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Children on widely used psychiatric drugs can quickly gain an alarming amount of weight; many pack on nearly 20 pounds and become obese within just 11 weeks, a study found.
Add that to the junk food being offered to kids, it's no wonder our obesity rates are going up.
But this does show that NOT ALL kids who are overweight are overweight due to laziness or unhealthy lifestyles. It's bad enough they have to take meds to correct a mental condition, but it's a bit stupid to force kids to sacrifice their physical health for their mental health. I hope a lot of research is put into the next psych drug before they start handing prescriptions to the next group of otherwise physically healthy kids!
#1 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:56 PM EDTIf only people would stop and ask "what are the latent effects" of what we do in order to " make things better".
This happens to adults as well. Therefore, all peoples on meds that cause weight gains should be exempt from paying more for anything.
Yeah right go tell that to the airlines for starters.
Only in America we fix everything with drugs. Then the side effects are fixed with more drugs.
I have been on antidepressants, and they ALL cause weight gain, which is depressing in itself. You are right, snake,you can't fix everything with drugs, the drug companies are banking on it.
I got on an anti-depressant in July, but not for depression. Well, I'm now 30 lbs heavier! It just hit me last week why I was putting on the weight. We, the doctors and myself, thought it was menopause but there's no way I could have gained that much weight that fast. I have an appt with my doctor to get off of this asap. The worst is you just can't stop taking them. You actually have withdrawel symptoms so it's easier to stay on them, but I can't take it. I usually research things before taking anything but I didn't this time. People just need look up on the internet and find all of the information they need before taking any medicine, even OTC stuff.
Did anyone else notice they said children as young as 4 were included in the study?
Why are FOUR YEAR OLDS on anti-psychotic meds??????
Because they (psychiatrists) can Dessa. Because they can--& if you think its about "helping" the kids, I have a bridge NYC adjacent to sell you.
The drug companies make these drugs easy & quick to produce, approve & distribute to the prescribing doc so they can get them into the mouths of paying customers without adequate testing or safe guards. Many are promoted "off-label" to groups (children, elderly) to add to the profit margin of the drug company using the doctors as a delivery system for the promotion in "lectures & dinners" which are really glorified paid sales pitches & endorsements.
ITS ALL ABOUT THE ...M O N E Y.
At the expense of your childs health, well being & future.
Congratulations to all you people who live in a fairyland where all you need to do to help your kids is sit down and talk to them. I guarantee you are all the same people who would be screaming to get a child like mine out of the classroom with YOUR child. He has ADHD combined with 2 other "real" mental disorders. Since kindergarten he has had violent outburst at school such as throwing chairs, books, attacking teachers, and other children who became afraid of him. I consider myself lucky I've never been sued by the parents of any (and there were several) of the children with black eyes and bloody noses. After 4 years of therapy, 5 days a week, that did nothing I finally decided to let his doctor prescribe Abilify and Adderal just so that he could function normally without hurting anyone. I'm sure you believe there must be some reason he acted that way. There was. He was born with mental disorders. With the help of medication he has gone from the scary kid to a healthy, happy, "normal" child who can function. He no longer attacks anyone. He has gone from failing grades to A's and B's. He has friends, he plays sports, he enjoys the things "normal" kids take for granted. By the way, if you believe that its something as stupid as diet or my parenting, explain to me why my two other children, one older and one younger, are JUST FINE!!!! I will agree with one thing, the greed of the drug companies is unreal. $1000 per month for my son's medication is mind blowing.
My son was prescribed both of the approved medications ~ 6 years ago for severe depression with psychosis and he did gain some weight (about 15 - 20 lbs), but overall the improvement to his mental health was significant and well worth the extra weight. He was on medication for less than 2 years and was able to lose the weight he had gained as a natural process (he did not actively diet) after he was weaned off the medications. I don't know what the outcome would have been without the medications, but I believe it would not be the successful one that he had because of the medications.
#2 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:39 PM EDTThe kids that are on these drugs are probably not at home, but institutionalized. Some of them can be quite violent in spite of the medications, and if they are not on them can be even worst. These are not things that are prescibed lightly.
#3 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:45 PM EDTAre you kidding me? Go to your local primary school and ask how many kids are on behavioral drugs. Then prepare for your jaw to hit the floor.
