed.
For example, although patients may take Ritalin for years, most trials comparing the drug with a placebo lasted three weeks, with none lasting longer than seven months. In some cases, scientists studying Ritalin ignored or downplayed the impressions of schoolteachers, who thought children taking the drug were no better off than those taking a placebo. Finally, such adverse side effects as insomnia and loss of appetite have not been carefully measured. "Collectively, these observations likely reflect a less than an ideal state of affairs given the long history of extensive, and ever increasing, use of methylphenidate for ADD particularly in North America for groups that now include pre-schoolers and adults," conclude the researchers, from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the University of Ottawa.
For a disease that didn't officially exist before 1987, attention deficit disorder has been remarkably catching. An estimated 5% of children are affected. Several years ago, the definition was expanded to the new name, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder [AD/HD]. The symptoms include trouble concentrating, talking constantly, running around in a disruptive way, fidgeting and acting impulsively. Surprisingly, little is known about how Ritalin tames these symptoms, but scientists agree it clearly works in the short term.
| A positive response to Ritalin, however, does not mean a child has AD/HD; stimulants can temporarily sharpen anyone's focus. Also, the drug does not raise IQ or remove the learning disabilities that often accompany AD/HD. |
"Short-term managed behavior -- that's important for a lot of kids, but it's not going to give them the skills that they need to manage for the rest of their lives, because when the medication wears off, they're back at square one and, in some cases, maybe a little worse off," says Toronto psychologist Lynda Thompson, co-author of The A.D.D. Book. As a result, many people are seeking alternatives, including biofeedback and nutritional regimens. These have less dramatic results than Ritalin, but they make parents more comfortable. Indeed, a University of British Columbia study, also published today in the CMAJ, raises concerns that many children who are prescribed Ritalin don't need it.
Source: The CMAJ URL for the study: www.cma.ca/cmaj/index.asp |
WARNING: No one should stop taking any psychiatric drug without advice and assistance by a competent non-psychiatric medical doctor.
- Stimulants for "ADHD" should not be used in children under six years of age. Adverse reactions include: nervousness and insomnia, hypersensitivity, anorexia, nausea, dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, blood pressure and pulse changes, tachycardia, angina, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss and toxic psychosis. Some children have developed the involuntary tics and twitching called Tourette's disorder
- Major tranquilizers, anti-psychotics frequently cause difficulty in thinking, poor concentration, nightmares, emotional dullness, depression, despair and sexual dysfunction. Physically, they can cause Tardive Dyskinesia—sudden, uncontrollable, painful muscle cramps and spasms, writhing, squirming, twisting and grimacing movements, especially of the legs, face, mouth and tongue, drawing the face into a hideous scowl. They also induce Akathisia, a severe restlessness that studies show can cause agitation and psychosis. A potentially fatal effect is "Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome," which includes muscle rigidity, altered mental states, irregular pulse or blood pressure and cardiac problems.
- Minor tranquilizers or benzodiazepines can cause lethargy, lightheadedness, confusion, nervousness, sexual problems, hallucinations, nightmares, severe depression, extreme restlessness, insomnia, nausea and muscle tremors. Epileptic seizures and death have resulted from suddenly stopping the use of minor tranquilizers. Thus, it is important never to stop suddenly or without proper medical supervision, even if the drugs have only been taken for a couple of weeks.
- Sedative-Hypnotics frequently cause the above side effects as well as a hangover effect, apparent drunken state, lack of coordination (ataxia) and skin rash.
- Antidepressants (tricyclics) can cause sedation, drowsiness, lethargy, difficulty thinking, confusion, poor concentration, memory problems, nightmares, panic feelings, and extreme restlessness; also delusions, manic reactions, delirium, seizures, fever, lowered white blood cell count (with risks of infection), liver damage, and heart attacks and strokes.
- Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) can cause headaches, nausea, anxiety and agitation, insomnia and bizarre dreams, loss of appetite, impotence, confusion and akathisia. It is estimated that between 10% and 25% of SSRI users experience akathisia, often in conjunction with suicidal thoughts, hostility and violent behavior.
WARNING: No one should stop taking any psychiatric drug without advice and assistance by a competent non-psychiatric medical doctor.
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