One in four US kids on chronic medications

[shortylickens]

You seem like a very emotional person. I'm guessing yes the SSRI did help.

What the hell is SSRI?

 

[Genx87]

Thank the schools. The vast majority of referrals for ADHD are from teachers, principals, or counselors.

Yup, sickening people who are not mental health professionals are doing this diservice.

 

[LucJoe]

What the hell is SSRI?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_serotonin_reuptake_inhibitor

 

[shortylickens]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_serotonin_reuptake_inhibitor

Ahh, now I know what my parents were filling me with.
I also know why the Navy gave me such a hard time during MEPS.

 

[SirStev0]

Does it actually work?

Sure seems like a lot of people are given prozac and other SSRI antidepressants for no reason. SSRI drugs are for people who are prone to panic and anxiety disorders. SSRI drugs usually make people chill out and stop worrying, be less neurotic, be less obsessive, be less compulsive. When they are given to depressed people who are already chill but have problems with motivation or desire to do anything, it often makes their condition worse.

Did you have panic attacks in grade 5?

SSRI are the drug of choice for depression.

They are also the drug of choice for Anxiety, OCD, and Panic disorder. Most Americans end up getting benzo's for the bookends there because everyone wants their Vitamin X (xanax). It works like taking a shot: Hits you hard and fast. Most people want that because then they don't have the stigma of being on a "chronic medication" and "taking depression meds"

Pysch disorders are a funny thing. No one is going to judge some kid for having Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin resistant) but put a kid on Depression meds and it is like you are abusing him.

Both are deficiencies of the body to handle certain chemicals. One just comes with a social stigma.


BTW, the group of people who need SSRI's the most - Middle Aged Men. If your wife/family is complaining about you being cranky its doctor buzz word for depression and SSRI's change that shit right around.

 

[ShawnD1]

SSRI are the drug of choice for depression.

And they usually don't work very well. Depression is when you feel tired all the time, it's hard to focus, nothing brings happiness, it's hard to be motivated, and goals seem very far away. In the most literal sense, your nervous system is depressed when you have depression. It's actually a great name for an illness because the name explicitly describes the problem, similar to saying your problem is a broken arm.
SSRI drugs don't help because they are not stimulants. They don't fix any of those problems.

At one time I was diagnosed as having major depression because my nervous system is measurably depressed (blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure, mental alertness) and I have most of the symptoms of major depression which you can read here. It's basically what I typed above. Tired all the time, don't want to eat, don't want to sleep, don't want to go out. Just don't want to do anything at all. My doctor gave me Paxil, an SSRI. As anyone in the world would have guessed, serotonin is not a stimulant and it doesn't motivate anyone to do anything. Paxil didn't work at all. You'll find that most of the side effects to SSRI drugs actually sound like depression. Side effects include: insomnia (depressed people already can't sleep), low sex drive, tiredness, lack of motivation, weight gain. wtf??

Eventually I got a stimulant and that fixed the depressed nervous system. Who would have gussed that the way to be stimulated (the opposite of depressed) is to take a stimulant. It's like rocket science or something.

 

[tcsenter]

Yup, sickening people who are not mental health professionals are doing this diservice.

Teachers don't diagnose or prescribe medications. The child is referred to a qualified physician (MD or DO) who will make those decisions.

 

[SirStev0]

And they usually don't work very well. Depression is when you feel tired all the time, it's hard to focus, nothing brings happiness, it's hard to be motivated, and goals seem very far away. In the most literal sense, your nervous system is depressed when you have depression. It's actually a great name for an illness because the name explicitly describes the problem, similar to saying your problem is a broken arm.
SSRI drugs don't help because they are not stimulants. They don't fix any of those problems.

At one time I was diagnosed as having major depression because my nervous system is measurably depressed (blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure, mental alertness) and I have most of the symptoms of major depression which you can read here. It's basically what I typed above. Tired all the time, don't want to eat, don't want to sleep, don't want to go out. Just don't want to do anything at all. My doctor gave me Paxil, an SSRI. As anyone in the world would have guessed, serotonin is not a stimulant and it doesn't motivate anyone to do anything. Paxil didn't work at all. You'll find that most of the side effects to SSRI drugs actually sound like depression. Side effects include: insomnia (depressed people already can't sleep), low sex drive, tiredness, lack of motivation, weight gain. wtf??