These aren't drugs for ADD. There are antipsychotic drugs. Big difference. I work in a state mental hospital. The doctors don't rush into putting these kids on meds. Believe me, I have to argue that point with their insurance company as to why we haven't 'done' anything yet while they are doing a full work up. I know with adults, they have a study where patients are also put on metformin to help control weight gain. Diet is carefully monitored as well. But, unfortunately, these medications are needed. It's better to deal with some weight gain versus an out of control, psychotic person. It's not all the 'junk food' in these cases.
Actually, SMD66, ADD is also included in the mix.
Weight gain is a known possible side effect of the anti-psychotic drugs which are prescribed for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but also increasingly for autism, attention deficit disorders and other behavior problems.
These medications are NOT needed. Giving 5 year olds controlled substances for things like "ADD" and "ADHD" is criminal and should be prosecuted. The weight gain is the least of the issues, although it's extremely alarming and probably significantly contributes to the childhood obesity in this country. More alarming are the heart palpitations, propensity for homicidal ideation, and other gruesome side-effects of these drugs. Ask yourself this question: before we started prescribing these drugs to children, did we have kids bringing guns to school and shooting other kids?
And another about an Ex-drug Co rep speaking out about these drugs.
Another Ex-Drug Rep speaks out on the obesity & diabetes as side effects
"But because these drugs can reduce severe psychiatric symptoms in troubled children, "We're a little bit between a rock and a hard place," he said."
Read.......We've created a sub-market to further increase the profits of the pharmeceutical Industry to control diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illness that perhaps would not have occured without the use (overuse)of these drugs. Rock and a hard place my arse. More like a feather bed and a luxury yacht for a CEO of Lilly, Merk.....
"But because these drugs can reduce severe psychiatric symptoms in troubled children, "We're a little bit between a rock and a hard place," he said."
Read.......We've created a sub-market to further increase the profits of the pharmeceutical Industry to control diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illness that perhaps would not have occured without the use (overuse)of these drugs. Rock and a hard place my arse. More like a feather bed and a luxury yacht for a CEO of Lilly, Merk.....
Talk about the dumbing down of America! What about the diabetes, gynecomastia, tardive dyskinesia, dystonia and heart failure??? Only getting dramatically FATTER is catching concern of the quacks who give these untested drugs to kids??
We're not talking institutionalized kids here - we're talking kids who's parents are pushed by teachers who couldn't teach a kid without a guidebook and schools they work for making deals with local docs to drug the kids, we're talking fake drug studies and payoffs to the docs who write them, and a medical population that NEVER looks at diet, food additives or full medical diagnostics who just spend 6 minutes looking at a kid and grab a prescription pad (provided free by the drug makers).
The kids put on weight because their bodies are fighting like heck to get rid of the drug toxicity - this "side effect" is evidence of a poison in their system.
#4 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:38 PM EDTI'm sorry, but you do not speak like someone who has first hand experience with this. My son is 10 and after years of struggling in school, we made the difficult decision to put him on a low dose stimulant for his ADHD. The changes in his mood, spirit and school performance have been compelling. He has gone from Cs to As, and from someone who struggled with focusing to a kid who can finish a Harry Potter book in 2-3 days. He has told us how much his 'Focus' medication has helped him, and that he wishes he had been able to take it years ago. The decision to try medication was made after several years of tests, evaluations and observation. Worst of all, we had to endure plenty of judgemental and cruel comments from acquaintances and even family members on the 'Evils of Psychiatric Medicine'. I can only speak for a small group of people, but at no time was I ever coerced by teachers, doctors or mental health personnel who evaluated my child to put him on medication. My son is active and at a healthy weight. We watch his diet very carefully and do not allow soda or foot with excessive chemicals or additives.
IThe truth is that the Brain and its development and inner workings are still a mystery in many ways. Diagnosing ADHD, Bi-Polar disorder and many other mental illnesses cannot be done with a Litmus test that gives you a positive or negative result. You must weigh observations against criteria. It is not a black and white issue.
Gramma...where is your real experience in this, other than reading slanted horror stories on the internet from questionable sources? Where is your evidence of any school making a deal with a local doctor to "drug" children? Have you ever spoken with psychiatrists or mental health professionals who specialize in treating children? I have, and the ones whom I have dealt with are compassionate and caring.
