(What Doctors aren't telling you about stimulants for children)  Peter R. Breggin, Author.  Experts review. Common Courage Press, PO Box 702, Monroe, ME 04951.($24.95) For book orders go to <mailto:comcour1@agate.net> or Amazon.com

To expand on the impacts of Ritalin on our children: the risks to their health -- as well as risks to society from the misuse and overuse of this drug -- I have asked several experts to offer their reviews of Peter Breggin's latest book. Breggin has been a 4-time guest on Oprah. He is also author of Talking Back to Prozac.

#1 of 6: Posted by Donna Headrick on Sun 24 May '98 (10:45 AM)

Ritalin Is Not Candy For the Brain

Review of Talking Back to Ritalin, by Peter R. Breggin, M.D. "America now uses 90% of the world’s Ritalin-more than five times the rest of the world combined. Meanwhile, emergency room visits by children age 10-14 involving Ritalin intoxication have now reached the same level as those for cocaine. This indicates escalating abuse of this highly addictive drug."

Ritalin, for those living in the Australian outback or in the far reaches of Outer Mongolia, is the miracle drug for obnoxious kids in school. The standard though somewhat haphazard theory has been that with "hyperactive" children a stimulant such as Ritalin has a paradoxical effect. It is the miracle drug of the 80’s and 90’s for the bad little kids in our classrooms and Peter Breggin doesn’t like it. No question.

The first chapter of latest book, "Talking Back to Ritalin," from

Common Courage Press is not for the faint of heart. Nor, for that

matter, are the next several chapters that cover a range of known and

suspected adverse effects -- from suppressing the growth of the brain

to introducing Schizophrenia and causing seizures. As with his other

books, Breggin has a Point of View. Giving this book to a parent

whose child has been placed on Ritalin could very well send them

shrieking into the ether. And demanding a Congressional investigation

of if not an immediate firing squad for the hapless prescribers would

not be overkill. Having said all of that. I happen to agree with Breggin for the most

part and his book is an important smack in the face to a culture

obsessed with the "miracle cure" the "Big Fix" for every problem.

America consumes pills. And in areas related to behavior we

increasingly use these substances as a form of chemical control that

our systems do not provide by their processes.

"The solution to a problem is in its definition." I wish I had a

source for that quote. It’s origin is foggy to me but came out of a

graduate program in Social Work where a professor noted that if one

defines unemployment as a lack of motivation on the part of the

unemployed then ones solution is dramatically different than if it

were defined as a "breakdown in the opportunity structure."

Just so with Ritalin or other psychoactive drugs. If one defines the

cause of specific behaviors, in this case in children, such as a lack

of focus, inattention and general squirminess in school as a chemical

imbalance in the brain, popping a drug into the mouth of said child

may seem like a good idea. But what if we were to define those

behaviors as symptomatic of a child who is brighter than average and

bored in a "one size fits all" educational system? Or a child with

an abundance of energy that needs a physical outlet like quarter mile

around the track several times a week?

What then? All to often, the "what then" is a drug.

Breggin makes his case specific to Ritalin but it is a case that

could be made easily in other situations. In an increasingly HMOized

society, drugs are cheaper than the time of a professional. A

teacher without hyperactive kids in her class finds it easier to do all of

the related teacher tasks of these time such as collecting and accounting

for lunch money and doing the weekly "head lice check" (and, no, I’m

not kidding). Though I do believe there is a small group of children who can

benefit from chemical treatment, I would make a wild guess that the

percentage is likely one half of one percent of those who now receive

it. And the increasing use of this addictive and psychoactive drug

if looked at side by side with the mushrooming, never-ending and always

ineffective "War on Drugs" seems, not only ludicrous, but a

guaranteed feeder system for our World’s Best Prison Industrial Complex..

The Chinese say: Crazy Americans...put sugar in tea to make it sweet,

put lemon to make it sour; heat on stove to make hot, put in ice to

make cold.  What are we doing here?

 Guest Review of Talking Back to Ritalin by: Donna Headrick <Donna@intrepidnetreporter.com>

#2 of 6: Posted by Prozac and the Oregon shooting on Sun 24 May '98 (04:09 PM)

This comment on Prozac was sent to me by separate email. I thought it

would be of interest to readers concerned about both Ritalin and

Prozac. --Alexia

The kid who did the shooting in the school cafeteria in Springfield,

Oregon was on Prozac.

Here is the issue with Prozac. It is a controversial drug for many

reasons...but one of the real downsides is that it absolutely MUST

NOT be mixed with alcohol or other drugs. With only a small amount of

either it sends the patient into complete blackout.

That is the element that has never received proper publicity or

explanation. It is why I personally really object to Prozac given to

kids. (Or, most drugs given to kids)... Because they are often not

responsible enough to understand that nor to adhere to it.

Ritalin is an awful drug in a variety of senses. It must be taken

absolutely on a schedule and any change in one's routine (exercise,

consuming certain foods) will change the length of its effectiveness.

