Drugs to Cope

Hidden truths about psychiatric medication

Theresa KiernanSUNY Oswego

I believe a big part of advocacy is about finding an issue that needs more awareness and

that you are passionate about because often times there is strong opposition to your position. I

came across such a topic while taking a class in which I learned a lot of things that shook me to

my core. Many of the things were so alarming to me that I couldn’t help but question the

validity of the source I was hearing them from. So often, we listen to our professors as though

they know everything and we know nothing. We agree with their opinions without question and

we never do our own research to form our own opinions. That wasn’t the case with this class

though, because what I was hearing was so different than anything else I had ever heard that I

found it very difficult to believe. I was horrified when I began looking into this topic and

realized that in fact, things are much worse than this professor even stated in class. This is why I

have accepted a challenge to help educate the public about a different viewpoint; one that is

different than mainstream society, but one that I believe is moral and just, and therefore worth

fighting for.

The topic I am speaking of is: hidden truths of psychiatric medications. According to a

Medco report one in five Americans were on at least one psychiatric medication in 2010 which

was a 22% increase from just nine years earlier in 2001. The prevalence of these drugs in our

society makes it even more important for the community to know about the dangers these

medications can and do pose.

One of the most alarming pieces of information is that there is literally no scientific

evidence that mental illness is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain! This was a complete

shock to me as this unproven theory is widely accepted in the community as fact and often used

as justification for prescribing and consuming psychiatric medications.

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Another fact I struggle with is that the psychostimulant Desoxyn is in actuality

methamphetamine which is the same dangerous drug used on the street by junkies. I find it

atrocious that children in the community are being given small doses of (and becoming addicted

to) this drug which is known to be very dangerous. This is in conjunction with the fact that all

stimulants have similar effects on the brain and that “Ritalin and cocaine have almost identical

effects on the brain,” (Breggin, 72). One study “showed that children who are treated for ADHD

with stimulants are more likely to abuse cocaine in young adulthood,” (Breggin, 73).

Another piece of information I find hard to handle is the fact that psychostimulants often

cause obsessive-compulsive behavior in children. Two of the most severe cases include “a child

who raked leaves for seven straight hours and then waited for individual leaves to fall off the

trees,” (Breggin, 40) and a “child who played with Legos for a 36-hour period without breaking

to eat or sleep,” (Breggin, 8).

A trick often used to justify the consumption of psychiatric medications is the use of

brain scans. When looking at the diagnosis of Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, the

scans will show an image of a brain without ADHD next to a brain with ADHD and the brain

with the disorder is significantly smaller than the brain of the person who has not been identified

as having ADHD. What they fail to mention is that “all of the studies involved children who had

been treated with stimulants and often with many other psychiatric drugs,” (Breggin, 51).

Further, “we know that all psychoactive drugs can harm the brain,” (Breggin, 51) so these studies

seem to confirm the dangers of psychiatric medications, rather than confirming that children with

this diagnosis have different brains than children without it.

Further, the clinical trials used to get psychiatric medications approved by the FDA are

very short-term and very few long-term studies have been conducted to determine safety or

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efficacy of the drugs. For example, the 2013 medication guide approved by the FDA for

Adderall XR indicates that “the effectiveness of ADDERALL XR for long-term use, i.e., for

more than 3 weeks in children and 4 weeks in adolescents and adults, has not been systematically

evaluated in controlled trials.”

When looking strictly at psychostimulants which are often prescribed to children

“diagnosed” with ADHD, the dangers are alarming. The term diagnosed is being used lightly

because diagnosis is extremely subjective and criteria make it difficult to differentiate between a

normal child and one with behaviors outside the norm. Further, it is important to note that often

times, psychosocial or environmental problems are the source of these behavior problems and

there is no evidence that symptoms are related to a biological malfunction, making me weary of

using the term “disorder.” To continue with the dangers associated with these medications;

“Cognitive toxicity from Ritalin is common- occurring in 40% or more of the typically treated

cases,” (Breggin, 34). What this refers to is a deterioration in thinking, learning, attention and

memory. According to the RAINE study conducted in Australia, stimulant use was associated

with “significantly higher diastolic blood pressure.” In another study it was seen that “Ritalin

reduced the blood flow 23-30 percent in all areas of the brain, including the frontal lobes,”

(Breggin, 44). Stimulant use for ADHD also makes children’s brains more sensitive to any other

stimulant drug including other prescribed stimulant medications, cocaine and methamphetamine.