I have a friend who has an 11 year old son who is profoundly autistic. Her family is weighing the best options to care for him and keep him comfortable and healthy. Do some real research into how little support there is for these families as they struggle to make the best decisions for their children. Judgemental and ignorant people make their struggle far worse.
Most of the parents and loved ones that I know struggle mightily when caring for someone with a mental illness. I agree wholeheartedly that the American diet is full of additives and fake foods (pop tarts, soda, etc.) But the rest of your message shows a great lack of compassion and understanding. You seem to be stuck in finding and blaming villans...not truly supporting the children and families that are dealing with profound mental illness. Walk a mile in our shoes.
MOST medical problems, including ADHD, autism, and other psychotic illnesses can be directly linked to diet and I'm not talking junk food, but rather DAIRY and MEAT which is NOT fit for human consumption as humans are not BUILT to digest such harsh foods and by eliminating dairy especially, you can get astounding results in the reduction of meds and health disorders including arthritis.
The protein in dairy products causes a DEFICIENCY in calcium levels in the bones!! There are BETTER WAYS to get protein and calcium without robbing your body of essential nutrients.
Check out therealfoodchannel.com for information FROM DOCTORS on what you are doing to your body by eating meat and dairy, including the long list of diseases you can overcome or prevent by changing your diet.
I am a vegetarian and I don't miss out on protein, calcium or any other vitamin or nutrient. I eat pizza (vegetarian with soy cheese!), tacos (Soy crumbles with soy cheese), spaghetti, rice, potatoes, and lots of veggies and fruits. I don't starve, I've lost weight, I have more energy and I am truly healthy!!
I am happy that being a vegetarian works for you.
But you make yourself look foolish when you say Autism and other serious mental health conditions are caused by diet.
I'd like to see you sit down and tell that to parents who are anguishing over their children with serious mental illnesses, or families who have several generations struggling with mental illness. These conditions have a genetic component as well.
Eating a healthy diet is important, and avoiding highly processed foods is essential. But you make a ridiculous leap when you place the blame solely on diet. And you make it easier for quacks and wingnuts to market fringe treatments and so-called 'cures' to desperate families.
I tried some adderall that my (24 yr old) daughter gets prescribed for her "ADHD" that she has no problem finding a dr to diagnose her with. It's a real good high. I bet I could work better if I took ADHD medication too, or cocaine either one. That doesn't make it a good idea to give it to kids so they can "focus better" at school - try discipline (including teaching self discipline) As far as adults utilizing drugs to make them feel good, I'm all for it as long as it's controlled appropriately (which is a pretty complicated concept to get into)
Karen, taking adderall isn't good for your son. I don't care if it "makes him better" or not. The health risks are still there. I have ADD too, and I don't take any medication. I've learned over the years to control it and study harder on my own without any medication.
Parents shouldn't advocate drugs when it comes to ADD or ADHD, they should advocate self-discipline, meditation and other methods of trying to focus better. Ways that are good for your body and for your mind.
Do some independent research on SCD & Adderall or almost any stimulant prescribed for ADD/ADHD.
Long term stimulants effect on the heart muscle is just now being seen & linked to these incidents.
Actually, I do have direct experience with this, Karen, and I can tell you first hand, giving a kid a drug instead of finding out WHY they have the symptoms is not only lazy, and worthy of a malpractice suit on a doctor that does this to a kid, but having a doctor that leaves you with an impression that ADHD is a disease PROCESS instead of SYMPTOMS is having a charltan for a doctor.
Unless you have actually done a full metabolic workup (and the DSM INFORMS all possible conditions be ruled OUT before making this diagnosis) and have found nothing, then the diagnosis can't be made.
Factors ranging from Vitamin deficiencies, visual impairments, auditory processing problems, food allergies, food additives, dyes, pesticides, lawn chemicals, MSG, are only a few of the things that cause "ADHD" symptoms. Add liver toxicity from trying to get them out of the body, the stress it puts on the endocrine system and heart and that kid that irritated you by jumping aropund ends up being debilitated for life. Their hearts were not MEANT to beat 7 more time pre minute, their liver enzymes were not designed to filter out a heavy dose, steady stream of toxic by products, and their adrenal glands were not designed to give up normal function and be directed by chemicals.
