Children’s ADD Drugs Don’t Work Longterm
By Kimbriel
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Since Gianna is on the road, I hope she won’t mind my contribution to the blog this afternoon. This is not news to any of us at Beyond Meds, but there is a damning article in the New York Times morning edition about how longterm Ritalin use does not result in general, in improved school performance down the road. The author states,
Attention-deficit drugs increase concentration in the short term, which is why they work so well for college students cramming for exams. But when given to children over long periods of time, they neither improve school achievement nor reduce behavior problems. The drugs can also have serious side effects, including stunting growth.
More specifically, the article states that 3-years down the road, there is no academic difference between stimulant-treated children with “ADD” and children with ADD who are not maintained on stimulants.
by eight years there was no evidence that medication produced any academic or behavioral benefits. (read more)
Though the author doesn’t go this far, we’ve noted before on Beyond Meds that Ritalin is often a “gateway drug”. Long-term use of amphetamines can trigger what gets labeled a “manic episode” in adults and children, and leads the child to be moved up to a bipolar diagnosis, as has been well laid out in Anatomy of an Epidemic.
Read the rest of the article here
The path of conscious awareness is no bed of roses
The path of conscious awareness is no bed of roses… It is difficult for everybody; that is something we have to face. We may not always be willing to receive the kindness that is there; we cannot always experience what happens in our practice as compassion. When we are in the middle of learning a hard lesson about our own selfishness or arrogance, it does not feel like compassion. Having an attachment ripped from deep in our being does not feel kind. Yet when it is gone, when the wound is healing, we can see that the process was one of pure compassion. - Cheri Huber
I wrote a post about Cheri Huber’s work a while ago. I love the title of her book that beckoned to me so many years ago now. There is nothing wrong with you!
Bipolar (being grossly over-treated) everywhere
Jill Littrell at Mad in America writes about the epidemic of bipolar diagnosis and questions the legitimacy of expanding the diagnosis back in 1994. It’s worth a read, especially if you’re new to these ideas.
A short excerpt here of her damning conclusion…lots of folks on medications means lots of harm:
Of course, the consequences of being wrong in diagnosing a person as Bipolar are steep. The drugs for Bipolar have serious side effects. Lithium has been estimated to destroy kidneys in about 12% over a 20 year period (Presne et al., 2003). Atypical antipsychotics will shrink the cortex taken over a two year period (Ho et al., 2011). Anticonvulsants can cause damage to the liver and pancreas and induce depression (PDR). Then there is the issue of potential withdrawal symptoms when you discontinue the medications. These dangers are not trivial. The practice of diagnosing Bipolar is now epidemic. The label will probably shorten the lives of many people who would otherwise be resilient in the face of adversity. (read more)
I unfortunately know many people who have succumbed to such iatrogenesis. I regularly lost clients this way when I practiced social work. It’s devastating and heartbreaking. Some of these people are dead, grossly prematurely. And not by suicide. Nope it was, kidney failure, cardiac arrest caused by the complications of massive weight gain and diabetes from anti-psychotics…etc…People who should be alive today had they not taken toxic medications for so long.
I would also ask what is Bipolar 1? (In the article I link to above Jill Littrell looks at the history of Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2, which she argues are not even etiologically related.) Bipolar 1 is the “classic” manic depression. Some think that is the only real bipolar. But, really, I ask, should anything with the Bipolar 1 label be treated with long-term psychotropics in any case? There is a lot of evidence that suggests it makes no sense at all.
Robert Whitaker found studies that indicated that before psychopharmaceutical treatments even the more extreme behavior that gets labeled as bipolar seemed to run its course in most people suggesting maintenance long-term treatment with neurotoxic drugs is over-kill pretty much always.
A. Bipolar Illness Before the Psychopharmacology Era
Prior to 1955, bipolar illness was a rare disorder. There were only 12,750 people hospitalized with that disorder in 1955. In addition, there were only about 2,400 “first admissions” for bipolar illness yearly in the country’s mental hospitals.
Outcomes were relatively good too. Seventy-five percent or so of the first-admission patients would recover within 12 months. Over the long-term, only about 15% of all first-admission patients would become chronically ill, and 70% to 85% of the patients would have good outcomes, which meant they worked and had active social lives.
B. Gateways to a Bipolar Diagnosis
Today, bipolar illness is said to affect one in every 40 adults in the United States. A rare disorder has become a very common diagnosis. There are several reasons for this. First, many drugs–both illicit and legal–can stir manic episodes, and thus usage of those drugs leads many to a bipolar diagnosis. Second, the diagnostic boundaries of bipolar illness have been greatly broadened.
Lastly:
In a review of 87,290 patients diagnosed with depression or anxiety between 1997 and 2001, those treated with antidepressants converted to bipolar illness at the rate of 7.7% per year, which was three times the rate for those not exposed to the drugs. click here for links to numerous studies
God knows I don’t seem to have anything resembling a mood-disorder anymore (I was diagnosed after a recreational drug reaction) and I took potent neurotoxins for 2 decades that rendered me physically disabled the last 5 years…for what?