Eventually I got a stimulant and that fixed the depressed nervous system. Who would have gussed that the way to be stimulated (the opposite of depressed) is to take a stimulant. It's like rocket science or something.

I'm not going to pick apart your post but you have some small misunderstanding about some of the aspects of depression. Don't worry a lot of people do.

Wiki does a pretty decent job discussing it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_depressive_disorder
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidepressant

Believe me, the safest and most effective and most efficacious drugs on the market today for depression are SSRI's.
Yes they have side effects; weight gain and sexual dysfunction being the most common and most complained about, but there are some that are better than others.



With that said, some of what you described above sounds like one of the subtypes of depression where ahedonia and inactivity are more pronounced. That tends to respond better to SNRI's and NDRI's which are similar but tend to have more "stimulating and inspiring" effects on major depressives. SNRI's block both serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake where as NDRI's block the norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake.


Probably the most common is Wellbutrin which is usually prescribed as an antidepressant when SSRI's don't work or if side effects are too much (especially and most commonly Sexual)
If I had to guess that is probably the "stimulant" they prescribed for you.

 

[Nemesis 1]

The problem is the parents. Both working and Both concerned with getting 1 thing . Behold the god that brings sickness to a healthy mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCkOmcIl79s

 

[Joseph F]

Interestingly other than vasoconstriction, Cocaine and Adderall have incredibly similar mechanisms of action.

I'm massively oversimplifying this but isn't Cocaine a serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor whereas Dextroamphetamine is exclusively a dopamine reuptake inhibitor?

edit: just read your post. nvm the previous edit.

 

[SirStev0]

I'm massively oversimplifying this but isn't Cocaine a serotonin–norepinephrine–dopamine reuptake inhibitor whereas Dextroamphetamine is exclusively a dopamine reuptake inhibitor?

Both work to increase serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the synaptic cleft. One causes increased secretion and release; while the other blocks the reuptake and removal.

I think Coke blocks reuptake. Trying to google confirmation.

 

[ShawnD1]

Probably the most common is Wellbutrin which is usually prescribed as an antidepressant when SSRI's don't work or if side effects are too much (especially and most commonly Sexual)
If I had to guess that is probably the "stimulant" they prescribed for you.

Yep. They gave that to me and it works really good. Blood sugar is always high, heart rate is back up to the high side of normal, blood pressure is so high that I get nose bleeds (that's a bad thing). I sleep about half as much as I did before, but I'm more rested than I ever was. My hands and feet are not cold anymore. Before, I would get low blood sugar before feeling hungry and people had to push me to eat. Now, I crave food and I cook complicated and time consuming meals because food is enjoyable enough to warrant cooking.

I pretty much tell everyone they should be on this drug. I see people say they are tired, they don't get enough sleep, they don't want to do things that are important, and all of that could be solved if they can convince a doctor to give them wellbutrin.

 

[alkemyst]

Very true. You probably won't believe me but for quite a while one of my tics made me shout "******s!"...

after what drugs you consumed?

 

[Joseph F]

after what drugs you consumed?

None

 

[TheSpy007]

I just find it hilarious that Amphetamine and Cocaine are Schedule 2 drugs while weed is schedule 1. And even more sad nicotine is not even scheduled for one of the most addicting drugs around!

 

[Joseph F]

I just find it hilarious that Amphetamine and Cocaine are Schedule 2 drugs while weed is schedule 1. And even more sad nicotine is not even scheduled for one of the most addicting drugs around!

QFT. I believe that Cannabinoids should be Schedule III.

 

[Bateluer]

I just came up with a brilliant plan. Right now, the US military is too powerful for any group or nation to attack and win. But, in 20 years, when the current badass forces begin to retire out, it'll be these overweight, diabetic, kids of today, all brain damaged from years of prescription meds that have to replace them. Figure I should be able to single handedly defeat the combined forces of the US military and set myself up as emperor of America pretty easily?

 

[shortylickens]

I just came up with a brilliant plan. Right now, the US military is too powerful for any group or nation to attack and win. But, in 20 years, when the current badass forces begin to retire out, it'll be these overweight, diabetic, kids of today, all brain damaged from years of prescription meds that have to replace them. Figure I should be able to single handedly defeat the combined forces of the US military and set myself up as emperor of America pretty easily?