It bears mentioning that food additives, colors and pesticides used in the US are BANNED in other countries because of the ADHD effects.
It's really, really crappy that kids are given these meds, complete with devastating side effects and no effort at all is made to protect them from the substances that can cause the behavior. Taking away, for example, red dyed foos isn't going to kill any kid, but giving them these meds can. Don't be a sheep! Become informed and investigate WHY your kid struggles! It's your KID! The easy way out isn't the best way!
BRAVO to people who connect diet and nutrtion to disease and mental disorders! It's too bad that most doctors know little or nothing about nutrtion and the proven ill effects of poisons in our food. Thanks to the FDA which is more concerned with the profits of the food/agricultural industry and drug industry ( having a revolving door between them ) than the protection of the people it is supposed to be serving. The policy of the FDA is to accept any and all studies done within the industry on their own products as scientific fact. How lame is that!
People simply do not trust their own instincts anymore and all "credible" information has to come from someone in a white coat, or "scientific studies" taken for objective when in fact they are extremely biased.
If we would go back to spending a little more effort in being there for our kids, to cook real food, turn off the tv, video games and other isolating devices and spend time with our kids we wouldn't see the depression, ADHD, mood disorders etc. that are plaguing our society. Remember the bumper sticker " have you hugged your kid today'??? Well have YOU?
Perhaps the drugs induce lethargy into the mix. Are there a subtle changes in the physical activity that might cause the weight gain?
#5 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:40 PM EDTPete, trust me when I say antidepressants will cause3 weight gain reguardless of activity levels. I know people that have been very thin their entire lives, and active. They go on psych drugs and gain an alarming amount of weight.
There are also the side effects of hallucinations, nightmares, increased suicides and the tendency to be homicidal to consider...
Someone being poisoned usually does demonstrate a tendency toward lethargy...it's really bad to think the poisoning effect is causing them to be lethargic and therefore leading to weight gain.
As I said, we are in REALLY bad shape if weight gain is the only reason someone might shy away from giving this stuff to kids.
#6 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:59 PM EDTWell said.
My son had problems from infancy and was diagnosed at age 8. Until he was on the drugs, he was a slim. It's not just the drugs listed that cause weight problems - there are lots more. My son is not institutionalized nor were we pushed by teachers. He can function emotionally with these drugs. He's 24 now, 6ft. 6in., 350 pounds. He hates being overweight and is aware people think he's gluttonous and lazy. However, he knows how he feels without drugs - out of control - so he takes his meds. Until you have a child with emotional problems, it's very easy to dis doctors. We just keep hoping for a new med without nasty side effects.
#7 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:19 PM EDTThey just figured that out? Adults on Zyprexa gain about 60 pounds the first year. Eli Lilly has been sued so often it's pathetic. I just came back from seeing the dietician. We talked about how my weight problems started when I got diagnosed with bipolar disorder. At first she recommended that I eat 1400 calories a day to keep from gaining weight. I told her that is not acceptable. I need to lose, so I'm coming off of the insulin that I need to take only while taking bipolar meds. What is really ridiculous about this is that almost all psych meds cause large amounts of weigfht gain, so psychiatrists act oblivious to it. I've gained so much that I am now afraid that diabetes is now going to be what kills me. I stopped taking my psych meds last week to rein in the weight. No, I don't have permission. It's a vicious cycle.
#8 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:28 PM EDTBrenda, I feel for you. Trust yourself. Know that people are not robots and passions, emotions and ups and downs are NORMAL. Adjust how you think about these things. Accept yourself for who you are, commit yourself to making improvements in your behavior where you think you need to and give yourself some slack. Love who you are today, everyday.
In accepting yourself much of the depression related to being diagnosed with this brain disorder can go away. Let it. Bi Polar was an extremely rare disease 20 years ago. The plethora of new cases is not really reflective of the truth but simply an marketing ploy to sell the newest anti psychotic drugs to an inflated (falsely) market. Pathologizing formerly normal but ineffective/negative emotions and behaviors is removing the responsibility, ownership, reflective ability to change behavior. Take the controls back. Listen to yourself. Do what you love, everyday for at least a little while and your soul will smile. Do not let Bi Polar diagnoses take over your life. Do not form your identity by this diagnoses. Let it go.