The doctor I now work with has in fact undiagnosed me of bipolar and any other psychiatric illness. See here for where I cut and paste his letter that states I have no psychiatric disorder, but only iatrogenesis (medically induced illness) from psychiatric medications.
I too, undiagnosed myself a long time ago. See Undiagnosing Myself.
We need to make some changes because we’re seeing a “new holocaust” happen as Grainne Humphry spoke about in this interview when she speaks of the destruction of her partner and the father of her son. It sounds hyperbolic, but it’s not, I’m afraid. I know far too many people who have been gravely harmed. Thousands now. It’s just largely invisible to those outside this world because people are in denial.
On the road…
As of today, I’m on the road for a week, traveling via van (complete with futon in the back, so that I might rest).
My iatrogenesis is such that I cannot fly. I cannot be on my feet or even upright for any length of time still and the airport and a plane, too, would be close to impossible.
I am traveling several hundred miles, out of state, to visit yet another medical practitioner. This one has the blessing of this doctor who has been helping me.
I am making note of this as I won’t be able to stay on top of more timely news while I am gone and the content of the blog will reflect that.
There will be daily posts in any case as I’ve prescheduled one or two posts daily for the length of the trip. I may or may not have time here and there to be online, but it certainly will not be a priority to keep up with any timely news.
Oh! I do have some really good stuff scheduled…so do keep on visiting!!
Right here, right now: Alan Watts and Chögyam Trungpa (and Fat Boy Slim!)
Saturday Mellow…
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ISEPP Statement on the (DSM-5)
ISEPP Statement on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
The International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry (ISEPP) voices concerns over the APA’s May 2013 anticipated publication of the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) - Jan 25, 2012 - It is the position of the International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry (ISEPP) that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM), a publication of the American Psychiatric Association, is a political rather than scientific document, one which damages human beings. Despite the position of its authors that it is primarily descriptive, the DSM supports the perpetuation of myths about mental, emotional, and behavioral disturbances in individuals which favor pseudoscientific, biological explanations and disregard their lived context. The evolving editions of the DSM have been remarkable in expanding psychiatric labels for alleged “mental illnesses” with no scientifically substantiated biological etiologies.
The forthcoming DSM-V edition continues this process while attempting to deepen indoctrination of mental health providers, consumers, and third-party payers into the fallacy that problems in living result from problems in biology. Adherents of biopsychiatric explanations and pharmaceutical manufacturers are the primary benefactors of public acceptance of this myth. Beyond research and technical studies which repeatedly demonstrate the inherent lack of validity and reliability of the DSM as a nosological system, psychiatric labeling has real consequences in discriminating against and oppressing the disadvantaged, creating unnecessary obstacles to employment, housing, and social acceptance, lending false credibility to the concept of psychiatric disability, assaulting self-worth and self-efficacy, and undermining reestablishment of positive life-striving by inducing “behaviors to label” among people who have been so labeled.
In ISEPP’s view, conscientious and ethical provision of services to those suffering from mental, behavioral, and emotional disturbances is primarily a moral, social, political, and philosophical enterprise. ISEPP supports helpers who wish to eschew use of the DSM-V and its prior systems. ISEPP recommends public scrutiny and skepticism regarding the DSM as well as a constructive dismantling of the psychiatric-pharmaceutical complex through which it is continually supported and redeployed.
Contact:
David Walker, Ph.D.
206-393-3550
dawalker@argosy.edu
Not easy, but worth it
Sit around your house all day recovering from surgery and your monkey mind can sure try to get the best of you. Yesterday I was sent to the ER at the local hospital to get checked out since I was experiencing some chills and a slight fever. I wasn't thrilled about being in a place that was riddled with germs and sick people. While there I started to get a bit anxious and felt judging eyes upon me. After a little while of feeling uncomfortable I decided to check myself. We can all sit there and point blame …
1 in 50 children in the US are now homeless: the story of one of them
Lovely, poignant and painful too.
Inocente is a 15-year-old girl who has spent the last 9 years homeless in San Diego. Despite her circumstances and her dark park, she paints bright and whimsical paintings. This film, produced by non-profit film production company Shine Global, shows the world the new face of homelessness in America: children. 1 in 50 children in the US are now homeless. These numbers are staggering but the hope shown in Inocente’s story shows that the past does not necessarily define you, your dreams do.
Response to Dr. Oz show on Electroshock (and a compelling video by someone who had ECT)
National Mental Health Coalition Calls “Dr. Oz” Electroshock Show One-Sided
[Press Release – January 26, 2012]
WASHINGTON, DC (1/26/12) – The National Coalition for Mental Health Recovery (NCMHR) calls upon the producers of “The Dr. Oz Show” to provide balanced and truthful coverage of the risks of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in which grand mal seizures are electrically induced, usually to treat severe depression.
