# Psych drugs = Violence in Kids???



## Guest (Aug 11, 2000)

Found the following site while researching Elavil. It's not about Elavil but was so thought provoking, I'm including it here. I am certainly not affiliated in any way with the Church of Scientology (who put up the website). However, this is not a new idea that some of these drugs incite young people, and some adults, to violence. Of course, I cannot vouch for the veracity of anything in this article but I have seen these same thoughts echoed in other places on the Web. There may be something to it.What do you think?I am sending this to my daughter who is the non-custodial parent of twin boys, age 9. Her ex- seems to think one of the boys has ADD and wants Ritalin prescribed for him. I think many times, this diagnosis of ADD is simply boredom. Nick and Spencer (my grandsons) have said they are bored at school. They get their work done before most of the rest of the class. It would seem that perhaps they need to be challenged. My daughter is definitely against their being put on "zombie drugs" (as she calls them.) And I certainly don't blame her. Not without other avenues being explored. http://violence.freedommag.org/page02.htm =====================calida


----------



## Guest (Aug 12, 2000)

Calida, you find the most informative articles. My thoughts on this one are: I don't have alot of faith in psychiatrists! I think people are better off with a "team" consisting of their MD and a good psychologist. I have heard too many times that a psychiatrist just doesn't listen. With the team you have two people helping you out together. What one misses, the other might catch. I also think the drugs are prescribed and then they are not what is needed and react negatively. I speak from experience here. I had taken Prozac years and years ago for depression, it worked great. When I was in the process of figuring out what was the matter with me in regards to my CFS, my MD put me back on Prozac. I went CRAZY on it. It did make me violent. I would get mad and throw things and I was very unreasonable. This may be happening to the kids. My son was diagnosed with ADD in second grade. (There are numerous tests for this that both the school and psychologist had) I did not put him on ritalin, just had him sit at the front of the class, that helped. He also has a IQ of 130 and got bored easily, still does. He was also diagnosed 1999 with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (this was also diagnosed with a "test"). Myself, I think he is just angry with his Dad and me regarding our divorce and the events that poor kid had to live through. I think alot of these kids could use a good anger management counselor and that would help immensely. DeeDee


----------



## Guest (Aug 12, 2000)

DeeDee,Thanks for your input on this. I will share it with my daughter. Neither of us think that her son should be put on Ritalin.Your comments about having an anger management counselor sounds like a great idea. A lot of adults could use one too!I was thinking after I posted this about the increased incidence of "road rage" and wonder if prescription drugs might have something to do with that. I don't know what the figures are but a lot of people take these drugs. There could be a correlation. And coupled with the times we live in, (i.e. general instability of our lives, downsizing of corporations, job loss, etc.)...well, it's a lethal mix.Take care and I hope you are doing well,calida


----------



## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Calida and DeeDee, You two are "right on" with your thoughts about these drugs and some of the side effects. My youngest son (he's 25 now), was diagnosed with childhood migraines, ADD, and Dyslexia at the age of 9. Like DeeDee says, there are "tests" that are done to determine these disorders. To make a long story short, Lance was given Ritalin. He took it for a few weeks. Now, I remind you, this was not the typical kid. He had a lot of medical problems to deal with on a daily basis and now these things were added to the list. And, he was always a very astute kid and well aware of what he was feeling. After a few weeks, he said one day that he could not tell any difference in his ability to be more attentive in school and he didn't want to take it any more. He also said he thought it was making him feel "funny". So, we said enough is enough. He never took it again and he actually did better off than on! And it wasn't long after that, that we started hearing things about what Ritalin can do and we were thankful Lance was not on it any longer. And that was 16 years ago!!! You are so right. A good counselor can do so much more than a psychiatrist can. We've been there and done that. We all benefited from the family counseling we undertook after Lance's many operations, etc. It gave us an outlet and Lance needed an unbiased person on which to unburden also. Calida, by all means pass this on to your daughter. I agree with her. Sounds like her ex just wants a 'fast-fix" and it doesn't happen like that. Tell her to stick to her decision. It's the right one. And DeeDee, I think you are absolutely right about your son. Those kids are so astute to everything going on around them--more than some people want to believe. And I can fully understand his anger. A lot of kids tend to think that they did something wrong to cause a marriage break up, too, even though that's not true. Lots of love and patience works so much better in the long run. Keep up the good work!! Sounds like you are raising him just fine. How are all of you doing? Take care. Karen


----------



## Guest (Aug 13, 2000)

Hi, My name is Linda.I hurt my knee a month ago,and I am now being tested for arthritis.I know I have arthritis in my back caused from a carwreck. I am in a knee brace that goes from my thigh to my ankle...Any advise would be helpful... As for the question of violence in children,I need to be careful...Both me and my husband are bipolar. We both take meds.which for me literally saved my life..My son is on ritalin.He is so hyper,he sometimes gets unmanageable.He was tested in school last year.He has the highest IQ of any 2nd grader they have ever seen.So I guess it a place where we need to be careful,and check out all the resources we can...When he was put on prozac for depression,he became so wired,it was scary..Anyhow just my two cents..I wish someone would have figured out when I was little that I was bipolar because odds are that meds. then would mean I wouldn't be as bad now. But what can I say,I am alive at 35...Thanks for listening if you made it through my post...Any feedback would be appreciated.And I hope I have offended noone...Linda------------------Pooh


----------



## Guest (Aug 13, 2000)

Hi LindaPooh, and welcome to the forum...I am so sorry to hear about your knee injury (as well as your other problems.)I surely do feel for you, having to be in such a cast during the summer. I'm not too familiar with bipolar disorder, although I have read some about it. What meds do you and your husband take for it? And how long ago were you diagnosed? Do the meds you are on seem to control it very well?Your poor little guy got a double whammy, didn't he? I say that because I have a feeling that many of these nervous system disorders may be genetically linked. Does the Ritalin help him? Is he still on the Prozac or did they change his med after he became so "wired" on it? Sometimes they have to try many different meds (or combinations) before they get something that alleviates the symptoms.It would've perhaps been great if you'd been diagnosed when you were younger, but, on the other hand, chances are we did not have the meds at the time so it wouldn't have made a difference. I'm glad that you are taking something now that helps. Sometimes we have no choices if we are to function in society.I don't quite understand why you think you may have offended anyone. When I posted the original post here, it was simply by way of passing along information. And that is pretty much what we do here...bounce ideas off each other, discuss which meds have worked for us, which have not. And try to give moral support when we can.Please let us hear from you again. I'm sorry I could not offer much in the way of feedback. I have not been diagnosed with arthritis but my GP prescribed Celebrex for me a few weeks ago because of terrible lower back pain. And it has helped. Another drug of choice for arthritis is Vioxx but I have not taken it.Best wishes,calida


----------



## Guest (Aug 13, 2000)

Linda,I just went and checked the Delphi forums. There are 38 listed for folks who are bipolar. In case you did not know about these forums, here is a URL to click on and it will take you to the page where you can subscribe to them. You will probably find some forums at Delphi for ADD as well. There are just loads of message boards there. http://www.delphi.com/dir-app/search/main....isorder&x=0&y=0 bye for now,calida


----------