From one who knows.
Giving kids drugs to make them feel better? Give me a break - I remember being nervous, depressed, anxious, having crazy bursts of energy, and not being able to concentrate.
It is called puberty...get over it.
Stop giving your kids prescription drugs. Especially ones that will make them fat, which will just make them more depressed.
#9 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:23 PM EDTTheindependent Thinker,
Careful now because that is cutting into the drug companies profits.
It's highly apparent through your ignorant post that you do NOT have any children with mental issues. You don't just have an epiphany one day during pre-teen years and "think" your child needs some pill to fix everything! You are very well aware from quite a young age(generally speaking) that something is amiss and your child need much more help than you can give them. Medicating a child is never the easy way out for any parent but when it makes a world of difference in your child's life, the extra weight gain seems miniscule compared to the problems its helping them cope with.
We could always go your route, do nothing, then when our child can't cope and in an angered fit of rage kills one of your children, you can bet your a$$ you will be at the head of the line screaming, "Why didn't they give that kid a pill or something???!!!"
Good idea, put your kid on a pill at age 10 that he can never get off for the rest of his life. Ever read about what happens when people try to get off these things?
Drugs are dulling natural responses to the environment. There is a reason for depression and it should spur a person to action, not dull them into a fat zombie. Metabolism decreases when lethargic and immobile. Pharmaceutical companies may have a reason behind this from the looks of the kids - keep them fat, unhealthy, poor and uneducated so they do not revolt! Civil unrest is what would make Mexico a place worth living in. America is looking more like Mexico everyday.
#10 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:33 PM EDTYes, giving someone a pill, does NOT fix the underlying problems. SOMETHING is CAUSING the depression/bipolar/etc so lets try dietary changes and counselling.
My youngest used to be bipolar. She has been vegetarian for three months now and is a lot more evened out WITHOUT DRUGS, since she has given up cheese. Cheese also gave her headaches and contributed to her mood swings.
Weird!
We use these drugs and we know they are deadly. Listen closely to the Abifily commercial. Most drugs used in the treatment of serious mental health problems are deadly. Ask yourself as a parent would you give your teenager a drug that can possibly cause kidney failure, diabetes or a stroke. If that is not enough from the cake of horrors caused by mental health drugs. How about a massive heart attack. The aforementioned drug currently being pushed for depression in kids. We all better take a deep breath and take a closer look at not only what we give kids but ourselves and our mental heal system. We call mental health the "third world of medicine". In that world we find an organ that is so much over treated and under treated. Trial and error. It is over treated by giving drugs that can cause weight gain by the sole drive is to consume 10 to 15 soft drinks or more a day. This drive for sugar is brought on by the side-effects from drugs like Abilify, Seroqurel, Zyprexa, Geodon and on and on. Hence by increase sugar in the blood from day to day, weight gain is going to happen . Eventually if this continues some go on to develop obesity. Diabetes and the association diabetes is well documented.
This just a snapshot of the morbidity and morality these drugs can possibly cause. Without them what can we do? Easy answered, under treat. Without these drugs lives can be lost. Some people have the potential to, and will/have killed without this drugs. Welcome to the "third world" of medicine. There are no short answers in this world. Our lack of knowledge in mental health is about like the first race to get to the moon. Most that work in mental health that are true to the profession will quickly tell how we are losing the battle and war. There is no good drug or bad drug in mental health. It is what works best on an individual basis. We can go on and on but our last word about this world and the help we need from the research community and let it been known that all diagnosis made in mental health are diagnosis of "conesus". There is were we are asking for help and may be within that request lies the answers to most of the problems we have in treatments and out of the "third world".
#11 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:31 PM EDTthat abilify is one of the scariest drugs on the market. I had a bf who was put on it and he started walking different and he had no thoughts. it slows down your body and your brain. It was orginally only meant for people with seizures and bipolar disorder. Now they are suggesting it for people who are just experiencing depression if the antidepressants aren't enough?!?!!?
this is not toy! It's not just a supplement to complement your other drug, which you might not even need anyway! These things change who you are, and I don't mean for the better. It's not right.
