10,000 Toddlers Prescribed ADHD Drugs like Adderall And Ritalin
41 replies, posted
[url]http://www.today.com/health/thats-nuts-10-000-toddlers-get-drugs-adhd-2D79684452[/url]
[QUOTE]Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common behavioral disorder of childhood, yet experts are worried by statistics that show very young kids are now getting powerful medications to treat the problem.
Some 10,000 toddlers across the U.S. are being diagnosed as hyperactive and receiving drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced in a new report. The 2- and 3-year-olds — especially those whose families who are on Medicaid —are getting the drugs even though the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t even have guidelines for ADHD in children under 4.
“We're giving Adderall to 2-year-olds? I mean, that's nuts,” said Dr. Lawrence H. Diller, a behavioral pediatrician.
“There's no evidence that it works. There's no evidence that it's safe. These are desperate measures.”
Doctors say drugs that treat ADHD can stunt growth or cause insomnia and loss of appetite even in older children. Diller also noted that while the U.S. makes up 4 percent of the world's population, it uses 70 percent of the world's Adderall and Ritalin.
About 11 percent of American children 4-17 years of age have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to the CDC. Kids with the disorder have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or are overly active, which can cause trouble at school or at home.
Some doctors say ADHD medications could be a last resort physicians turn to when toddlers might harm themselves, but others note having lots of energy and acting out is simply a part of being a young child.
Many parents are disturbed by the CDC’s findings.[/QUOTE]
That is indeed quite disturbing.
"This 3 year old's throwing their food and climbing around and playing with toys! What in the world is wrong with them!?"
How the fuck can you diagnose toddlers with ADD/ADHD? Having their attention wander all over the fucking place while being hyperactive is standard toddler behaviour for fucks sake (yes I am aware there's more to it than that, those are just the most obvious symptoms).
[QUOTE=BuffaloBill;44877138]How the fuck can you diagnose toddlers with ADD/ADHD? Having their attention wander all over the fucking place while being hyperactive is standard toddler behaviour for fucks sake (yes I am aware there's more to it than that, those are just the most obvious symptoms).[/QUOTE]
because it's babby's first diagnosis
today's new doctors are shithouse
[QUOTE=Last or First;44877120]"This 3 year old's throwing their food and climbing around and playing with toys! What in the world is wrong with them!?"[/QUOTE]
How will she participate in beauty pageants if she can't sit still?
I'm really, really not one to cry "BIG PHARMA HURR" but the ADD medication thing is clearly getting out of hand.
I wonder if this will cause any physical developmental issues with the kid when they grow up. The article talks about things like loss of appetite or stunted growth, I'm talking more mental. The brain is in a very important stage at age 2, stims might not be the best for that.
This is fucking horrendous, they will probably have some serious issues when they grow up. Not to talk about dependency.
[QUOTE=Pelican;44877148]because it's babby's first diagnosis
today's new doctors are shithouse[/QUOTE]
It's not so much the doctors fault as it is the pants on head retarded parents.
"My toddler is drawing squiggly lines! he's almost 3 and colors outside the lines!'
something must be wrong!
You can't start measuring ADHD/Dyslexia until they reach their school years.
[QUOTE=BuffaloBill;44877138]How the fuck can you diagnose toddlers with ADD/ADHD? Having their attention wander all over the fucking place while being hyperactive is standard toddler behaviour for fucks sake (yes I am aware there's more to it than that, those are just the most obvious symptoms).[/QUOTE]
There is a south park episode called Timmy 2000, it really hits the nail on the head.
2-year-olds? Wow. ADHD is a thing because of the tightly controlled, low-stimulus institutional environments that kids have to function in. [I]But that doesn't even start until age 6![/I]
[QUOTE=JohnFisher89;44877312]It's not so much the doctors fault as it is the pants on head retarded parents.
"My toddler is drawing squiggly lines! he's almost 3 and colors outside the lines!'
something must be wrong![/QUOTE]
What? No. This is definitely the doctors' fault. They should know that ADHD medication shouldn't be prescribed until age 6 at the earliest. The parents should hopefully know better too, but they are definitely less at fault overall.
I am never gonna understand how the hell you can diagnose a child with this kind of thing, and diagnosing a toddler just makes my mind hurt
People who diagnose toddlers with ADD spectrum disorders are generally hands down fucking wrong, but they won't really admit it if you ask them about the same either.