“We are surprised that Dr. Oz would air such a one-sided show,” says NCMHR director Lauren Spiro, “as ECT remains one of the most controversial psychiatric practices.”
“Shock survivors” and many other mental health advocates assert that ECT’s disabling effects – including permanent memory loss and cognitive deficits – outweigh possible benefits, and call for potential ECT recipients to be told the risks so they can make an informed choice.
These risks have been confirmed by researchers such as Dr. Harold Sackeim, a well-known proponent of ECT, whose 2007 study in Neuropsychopharmacology concludes: “this study provides the first evidence in a large, prospective sample that adverse cognitive effects can persist for an extended period.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to classify ECT equipment in its high-risk Class III category despite repeated pressure from ECT equipment manufacturers to re-classify it into the lower-risk Class II.
ECT survivors speak openly about the devastating effects of ECT. In her acclaimed book “Doctors of Deception: What They Don’t Want You to Know About Shock Treatment,” Linda Andre wrote, “Eventually you realize that years of your life have been erased, never to return. Worse, you find that your daily memory and mental abilities aren’t what they were before.”
“The research is clear: ECT causes closed head injury, temporary euphoria, then return of depression but with enduring memory loss,” says Dr. Daniel B. Fisher, psychiatrist and NCMHR board member. Among the show’s false claims are that less electricity is used in unilateral ECT. “In reality,” Dr. Fisher said, “unilateral ECT requires more electricity.” Calling the show’s claim of 80 percent effectiveness “vastly exaggerated,” Dr. Fisher pointed out that, while many may experience a lifting of depression, this is only temporary, but the disabling side effects are permanent. In addition, many ECT recipients say their depression was exacerbated by the stress associated with their ECT-related cognitive disabilities.
Numerous shock recipients have posted comments on the show’s website protesting the show’s one-sidedness. Sonia Weaver wrote: “I believed the doctors who told me the procedure was safe and effective and am left with major memory loss and permanent cognitive deficits. Those of us who have been damaged by ECT deserve to have our voices heard as well.”
“We recommend more media coverage of innovative, non-invasive, cost-effective mental health interventions, including ‘peer-run services’ delivered by people who have recovered from severe mental health issues,” says Lauren Spiro, who herself was diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
**End of press release**
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I’m sharing a video that Liz Spikol, a popular mental health blogger, did a few years ago on her experience with ECT.
It’s a damning and compelling piece of work. She has a series of them on her experience with ECT. This is one of them:
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Click through to this page on youtube to see other videos about Liz Spikol’s experience.
“Therapy supports the decline of the actual world”
Just a quote and some food for thought….with next to no commentary.
From the Austin Chronicle Michael Ventura quoting James Hillman, the Jungian analyst:
“We’ve had a hundred years of analysis, and people are getting more and more sensitive, and the world is getting worse and worse. Maybe it’s time to look at that. We still locate the psyche inside the skin. You go inside to locate the psyche, you examine your feelings and your dreams, they belong to you. Or it’s interrrelations, interpsyche, between your psyche and mine. That’s been extended a little bit into family systems and office groups – but the psyche, the soul, is still only within and between people. We’re working on our relationships constantly, and our feelings and reflections, but look what’s left out of that.
“What’s left out is a deteriorating world.
“So why hasn’t therapy noticed that? Because psychotherapy is only working on that ‘inside’ soul. By removing the soul from the world and not recognizing that the soul is also in the world, psychotherapy can’t do its job anymore. The buildings are sick, the institutions are sick, the banking system’s sick, the schools, the streets – the sickness is out there. … The world has become toxic. … There is a decline in political sense. No sensitivity to the real issues. Why are the intelligent people – at least among the white middle class – so passive now? Why? Because the sensitive, intelligent people are in therapy! They’ve been in therapy in the United States for thirty, forty years, and during that time there’s been a tremendous political decline in this country. … Every time we try to deal with our outrage … by going to therapy with our rage and fear, we’re depriving the political world of something. And therapy, in its crazy way, by emphasizing the inner soul and ignoring the outer soul, supports the decline of the actual world.” read the rest
Makes me think of one of my favorite quotes by Krishnamurti:
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
Bruce Levine speaks of this too, how mental health professionals help maintain the status quo. Right now the status quo is a dangerous reality. We are killing the planet and ourselves. Below are some article in which this idea is mentioned.
● 400% Rise in Anti-Depressant Pill Use: Americans Are Disempowered
● How the Occupy Movement Helped Americans Move Beyond Denial and Depression to Action
● Why do some of us become dissident mental health professionals?
Books by James Hillman:
● The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character
and Calling
giannakali
Will Hall
kimbriel
altmentalities