One of the most unscrupulous practices of the pharaceutical industry is to invent new applicatons for old medications whose patents are close to expiring, thus becoming available to be sold as (cheaper) generic versions by competing drug industries. By doing this the drug companies can prolong the patents wich allow them to market to more groups of people with different applications, at highly inflated costs. Look at the statistics for the unbelieveably high inflation of what the drug cost to manufacture and what it is sold to the patient for. Some drugs are sold at up to %17,000 mark up.
It also provides more money for research institutions and " scientists" being paid by the Pharmeceutical industry to "study" these drugs and their possible applications. It's an insideous, incestuous, tangled web of deception and profit. We need to expose these tactics to as many people as possible but you will never see a NOVA program about it.
Drugs; The surrogate parent and teacher. What better way to remove a child's curiosity, nervous energy, inquisitiveness, imagination, pesky questions and to alleviate the annoyance to parents and teachers than to medicate the spark of life out of them?
The only things more insidious than the marketers of drugs are the physicians, parents and teachers who are too selfish and intellectually lazy to realize that they are they are the problem; the kids would be fine if the 'adults' were engaged and cared enough to be real parents, mentors and guardians. Unfortunately, too many children have simply become the spawns of ignorant and lazy 'parents' who rely on the medication of their children in order to avoid being responsible for the very being they created.
#12 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:36 PM EDTThe US constitution should be amended so that it would be against law to force drugs on anyone, except for immediate sedation purposes as is done when tranquilizing an animal. If person, including a child agrees to a drug, then doesn't want it anymore, he should be allowed to then refuse drug. The trouble with some of these psychiatric drugs is they are addictive, and to help a person withdraw, who doesn't want to take the drug anymore, sometimes a stimulant such as dapsone must be used for a few months. If person without drugs commits suicide, so be it. Look at how many people commit suicide because of these mind altering drugs.
There are better ways to discourage suicide, however I believe older people should be allowed to determine their own lives, and society should provide euthanasia on fairly lenient terms.
#13 - Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:37 PM EDTFor me, accepting the fact that my child needed medication was heartbreaking and an extremely difficult and emotional decision. When you have tried therapies, diets and interventions to no avail and you still see the difficulty your child is having in life by not improving.... then you have to consider plan B sometimes. After special schools, plans for behavior, restraining day after day for extreme aggressive behavior we went with plan B and it has made a huge difference in my daughter's ability to function in school, at home and socially. I don't have to worry about her hurting herself or someone else from fits of violent behavior.
She did initially gain 10 pounds over 2 months when starting her medication, but stopped gaining and grew taller and evened out.
I don't consider biting, screaming, kicking, punching and flat out melting down every day for no apparent antecedent to be my child's way of expressing herself imaginatively or creatively. I also don't think her teacher (who had a chair thrown at her head) would consider this typical either.
#14 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:57 AM EDTMost of these people have not ever had to deal with a child like yours or mine on a daily basis. They have no idea what it's like to have a child bring harm to them self or seriously harm others, so it's like beating a dead horse even trying to explain it to them. It's like the old saying goes, "Until you have had the opportunity to walk in someone else's shoes, no matter how hard you TRY you will never be able to imagine what life is truly like for them."
Best of luck to you.
We're not saying that no one needs them. Yes there are cases, perhaps yours that do need medicine as a last resort, but there are tons of people who give them to kids who didn't need them.
By reacting to these negative events from an early age as something that is abnormal is what is creating this monster. Don't people understand that children crave attention and that when they are constantly given attention and SPECIAL ATTENTION for misbehaving they will continue this behavior? It's a self fulfilling prophecy.
When a child has a tantrum or behaves negatively, isolate by giving time outs away from other stimulus and ignore lesser, bad behavior. On the other side of the coin, don't just ignore kids when they are being good, reinforce good behavior with attention. Not too much but enough to reinforce the behavior. Be consistent, set attainable goals, appropriate to a child's age and development. Choose your battles, sometimes making a toddler wear their coat is just not worth the battle. Let the natural consequences of a situation do the teaching. Believe me it works. It's a simple equation and not something that takes 8 years of medical school to figure out.
A good swift and powerful kick in the ass will solve 90% of these problems
#15 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 1:29 AM EDTA good swift and powerful kick in the ass will solve 90% of these problems
LOL how true but you can't do that any more it's illegal. But you can dope them up with meds that's legal.
