AD(H)D Medications

Continued from the prescriptions thread:

Research suggests that their is a genetic cause to AD[H]D. Research also shows certain chemical characteristics which are common to those diagnosed with ADHD but not common to the population as a whole. This suggests that chemistry does play a part in those diagnosed with ADHD.

However, whether there is a biological, environmental, or made-up cause to ADHD symptoms is irrelevant to this discussion. What matters is that these medicines work, and they have been shown to do that in an overwhelming number of cases. With that being true, I don't see why you guys oppose ADD medication.

You can also get your stupid ass kid to run around for 2 hours, and not have to spend any money on medicine. With kids watching more TV and playing on the computer for most of their spare time, along with not being as healthy, they're bouncing off of the walls more during Class etc, which is where most of the problems actually exist.

You can also get your stupid ass kid to run around for 2 hours, and not have to spend any money on medicine.

Ineffective for a kid with ADHD.

With kids watching more TV and playing on the computer for most of their spare time, along with not being as healthy, they're bouncing off of the walls more during Class etc, which is where most of the problems actually exist.

Which is why those problems should be treated.

I'm not sure what it is called, but wasn't there an (or several) ADD/ADHD medication that was taken off of the market? A few people I know were one of them and figure it might be in one of those commercials that go "If you were given this or this, you could be entitled to X amount of dollars."

Well you can argue either way with this, but another problem is Misdiagnosis, i'm not saying there is no such thing as ADHD, or ADD for that matter, but for a doctor to pocket some extra cash for a pill that isn't harmful, and will "appear" to be working, it's easy for them to recommend it.

No, not misdiagnosis. I'm talking about a certain medication that they used to be on, but now it has been discontinued and they are on another.

No, I was refferring to MJ, sorry. But I do recall what your talking about, no clue to what the medicine was called though.

Fuck that.

Back in the pre-medication days, people did just fine. Nobody went to the doctor and got prescribed medication because they were hyper or had this or that condition. They're just kids. They're supposed to be hyper and play and have an imagination. That's all you know how to do when you're a kid.

Fuck that. Back in the pre-medication days, people did just fine. Nobody went to the doctor and got prescribed medication because they were hyper or had this or that condition. They're just kids. They're supposed to be hyper and play and have an imagination. That's all you know how to do when you're a kid.

In younger kids, there is a tolerable level, and then there is a level where it just gets disruptive. At that point it should be taken care of it it can be. We have the means to take care of it now, why shouldn't we?

The fact that people did fine without it before medication was available is disputable and irrelevant. People also did fine with a cold, usually, before medication to treat cold symptoms was available. Should we also stop taking the 'tussin? I think not.

Tussin does not cure a cold, and Ritalin does not cure bad behavior. They're both more like supressants if anything, and in the end you're most likely better off waiting out the cold or teaching your kid how to behave, not how to take a pill and telling them that they need a pill to behave.

In my personal opinion, that attitude ends you up with adults who pop prescribed anti-depressants rather than actually fixing their depressing situation.

Now, I'm not going to say ADHD doesn't exist, and chronic depression doesn't exist, but I WILL say that a large majority of the time, people use ADHD medications and anti-depressants as an easy fix, and this is not a good attitude to have.

Yes, most of my post is opinionated and I can't back any of it up with facts, but I feel that most of it is true.

Well, if you subscribe to the philosophy that you should allow the body to get better on its own, then by all means don't take Robutussin. But where does it stop? Should you not take antibiotics for infections? Should you not be vaccinated to protect against the flu? Surely, even if you subscribe to the minimal medicine philosophy, there has to be a line you draw which once you cross you will be okay with taking pills, or other forms of medication. You simply draw that line further out than most. I personally do not wish to agonize through the symptoms of a cold without the aid of medicine when it is harmless and easily accessible. I also do not wish to set myself back in class because I can not concentrate like I should be able to. If there is a fix to the problem, I will gladly accept it. Most parents who have their kids take ADD medication probably feel the same way.

If there were severe negative side-effects to the medication, then I would agree with you. Then we should look twice. As it is right now, the side effects are minimal in most cases.

So pretty much your philosophy is "why fix a problem when you can cover it up with medication"?

I mean, I'm not saying that someone who is getting a leg amputated shouldn't get morphine, I'm saying that parents shouldn't use medicine to discipline their kids.

If a kid honestly has a problem, like you're saying, then I see no reason NOT to take medicine for it, as there's nothing better to do about it. I know some people who simply cannot concentrate on anything, and they take medication for it. That is not the same as a kid who can't behave so their parents give them medication.

Am I being clear enough, or would you like for me to elaborate more?

My philosophy isn't covering up a problem with medication, it's fixing the problem via medication. The problem isn't the underlying cause for the symptoms, it is the symptoms themselves. The medicine fixes the symptoms.

I'm not saying give Adderall or Ritalin for bad behavior. They fix AD[H]D. That is different from simple bad behavior. However, hypothetically speaking, if there was a medicine for curing bad behavior I'd be all for it. It does not cover up the porblem, it fixes the problem.

Right now the only fix for bed behavior (that I know of) is behavioral therapy. That, then, is what I would suggest for fixing bad behavior. For fixing AD[H]D, I'd be for AD[H]D medication.

And what of my anti-depressants analogy?

Say someone has a shitty life, and they're depressed by this. They take anti-depressants to be happy. Is this fixing the problem?

That is conditional. If the only problem is that they are depressed and if the anti-depressants make them happy, then problem solved. However, if the anti-depressants make them content with a life that is spiraling downwards then the anti-depressants cease being innocuous. I still think that behavioral therapy along with the anti-depressants can counteract the negative effects of the anti-depressants making the anti-depressants a viable option once again.

How is that conditional, MJ? If someone's life is fucked up and they take meds to cope with that, that's not right. Like I said, that's just covering up the problem.

Well you can argue either way with this, but another problem is Misdiagnosis, i'm not saying there is no such thing as ADHD, or ADD for that matter, but for a doctor to pocket some extra cash for a pill that isn't harmful, and will "appear" to be working, it's easy for them to recommend it.

Well, misdiagnoses is not restricted to AD[H]D. True, this is a real issue. However, seeing that Adderall and Ritalin are relatively harmless there's much more of a problem when misdiagnosed with some other condition and given a medicine that is harmful.

How is that conditional, MJ? If someone's life is fucked up and they take meds to cope with that, that's not right. Like I said, that's just covering up the problem.

It's conditional on their situation. For instance, assume that my life is picture-perfect. I have a great girlfriend, enough money to pay for school, all A's, my parents are happy, everything is great. Yet I'm still depressed. Anti-depressants should do wonders for me. No behavioral therapy is needed, as my life is already fine. However, if anti-depressants make me content with deplorable living conditions then they certainly have a negative effect. In this case, behavioral therapy along with anti-depressants would be optimum.

I wouldn't consider covering up an unrelated problem that could seriously affect the rest of someone's life "harmless."

I wouldn't consider covering up an unrelated problem that could seriously affect the rest of someone's life "harmless."

I'm not sure I'm following anymore.