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From Natural Life Magazine, March/April
2006 Q: My 11-year-old nephew has been diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin. His parents don’t seem too worried; perhaps they are relieved to find him some help. But I have to wonder about the diagnosis and the remedy. I think he is just a normally active and curious little boy who needs more opportunity to run off his energy. And isn’t Ritalin an addictive drug? What do you have to say on this topic? Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the descriptive label given to an ever-increasing number of children – especially boys – who have trouble fitting into the school system. Complaints about their behavioral “problems” include hyperactivity, poor attention span, lack of concentration, disruptiveness, clumsiness, recklessness, defiance and irritability. During the past couple of decades, the label has become a disorder recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. And the remedy is often the stimulant Ritalin, prescriptions for which have risen by something like 600 percent. At best, Ritalin treats the symptoms and not the problem (although some research even suggests it can make the symptoms worse.) At worst, it is a habit-forming amphetamine. In addition to possibly creating psychological dependence, Ritalin can have a number of side-effects, including increased blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and temperature; stomach pains; weight loss; growth retardation; facial tics; muscle twitching; euphoria; nervousness; irritability; agitation; insomnia; heart palpitations; and more violent behaviors like psychotic episodes and paranoid delusions. Research published in 1995 by the National Toxicology Program in the U.S. found that Ritalin caused liver cancer in ... To read the rest of this article, subscribe to Natural Life's online edition. This article was researched and written by Natural Life's Editor Wendy Priesnitz. |
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