I lived by a woman that was bipolar and her son was to. That kid looked like a zombie every time I seen him. I'm not kidding I seen snails move faster and catch on quicker than he did. I asked the woman did she think he may be taking to many meds. She claimed they wanted to put him on more. I told her if it were my kid I would take him off all of it.
It is amazing how we ever survived as a species before these wonderful drug companies found all of these excellent drugs our children need. How did we ever function without knowing about all of these exotic and vaguely defined diseases that all of our children seem to be suffering from? Thank G*d for big medicine.
#16 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 5:54 AM EDTI was a hyperactive child, my child was hyperactive, skinny kids with lots of energy. Managed to survive without ritalin. Went to Catholic School where the nuns would literaly run the hell out of you. Running, Running, Running.... and a deep understanding of consequences when you got out of line... there's the alternative.
#17 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:34 AM EDT3rdpartyadvocate Post 3.1 You are right on the target. Thank you for your post. My jaw hit the floor over a decade ago. The local elementary school had 50% of their students diagnosed and medicated for ADD/ADHD. I did not have any children in the school.
They now offer new and improved drugs? The concern is "weight gain." I would be more concerned if I had a four year old being medicated for a "subjective," diagnosis, with a drug that the FDA either has approved or not. Their track record raises a great deal of question and concern.
The only group, that I am aware of in America, who is really trying to help children is Focus Adolescent Services. They help parents for free, and I would give my money to help them save the children of America than any other group that I have found.
The article states two million. From my reading, I would state ten times that number nationwide; and that could very well be on the low side.
May the Lord save our children.
#18 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:18 AM EDT
Some babies are more quiet than others. We can call the quiet babies "normal." The vast majority of other babies we can formulate a diagnosis for. A diagnosis is the start of a race by pharmaceutical companies to come up with a new drug, or to relabel an old drug, to combat noisy baby syndrome. The drug will be touted on TV talk shows and magazine ads. Once the public is educated, parents with a baby that cries in public will be looked on as bad parents.
Drug companies see the population as a human crop that can be treated to be as uniform as possible, like a crop of corn. Meanwhile serious diseases that affect only a small group of people are ignored because the market isn't large enough to justify research.
I am sure many children benefit from medical intervention. But I am also concerned that normal everyday diversity has become very profitable to treat as a diagnosis with a medical solution.
#19 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:27 AM EDTsome babies are good eaters and sleepers.. others aren't.
that was brillant, seriously. That is exactly how it is.
Don't Spank Your Kids.....Medicate Them
I don't know haw old you are, But do you remember the days when child discipline included the occasional spanking? I'm not talking about abuse here, but you told your kid no, they did it anyway any broke your moms heirloom vase with the ball that they weren't supposed to throw in the house to begin with. Sound familiar? Now the new form of child discipline comes to town, and it's no longer PC to touch a misbehaving child. The advise is to medicate that child with a drug never intended to be used on anyone other than the most severe cases of mental illness. These drugs that have been prescribed have been shown to be 3 times more addictive than cocaine. Withdraw has side effects including suicidal tendencies.
In the US, the average person watches 4+ hour of TV a day. The number of Pharmaceutical commercials in that 4 hour period is 24. These commercials are for products you can't buy. You have to get an appointment with your doctor and get his permission to buy them. We don't have commercials for cruise missiles or tanks on 8 times every hour. You buy those things with your taxes and they need someone other than you to get permission for their purchase.
The Pharma Co's pay the majority of the commercial ad space of the networks, so the one thing the networks are not going to do is air a bunch of stories outing their cash cows.
I urge everyone to google "Me Too Drugs". Most New drugs are me too drugs created when the patent expires on the old drug. The 2 most common are psychiatric and cholesterol meds. Prozac has been Me Too'ed into everything from Schizophrenia,ADHD,Autism,Bipolar Disorder, (and the new one) helping with PMS(no joke). These are not tested against meds that have been around for decades(the ones with no patents and low profit) but only have to show that they are more effective than a placebo. The doctors writing the studies are on the very payroll of the company that makes them, and some even work in the FDA(again not a joke) These studies include patient deaths from side effects but due to laws concerning corporate secrets can be left out of the end results that go before congress. The FDA is not your friend, they are the very ones approving these drugs, the additives in your food, genetic modification of our crops, etc..