Look, take the word of an insider in the medical field, the term doctor will become synonymous with buffoon in 4 or 5 generations, given the quality of the average 'physician' being churned out by most med schools.
What the fuck are the 'doctors' doing? Medicine like that will most likely fuck up toddlers' development.
If their brains develop to accommodate the excessive amounts of dopamine (by reuptaking it much quicker) then these kids are going to be depressed as fuck when older.
[QUOTE=Starpluck;44877818]If their brains develop to accommodate the excessive amounts of dopamine (by reuptaking it much quicker) then when these kids are going to be depressed as fuck when older.[/QUOTE]As long as they're not autistic...
[quote]Overdiagnosis typically refers to children who are diagnosed with ADHD but should not be. These instances are termed as “false positives”. However, the “presence of false positives alone does not indicate overdiagnosis”. There may be evidence of overdiagnosis if inaccuracies are shown consistently in the accepted prevalence rates or in the diagnostic process itself.
There is also evidence of possible differences of race and ethnicity in the prevalence of ADHD. The prevalence of ADHD dramatically varies across cultures despite the fact that the same methodology has been used. Some believe this may be due to different perceptions of what clarifies as disruptive behavior, inattention and hyperactivity.
It is argued that over-diagnosis occurs more in well-off or less heterogeneous communities, whereas under-diagnosis occurs more frequently in poorer and minority communities due to lack of resources and lack of financial access. It is further believed that the “distribution of ADHD diagnosis falls along socioeconomic lines”, according to the amount of wealth within a neighborhood. Therefore, the difficulty of applying national, general guidelines to localized and specific contexts, such as where referral is unavailable, resources are lacking or the patient is uninsured, may assist in the establishment of a misdiagnosis of ADHD.
Development can also influence perception of relevant ADHD symptoms. ADHD is viewed as a chronic disorder that develops in childhood and continues into adulthood. However, some research shows a decline in the symptoms of ADHD as children grow up and mature into adulthood. As children move into the stage of adolescence, the most common reporters of ADHD symptoms, parents and teachers, tend to focus on behaviors affecting academic performance. Some research has shown that the primary symptoms of ADHD were strong discriminators in parent ratings, but differed for specific age groups. Hyperactivity was a stronger discriminator of ADHD in children, while inattentiveness was a stronger discriminator in adolescents.
Issues with comorbidity is another possible explanation in favor of the argument of overdiagnosis. As many as 75% of diagnosed children with ADHD meet criteria for some other psychiatric diagnosis. Among children diagnosed with ADHD, about 25% to 30% have anxiety disorders, 9% to 32% have depression, 45% to 84% have oppositional defiant disorder, and 44% to 55% of adolescents have conduct disorder. Learning disorders are found in 20% to 40% of children with ADHD.
Another possible explanation of over-diagnosis of ADHD is the “relative-age effect,” which applies to children of both sexes. Younger children are more likely to be inappropriately diagnosed with ADHD and treated with prescription medication than their older peers in the same grade. Children who are almost a year younger tend to appear more immature than their classmates, which influences both their academic and athletic performance.
The debate of underdiagnosis has also been discussed, specifically in literature concerning ADHD among adults, girls and underprivileged communities. It is estimated that in the adult population, rates of ADHD are somewhere between 4% and 6%. However, as little as 11% of these adults with ADHD actually receive assessment, and furthermore, any form of treatment. Between 30% and 70% of children with ADHD report at least one impairing symptom of ADHD in adulthood, and 30% to 50% still meet diagnostic criteria for an ADHD diagnosis.
Research on gender differences also reveals an argument for underdiagnosis of ADHD among girls. The ratio for male-to-female is 4:1 with 92% of girls with ADHD receiving a primarily inattentive subtype diagnosis. This difference in gender can be explained, for the majority, by the different ways boys and girls express symptoms of this particular disorder. Typically, females with ADHD exhibit less disruptive behaviors and more internalizing behaviors. Girls tend to show fewer behavioral problems, show fewer aggressive behaviors, are less impulsive, and are less hyperactive than boys diagnosed with ADHD. These patterns of behavior are less likely to disrupt the classroom or home setting, therefore allowing parents and teachers to easily overlook or neglect the presence of a potential problem. The current diagnostic criteria appear to be more geared towards males than females, and the ADHD characteristics of men have been over-represented. This leaves many women and girls with ADHD neglected. Studies have shown that girls with ADHD, especially those with signs of impulsivity, were three to four times more likely to attempt suicide when compared with female controls. Additionally, these girls were two to three times more likely to engage in self-harming behaviors.
