The Tragic Consequences of Drugging Our Children

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The Tragic Consequences of Drugging Our Children

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
September 20 2007 | 91,790 views

The number of prescriptions for psychotropic drugs for children has more than doubled between 1995 and 2000. This revealing documentary by Gary Null details the devastating consequences of this excessive medicating of our children with mind-altering drugs.

The film focuses on children who have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), even though evidence to verify such a diagnosis is lacking.

Instead, kids are often labeled with ADHD simply for acting like kids: fidgeting, speaking out of turn, not wanting to sit still, and being hyper.

The diagnosis of ADHD is often made based on anecdotal evidence and standardized assessments from parents and teachers, without giving consideration to other potential factors like home life, diet, and environmental toxins.

The end result for kids diagnosed with ADHD, as the video shows, is almost always medications.

If you’ve ever wondered why kids were rarely committing suicide or violent acts in schools when YOU were growing up, this essential video may shed some insight.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I urge you to devote some time to watching The Drugging of Our Children.

This is a film that everyone with children should see.

You may have noticed the back-to-school themed advertisements for ADHD drugs that came out just in time for parents and teachers to begin questioning which students will “need” these medications.

This is a carefully timed marketing scheme aimed at selling more of these potent drugs, such as Ritalin, to your children -- and the marketing works. Many adolescent psychiatrists report that there is a sharp increase in prescriptions for ADHD drugs when kids start the school year.

Some drug companies are even marketing candy-flavored versions of these drugs.

It’s no wonder that drugs for ADHD bring in about $1 billion in sales every year.

It is ironic that children are urged not to take drugs when it comes to the illegal variety, but are readily supplied with mind-altering medications as long as they are FDA-approved.

However, health professionals prescribe these drugs without warning parents about the severe and potentially fatal side effects (psychotic symptoms, headaches, insomnia, hallucinations, cardiac arrhythmia).

Many of the drugs used to treat ADHD are not only potentially hazardous, but they are unnecessary if your child is treated appropriately.

How to Treat ADHD Naturally

There are plenty of safe, effective alternatives for treating this condition, and some particularly effective methods include:

Using plenty of animal-based omega-3 fats like krill oil.

Spending more time in nature.

Balancing your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats (from vegetables oils).

Avoiding processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, which may trigger ADHD symptoms.

Replacing soft drinks, fruit juices, and pasteurized milk in your diet with pure water.

Reducing or eliminating grains and sugars from your diet.

For parents out there, I realize that many decide to put their children on a psychotropic drug because they believe it will help them. There can also be extreme pressure to do so, with some public schools even accusing parents of child abuse when they resist giving their kids drugs such as Ritalin.

What you need to know, and spread the word about, is that:

These drugs are potent (Ritalin is more potent than cocaine) and produce long-term changes in your child’s brain
They cause serious side effects
ADHD is almost always related to dietary and environmental factors, and can be cured by making the appropriate changes (outlined above)

Another helpful tool is my three-part interview with renowned children's health expert Dr. Lendon Smith on Non-Drug Treatment of ADD/ADHD. Dr. Smith passed away several years ago, but was really one of the pioneer physicians in this area.