The next time you go to the grocery store read the labels, if you don't know what it is or you can't pronounce it, Don't Eat It. There's a reason most of Europe has banned GM food, that Coke has real sugar not HFCS, bread has 4 ingredients not 20, most US drugs are banned. They have lower obesity, cholesterol, autism, ADHD, and most forms of cancer.
Changes in Big Pharm's control in D.C. and FDA conflicts of interest could alone fix our health care cost more that anything else.
#20 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:38 AM EDTPS
The Big Pharma Co's DO NOT want you healthy, there's no money in it. They want you to Need a med or multiple meds that you will most likely have to take for the rest of you life. When is the last time you heard of an actual cure? They don't cure illness, they treat symptoms.
Next time you are at the Doctor's office and he gives you a prescription, ask "What did they use 15 or 20 years ago to treat this ?" Then don't ask which is better the New Drug vs the Old Drug, you're just baiting him to answer "new drug". Instead, ask about the side effects of the old drug or to give you the side effect list of the two. 99% of the time the old drug is better hands down. It's interesting to watch the look on their face and some even squirm and try a give you all kinds of reasons to go with the new one. If you see Clocks, pens, ads for drugs, or any other Pharma supplied "Swag" in the waiting room, be on your toes, he gets those for writing lots of scripts for those companies.
Remember, they can't get rich unless we buy their poduct, the ultimate power is in the hands of the consumer.
My children got spankings when they were little, NOT beatings, but a slap on the hand or slap on the thigh. Haven't spanked any of them since they were 5 or 6. THe two youngest are 19 and NONE of my kids ever misbehaved and not because they were afraid, but because they were TAUGHT acceptable behavior. There is a time and a place for everything and running around acting wild is for play time outside, not in a store or restaurant!
We also turn the tv on less than 10 hours a week. THEIR CHOICE! They would rather read or have family time and talk or play games!
When my youngest was diagnosed as bipolar, we eliminated meat and dairy products from our diet. We still get plenty of protein and calcium but in an easily digestible way. None of us have PMS problems either because we don't eat meat pumped full of hormones! In fact, we don't have ANY health issues so I would say as a family, we are doing something right.
Maybe a lot of it has to do with being a FAMILY!
Great, Good for you Dessa,
That's exactly how to handle things, know what you put into your body and that of your children and by Being a Family. Now, if we can get 300 million other people on a similar track we are getting somewhere. No one will ever care more about the safety and health of You and Yours more than your own family.
Maybe if the media convinced the liberals in America that drugs will make them fat, our drug problem would abate.
#21 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:39 AM EDTMy husband used to be on Risperdal for mental health issues. The drug greatly improved his mental health and quality of life. But it caused him to gain 40 pounds in less than 2 months, with no change at all in eating or exercise routine. He only stayed on the meds a few months because he was so upset by the weight gain. He'd rather be crazy than fat. So he stopped the meds and quickly lost the weight. But he also lost some of the mental stability he had gained. He chose his physical apperance over his mental health, which makes complete sense to him because he does not think rationally. I think it's sad that we live in a society where it feels more socially acceptable to be insane than it does to be overweight.
#22 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:06 AM EDTThat is awful...It is such a double edged sword
Then obviously he did not feel his quality of life was improved if he were fatter. How do you define improved mental health ad quality of life?
god help anyone like sunnybunny who defines quality of life in terms of pants size; I'm heavy, but they only thing decreasing my quality of life right now is my job - and from past experience, I will eventually be able to fix that problem.
good mental health comes from good nutrition, good sleep habits, security and love without trauma. I was hyperactive. But my diet was poor. Picky eater who ate small portions. Very limited diet.
#23 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:17 AM EDTThis doesn't surprise me. I have a friend who is bi-polar and takes bi-polar meds and it has caused her serious weight gain.
#24 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:20 AM EDTpsychotropic meds should be only given to adults who have violent behavior. In my opinion, children who can't concentrate. get to the source whether it is trauma in the home, incorrect sleeping habits,(kids who stay up all night), poor diet. The child should be able to be a child... the window is so small. Imagination and spontanenaity is lost. Instead of putting the child on the drugs. Put the parent on them.
#25 - Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:22 AM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
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