Children Labeled “ADHD” Support the $20 Billion Pharmaceutical Industry who Wants More Children on Drugs

October is designated “ADHD Awareness Month,” during which pharmaceutical company-funded groups promote the risks of “untreated” Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and the need for mind-altering “medication.” Not discussed is how the psychiatric drugs prescribed to treat ADHD are linked to psychosis, addiction, cardiac arrest and suicide while raking in $20 billion a year in U.S. sales alone.

Study: Youngest Children in Classrooms Frequently Mislabeled as ADHD – Drugged

A recent study made some international mainstream papers recently that warned of medicating children misdiagnosed as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), simply because they were the youngest students in their class. UK’s online Daily Mail included a quote from the lead author of that study, Dr. Martin Whitely, who stated: "It appears that across the globe some teachers are mistaking the immaturity of the youngest children in their class for ADHD. Although teachers don’t diagnose it, they are often the first to suggest a child may have ADHD." The study was published by the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines on October 14, 2018, with the title: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder late birthdate effect common in both high and low prescribing international jurisdictions: systematic review. The “late birthdate” label describes situations where a child’s birthday falls on a later date of the year than most of his or her classmates’ birthdays. This potentially places that child at a less mature stage of development as the others in the same class. A description of a child’s behavior considered ADHD leads to a prescription of pharmaceutical psychotropic drugs that mimic cocaine and amphetamine, even to children four years old and younger. The researches examined 19 studies in 13 countries that looked into over-diagnosing school children as ADHD, and they added another three studies that were related to bring the total studies reviewed at 22. Because the 22 studies used too many divergent methods, the review authors used the systemic review method, which examines each study individually, instead of the meta-analysis method, which combines the statistics from the studies reviewed to form an opinion or conclusion. They concluded: "It is the norm internationally for the youngest children in a classroom to be at increased risk of being medicated for ADHD, even in jurisdictions with relatively low prescribing rates."

Studies Link Heavy Metals to Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Declining IQ in American Children

A new UK-based study in the Journal of Attention Disorders explores undiagnosed ADHD and ASD in a population of mostly female adult volunteers drawn from the general population. The researchers included only participants who had never received a diagnosis of ADHD, ASD, dyslexia or another mental disorder. A new Canadian study in the International Review of Neurobiology also found an overlap in neurodevelopmental disorders. The study’s authors note that 85% to 90% of patients with Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders have comorbidities and manifest an overlapping spectrum of “sensory-, behavioral-, cognitive- and sleep-related problems that have a major impact on their functioning and quality of life.” These comorbidities commonly include ADHD, ASD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and mood and anxiety disorders. Multiple studies have pointed to heavy metals as the leading culprit in the cascade of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Back to School Alert: Gifted Children Being Mislabeled “ADHD” and Given Stimulant Drugs

With children returning to school parents and teachers are being alerted to the high number of gifted children that could be falsely diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and drugged with psychostimulants that may harm their mental performance and creativity. As part of its “Fight for Kids” campaign, the mental health watchdog, Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) provides research and articles to teachers and parents to increase awareness of such pediatric misdiagnosis. "It's important for parents and teachers to work together to ensure that children are not placed on mind-altering drugs that can crush their enthusiasm, creativity and learning abilities." Approximately 11 percent of all U.S. children aged 4-17 years are diagnosed with ADHD, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In high school children alone, the diagnosis has been made in 15 percent. CCHR says the symptoms of this “disorder” are so subjective that gifted children are being put at risk of being labeled with ADHD and forced onto powerful stimulants that the Drug Enforcement Administration warns are more potent than cocaine.

Human Rights Group Says Overhaul of Psycho-pharmaceutical Industry Should Begin with Investigation into the Drugging of 6 to 12 Year Olds

A United Nations Health Rights expert, Dr. Dainius Pūras, has issued a report calling for mental health care to move away from a biomedical (drug) model. The mental health industry watchdog Citizens Commission on Human Rights says the drug model has led to 8.4 million children — 1 million aged five or younger — being prescribed psychiatric drugs in the U.S. alone.

