Fries with those double standards sir?
Friday/16/Nov 2007 Filed in:
Misc
Its not just the diagnosis of ADHD that is increasing among children - its other psychiatric diagnoses. In America at the moment, there's particular concern about pre school age children being diagnosed with bi-polar disorder after the case of Rebecca Riley - a 4 year old who died of an overdose of psychiatric medication. The US mental health community has been hotly debating this issue for some time, but the sad case of Rebecca - and her parents who have now been charged with murder - has brought this issue into the mainstream. Some commentators have observed that the diagnosis "bipolar" is often attached to children whose "ADHD" is found not to respond to ritalin and similar drugs. They are then prescribed powerful antipsychotic medication that "works", and the diagnosis is confirmed by the effectiveness of the prescription.
But I guess this all depends on your definition of what "working" is. If what we're talking about is preventing any agitated or irregular behaviour in under tens - or indeed anyone - I guess antipsychotics and major tranquillisers are going to be pretty effective. But then straightjackets were effective too - particularly on those too young or too weak to fight off the people administering them.
In the UK last year 55,000 children were prescribed psychotropic (mind altering) medication for ADHD. Another cohort of children (the second highest proportion in the world after the USA) are prescribed psychoptropic medication for other psychiatric disorders. Yet when these kids grow up and throughout their teenage years we’ll be teaching them “its not a good idea to use substances to change the way you feel – you need to face up to life. ”
So kids, just say no - unless of course its us giving you the drugs ......
news item - Psychotropic drug use in UK children rising