What this means is that these drugs will have a more potent impact on a person who has taken

psychostimulants in the past compared to someone who has never taken a psychostimulant such

as Ritalin or Adderall. Psychostimulants are also known to interfere with growth hormone

production and “in one study, Ritalin reduced the expected monthly weight gain by 25 percent,”

(Breggin, 54). This is especially alarming for children prescribed these drugs as the growth

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hormone impacts growth in all areas including the brain which is still developing in childhood.

Psychostimulants are also known to cause tics and “one trial found a fourfold increase in tics in

children treated with Ritalin,” (Breggin, 59).

Other adverse drug effects include: new or worsening psychotic symptoms, strokes,

convulsions, gastrointestinal problems, headaches and blurred vision, hair loss and hair pulling,

skin and joint disorders, blood disorders, sexual dysfunction, risks during pregnancy and nursing,

liver tumors, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome.

It is extremely important to note that psychostimulants are addictive to your body and

therefore withdrawal symptoms will likely occur when they are stopped. Stopping medications

should be done with care and under the guidance and supervision of a medical professional.

Because of the above presented information and the additional research I have recently

done on this topic, I feel passionate about educating the public about potential dangers associated

with using psychiatric medications. I believe we need to explore other options for managing

unwanted behavior which may include but is not limited to: empowering clients to take control

of their lives, using meditation, communication training, assertiveness training, encouraging

clients to get out in nature, physical exercise, nutrition, adequate sleep, identifying positive

supportive relationships, achieving occupational goals, education, creative arts outlets (flow),

and increasing self-acceptance (valuing self). I think a shift in focus toward these alternatives to

psychiatric drugs would prove to be beneficial for our clients and for society in general.

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References

American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

• Disorders (4th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association.

Baughman, D. F. (2014, January 14). ADHD: Epidemic or Fraud? Retrieved from YouTube:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvdxW_T01lk

Breggin, D. P. (2000, May 3). Medicating Kids. (P. Frontline, Interviewer)

Breggin, P. R. (1999). Psychostimulants in the treatment of children diagnosed with ADHD:

• Risks and mechanism of action. International Journal of Risk & Safety in Medicine

12, 3-35.

Breggin, P. R. (2002). The Ritalin Fact Book. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Perseus Publishing.

Cassani, M. (2012, January 17). Video interview with John Nash of Beautiful Mind fame

• (with commentary). Retrieved from Beyond Meds: Alternatives to Psychiatry:

http://beyondmeds.com/2012/01/17/johnnash/

Groenendijk, C. (2009). The Serotonergic "Bio-Chemical Imbalance" Theory/Myth.

• Retrieved from Antidepressant Facts:

http:// www.antidepressantsfacts.com/Biochemical-Imbalance.htm

Harris, M. (n.d.). 18 Celebrities Who Died from Prescription Drugs. Retrieved from

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prescription-drugs

Hassner Sharav, V. (2000, January). Evidence of Neuroleptic Drug-Induced Brain Damage in

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Patients: Alliance for Human Research Protection. Retrieved from

http://www.ahrp.org/risks/biblio0100.php

Mate, G. (2014). AD(H)D. Retrieved from Dr. Gabor Mate:

http://drgabormate.com/topic/adhd /

Medco. (n.d.). America’s State of Mind. Retrieved from Medco:

http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/documents/s19032en/s19032en.pdf.

National Institute of Mental Health. (2009, March). Short-term Intensive Treatment Not

Likely to Improve Long-term Outcomes for Children with ADHD. Retrieved from

National Institute of Mental Health: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/news/science-

news/2009/short-term-intensive-treatment-not-likely-to-improve-long-term-outcomes-

for-children-with-adhd.shtml

Sansone, R. A., & Sansone, L. A. (2010, October). SSRI Induced Indifference. Retrieved

from US National Library of Medicine:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2989833/

Schwarz, A., & Cohen, S. (2013, March 31). A.D.H.D. Seen in 11% of U.S. Children as

Diagnoses Rise. The New York Times.

Smith, G., Jongeling, D. B., Hartmann, D. P., Russell, C., & Landau, L. (n.d.). Raine ADHD

Study: Long-term outcomes associated with stimulant medication in the treatment of

ADHD children. Retrieved from Government of Western Australia Department of

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Health:

http:/

/ www.health.wa.gov.au/publications/documents/MICADHD_Raine_ADHD_Study_repor

t_022010.pdf

US Food and Drug Administration. (2013). Medication Guide. Retrieved from US Food and

Drug Administration, Drug Safety and Availability:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm085729.htm

US National Library of Medicine. (2014, April 1). Methamphetamine (By Mouth). Retrieved

from U.S. National Library of Medicine:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0011126/?report=details

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