Are Children Medicated for Convenience, or Necessity?

Millions of children are taking powerful mind-altering drugs, often before they're even old enough to attend school. The long-term effects of psychotropic drugs on children are largely unknown, while serious short-term side effects are unfortunately common, including seizures, suicidal ideation, violent behavior and more. According to WebMD, nearly five million American children have been labeled with some type of serious mental disorder. In any given year, 20 percent of children will be diagnosed with a mental illness. The most common diagnosis for kids age 3 to 17 is ADHD, followed by behavioral problems, anxiety and depression, and many of these children are being prescribed powerful and potentially dangerous psychiatric drugs. The BBC documentary "America's Medicated Kids" takes a look at several families with children on psychiatric medications. Journalist Louis Theroux gets a close look at some of these kids and their families by actually living with them for a time, hoping to understand what drives parents to put their kids on drugs. Theroux identifies a fine line between ordinary bad behavior and pathology and poses the question of whether the latest drugs are taking the place of "good old-fashioned parenting."

Tylenol: The Killer Drug Your Children can Buy

Is there any more doubt that acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the most dangerous over-the-counter drug ever allowed to be sold legally without a prescription? Consider the facts: Acetaminophen kills almost 500 people a year due to acute liver failure. Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause for calls to Poison Control Centers - more than 100,000/year. Acetaminophen accounts for more than 56,000 emergency room visits, 2,600 hospitalizations. Acetaminophen poisoning causes nearly 50% of all acute liver failure in the United States. Acetaminophen is linked to fatal skin reactions. Acetaminophen causes a two-fold increased risk of blood cancer. Acetaminophen can cause an increase in autism, attention deficit with hyperactivity, and asthma when used with vaccines. And yet, any child can walk into a drug store or grocery store and buy it like candy. Alliance for Natural Health brings us the latest bad news on Tylenol: A study just published in JAMA Pediatrics finds that Tylenol (acetaminophen) taken by women during their pregnancy may raise the risk of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) and similar disorders in their children up to 40%—with the risk increasing the more acetaminophen the mother takes.

Over 10,000 American Toddlers Are Being Given ADHD Drugs

Once again, our country’s disadvantaged kids are being unnecessarily medicated nearly three times more often than other countries. According to CDC officials, more than 10,000 American toddlers—children who are just 2 or 3 years old—are being medicated for alleged attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). There are few studies on the impact of psychostimulant ADHD drugs like methylphenidate (Ritalin) or amphetamines (like Adderall) in children this young. However, we do know that the side effects of ADHD drugs include stunted growth, insomnia, hallucinations, high blood pressure, involuntary movements, aggressive behavior, heart attack, brain hemorrhage, stroke, migraines, and seizures. Emerging evidence also suggests that Ritalin can cause long-term damage to developing prefrontal cortexes, resulting in “rigid behavior, difficulties with multitasking, or problems with short-term memory” later in life. What kind of society treats its children this way? Is nothing more important than drug company profits?

Raising a Generation of Pill-Poppers: How Prescription Drug Abuse Threatens an Entire Generation

Far from being recognized for their potential health hazards, ADHD drugs have gained a reputation as “cognition enhancers” among students and young professionals. Narcotic painkillers, anti-anxiety drugs, and antidepressants are also notoriously overprescribed. Benzodiazepines, a class of anxiety drugs, are also widely overused, and a common source of drug addiction. Clearly, what we have here is a gigantic spinning merry-go-round of drug use and addiction to mind-altering medications, where one drug frequently leads to the use of another. The full societal ramifications of all this pain-avoidance, whether physical or emotional, and the insistence on immediate relief, are probably far greater than any of us can conceive.

Children Taking Powerful Antipsychotic Prescription Drugs has Nearly Tripled

The number of children taking powerful antipsychotic drugs has nearly tripled over the last 10 to 15 years, according to recent research. The increase comes not because of an epidemic of schizophrenia or other forms of serious mental illness in children, but because doctors are increasingly prescribing the drugs to treat behavior problems, a use not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And a disproportionate number of those prescriptions are written for poor and minority children, some as young as age 2.