Thats what they said in the 70's, and the 90's, and again last year.

 

[Bateluer]

Thats what they said in the 70's, and the 90's, and again last year.

All I'll have to do is unplug the Xbox. They won't be able to roll at me fast enough.

Alternatively, I could also bribe with chocolate.

 

[SirStev0]

I just find it hilarious that Amphetamine and Cocaine are Schedule 2 drugs while weed is schedule 1. And even more sad nicotine is not even scheduled for one of the most addicting drugs around!

All three have medical uses.

It is pathetic that medical cannabis and cannabinoids are illegal.

 

[yhelothar]

SSRI are the drug of choice for depression.

They are also the drug of choice for Anxiety, OCD, and Panic disorder. Most Americans end up getting benzo's for the bookends there because everyone wants their Vitamin X (xanax). It works like taking a shot: Hits you hard and fast. Most people want that because then they don't have the stigma of being on a "chronic medication" and "taking depression meds"

Pysch disorders are a funny thing. No one is going to judge some kid for having Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin resistant) but put a kid on Depression meds and it is like you are abusing him.

Both are deficiencies of the body to handle certain chemicals. One just comes with a social stigma.


BTW, the group of people who need SSRI's the most - Middle Aged Men. If your wife/family is complaining about you being cranky its doctor buzz word for depression and SSRI's change that shit right around.

While it can be said that both diabetes and depression both stems from an imbalance of chemicals, the difference is that type 1 diabetes is purely genetic, and for depression, the imbalance of chemicals may be caused by poor attitudes or other cognitive dysfunctions that require therapy and proper socialization that just numbing out the symptoms with drugs won't help with.

 

[William Gaatjes]

Every time i read about medicine manufacturers , i always have to think about how an advertised ADHD medicine had a special side effect. Young adolescent boys were growing breasts as a side effect. Or how about those doctors receiving money from medicine manufacturers to describe medicines to some poor person where the medicine does not have any healing or suffering reducing function for the person. The medicines are expensive because of the insanely high profit margins. Every medicine that is modeled after cocaine or opium is very cheap to make in large quantities. Think about that and the effects some psycho stimulant medicines have.

It has a high probability that the food, soon to be parents consume and the environment, soon to be parents live in combined with the lifestyle (smoking, drinking, to much coffee) will have an epigenetic effect on the offspring. This means that how your parents lived will affect you. But also the environment you live in now will affect you. And then it well effect your offspring as well. And the cycle continues. The true nature of karma. Just because some refuse to see it, does not mean it is not there.

 

[DougoMan]

It has a high probability that the food, soon to be parents consume and the environment, soon to be parents live in combined with the lifestyle (smoking, drinking, to much coffee) will have an epigenetic effect on the offspring. This means that how your parents lived will affect you. But also the environment you live in now will affect you. And then it well effect your offspring as well. And the cycle continues. The true nature of karma. Just because some refuse to see it, does not mean it is not there.

Oh no we're going to to turn into mutants!

 

[William Gaatjes]

I still say the problem is lack of exercise and opportunity to work out aggression. We need more PE and more competitive sports (the kinds with winners and losers, none of this everyone's a winner crap). Kids aren't meant to be inactive.

I agree.
This will work. But make sure the composition of the teams are different every time. No competition drama's must happen. No gatherings of the best in a certain sport against the worst in a certain sport. Balance the teams for the most fun and the best competition for that game at that moment in time. It will be the most fun and even children who are bad at a given sport will do their best because of good team players are inspiring them because of team play. It will increase social skills as well even for those children who have difficulties.

And absolutely no drama of parents that are verbally attacking their own children because the kids do not live up to insane standards even professional athletes have difficulties with. Sports are meant to be fun and relaxing. Relaxing because of loss of aggression. The loss of aggression is because of applied and controlled use of aggression. Once again increasing the social skills. Knowing when and how to use your emotions to increase your strength can come in handy in every day life.

When people have to lift heavy stuff, what do they do ?
How do they perceive the object ?

 

[William Gaatjes]

Oh no we're going to to turn into mutants!

Why do you find that scary ?
It is just another part of evolution.
Humans 10.000 years from now will be different from humans today.
Accept it.