A Look At Some Recent ADHD News Articles Which Have Been Published In Newspapers Around The World
It would seem there's never a shortage of ADHD news these days, but some of the articles that are published in newspapers really do tend to grab your attention more than others, especially if you're a parent of a child with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
For example, let's take an article which made it into the newspapers at the end of November, 2011, and one which concerns Australia. Up until now, parents in Australia have had the power to decide whether or not their ADHD children should be put on ADHD prescription drugs. Because these are exceptionally strong stimulant drugs, and ones which have been linked to several deaths, many parents don't want their kids taking them. Unfortunately however, Australian parents might soon be stripped of their liberty in this regard, since the Australian government is considering passing a law which will make such treatment mandatory once a child is diagnosed with ADHD. If this becomes law, parents could lose custody of their kids if they fail to comply.
As with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, ADHD is not a verifiable illness in the way heart problems and/or cancer are. In fact, psychiatry in general, together with the various screening processes used, remains a highly questionable field. Nonetheless, the big pharmaceutical companies will of course be doing whatever they can in order to convince the government that the law should indeed be passed. After all, more than $80 billion dollars changes hands each year regarding drugs used for treating psychiatric conditions.
Another recent ADHD news article concerns a ten year old boy who hung himself in his bedroom. The young boy in question was put on two different prescription drugs, both of which are routinely used for treating the disorder. Shortly after treatment commenced, the boy used his belt to hang himself from his bunk bed, and as far as his parents are concerned, the drugs were the sole cause. Alarmingly, even though they were following the dosage instructions, upon the boy's death it was discovered that the concentration of these drugs in his body was five times higher that it usually is in adults being treated for the same condition.
Another alarming fact which came to light because of this is the number of prescriptions being issued annually. In Britain for example, there were just over 300,000 prescriptions issued during 2006, whereas this year, in 2011, there have already been almost 700,000 prescriptions issued.
The above two examples are quite literally only the tip of the iceberg as far as ADHD news is concerned. If you browse the internet, you'll find hundreds of articles which highlight the dangers associated with ADHD prescription drugs, and yet governments around the world are refusing to acknowledge these dangers. In some countries, such as the United Kingdom for example, these powerful stimulant drugs are even being given to children as young as four years old, despite the fact that doctors are only allowed to prescribe them legally for children who are six years or older.
In my mind, a six year old child, or even a 15 year old teenager shouldn't be taking drugs which the United States Drug Enforcement Agency have placed in the same category as Cocaine and Morphine