As stated previously, underdiagnosis is also believed to be seen in more underprivileged communities. These communities tend to be poorer and inhabit more minorities. More than 50% of children with mental health needs do not receive assessment or treatment. Access to mental health services and resources differs on a wide range of factors, such as “gender, age, race or ethnicity and health insurance”. Therefore, children deserving of an ADHD diagnosis may never receive this confirmation and are not identified or represented in prevalence rates.
In 2005 82% of teachers in the United States considered ADHD to be over diagnosed while 3% considered it to be under diagnosed. In China 19% of teachers considered ADHD to be over diagnosed while 57% considered it to be under diagnosed.[/quote]
A note on the pitfalls of over and under-diagnosis and the results thereof.
[QUOTE=Zonesylvania;44877774]People who diagnose toddlers with ADD spectrum disorders are generally hands down fucking wrong, but they won't really admit it if you ask them about the same either.
Look, take the word of an insider in the medical field, the term doctor will become synonymous with buffoon in 4 or 5 generations, given the quality of the average 'physician' being churned out by most med schools.[/QUOTE]
I believe it's more Doctors have become synonomous with the term "big business". They most likely make money off regular checkups + medication.
[QUOTE=Weirdness;44877264]words[/QUOTE]
I should clarify. I speak as someone who was diagnosed with ADD when I was 6 (I was taken to a Autism and Learning Difficulty specialist) and I got a ton of tests done to make sure. My parents could afford it at the time because they had their own printing business and were making some real decent money.
After I was diagnosed, my mum didn't want me to touch any medication for it. She essentially equated Ritalin to rat poison for what it does to a persons mind (extreme overexaggeration, but still).
Instead she went for the opposite approach, despite being a single mother most of my time growing up and working 2 jobs; she helped me with my homework, made sure I ate healthily and gave me fish oil supplements.
Unfortunately my case was pretty severe, and it reached the point where it go so disruptive that I forced my mum to put me on Ritalin, I was that sick of failing school.
The stuff was a stop-gap at best; I didn't retain anything I learnt while taking it, truthfully. I lost interest in every other subject that wasn't essential to passing my final year, and my short term memory permanently went to shit.
Why I'm saying all this is that even though supplements and diet changes and being more involved in your kids learning won't fix the problem, it is so much safer than just prescribing medications that have long term effects on a developing mind for such short term gains. It is not a cure. Some people grow out of it, some people are stuck with it their entire lives, but these medications aren't going to do much more than make one set of problems go away for a little while, while risking giving you a whole bunch more later in life.
[editline]23rd May 2014[/editline]
[QUOTE=Starpluck;44877818]If their brains develop to accommodate the excessive amounts of dopamine (by reuptaking it much quicker) then when these kids are going to be depressed as fuck when older.[/QUOTE]
I can confirm that. 5 years later and I'm still suffering the worst depression ever, practically non-stop.
God Fucking Dammit.
Stop fucking over diagnosing ADHD. Its actually a thing but because people are lazy and just yell "My child is out of control, it must be blah blah blah not my parenting" I wanna slap them.
god damn, i used to be addicted to adderall.
that shit is not fun getting off of.
I think I'll have a kid so I can use their prescription to adderall.
Any Doctor who advocates prescribing ADHD meds to toddlers should be fired, and the parents should be punished for child abuse.
This is absolutely disgusting.
A friend of mine went through high school on Ritalin.
Then it turns out he wasn't ADHD. He's on the autism spectrum instead. Oooooooops.
Stupid. The drug is so addictive.
[QUOTE=Starpluck;44877818]If their brains develop to accommodate the excessive amounts of dopamine (by reuptaking it much quicker) then these kids are going to be depressed as fuck when older.[/QUOTE]
it's good when used properly, but if overused, it's a big issue
Adderalls fun and all but the worst of it is being so used to "Running on adderal", so when you're off it, you [B]eat[/B] and you have [B]no[/B] energy, which is a seriously horrible thing
[QUOTE=meatwad253;44879018]Stupid. The drug is so addictive.[/QUOTE]
No its not, that's silly
absolutely not true, I-I can stop anytime! S-shut up bro!
Holy shit, we have actually reached a stage where we're feeding amphetamines to babies. I am fucking disgusted.
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