Now...the kicker is that when it loses effect it does not do so

gradually...it's like falling off the edge of a cliff. The sensation

is so unpleasant and the timing so unpredictable. If the next dose

is not taken at precisely the correct time or if the child is exercising

more... or exerting more physical strain… they may experience this

horrid drop. Imagine a child experiencing that drop who did not have the language

to explain it to an adult.

There is a "timed-release" version of Ritalin but it is not

prescribed often because it has not been "perfected" and is generally

considered not to be as helpful as the shorter-acting but much more

volatile type....

#3 of 6: Posted by Alice Lillie on Mon 01 Jun '98 (12:22 PM) Review by Alice Lillie <aliceprez@aol.com>

 The "Psychopharmaceutical Complex," says Dr. Peter Breggin in Talking

Back to Ritalin, is similar to the "Military-Industrial Complex." It

is part of the American Establishment and includes drug companies and

the Federal Government.

The drug companies are in business to make money, of course, and they

are always on the lookout for new markets. While businesses need to

sell products, they also need to be on good terms with the

government, because the government is involved in so many areas of the economy

that overlap with drug companies interests. To build goodwill, the

drug companies contribute to Congressional candidates.

Congress appropriates funds to bureaucracies such as the Food and

Drug Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the

Department of Education and the National Institute of Health

(including the National Institute of Mental Health). These agencies ¾

dependent on funding from Congress ¾ are friendly to the drug

companies. Because of this interlocking network of interests,

research and regulations may be skewed in the companies' favor.

The network also includes the American Psychiatric Association, whose

lavish conventions are sponsored by drug companies. Their members

include doctors who prescribe drugs. There is also the parent

organization, CH.A.A.D.(Children and Adults with Attention Deficit

Disorder), who are thoroughly convinced that ADHD is a true disorder

that is biological and can be treated with drugs.

Armed with government and drug company literature, the APA and

CH.A.D.D. may act as unpaid salespeople for the drug companies. They

may work with teachers, backed by the Department of Education, and

parents to "find" ADHD children, and sometimes use high-pressure

methods to get the parents to take these children to doctors for

Ritalin, or other, prescriptions.

In _Talking Back to Ritalin_, Dr. Peter Breggin, makes it clear that

in our society, individuals, particularly young individuals, do not

count. Not only are parents required to pay for this treatment, and

pay as well through their taxes, but their children, targeted as a

"new market" are being robbed of their health, their education and

their ability to think independently.

#4 of 6: Posted by Helen Wheels on Mon 16 Nov '98 (07:54 AM)

One aspect of Ritalin that people don't often mention is that some

parents use it for behavior control.

I have a dear friend whose ex-wife put their son on Ritalin.

About two years after the divorce, she started having behavior

problems with both children, but especially the boy. I think the

problems were very predictable, because Mom and her new husband rarely

did anything with the children, whether it be a day ski trip to the

nearby mountains, or a week-long vacation. They *never* took the kids

along on any social outing, though Mom and new hubby were quite

socially active. The kids found it very difficulat to communicate

with

Mom, and indicated this to Dad. The kids often came to visit Dad in

dirty clothes, and occasionally needing to see a doctor for untreated

ear infections and strep infections, or untreated skinned knees and

cut fingers.

By contrast, when they visited Dad, he spent all kinds of time with

them, explaining homework they were having trouble with, taking them

on weekend ski trips, to museums, or just playing in the park or

hanging out around the house together. The kids know they can talk to

Dad about anything.

The kids started feeling rebellious and resentful toward Mom, making

the observation, "Mom doesn't take very good care of us." Both kids

started mentioning this to Mom. The boy, being older, was more

outspoken about it, and became predictably resentful and rebellious,

both at home and at school.

Mom and Teacher got together with Stepdad, and decided that the boy

was ADD, because he was acting out at school. Based on Mom's and

Teacher's recommendation, the pediatrician prescribed Ritalin.

No one told Dad for about two months. Finally the boy mentioned to

Dad how much better he felt on the weekends when he wasn't taking his

"smart" pills. Rather than addressing the real problem; Mom's

inattention to the kids, they were medicating for mind control, making him lethargic.

#5 of 6: Posted by Matt Pasquinilli on Sat 21 Aug '99 (06:45 PM)

I teach martial arts in Dayton, Ohio. We provide scholarships to many

low income kids who are labeled ADD/ADHD. We also have a large group

of foster children who have been physically and sexually abused. We

have been raising their IQs. No kidding. Of course 99% of

"professionals" and academicians will say that it is impossible or

that there was a mistake in the testing procedure. Our program is

funded out of my pocket, and we are given in-kind contributions by a

local therapist and psychologist to administer and interperet the

tests. The study is also the foundation of the psychotherapist's PhD

thesis at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. At the end of the 2

year study, we will have scientific proof that ADD/ADHD can be

effectively managed without chemicals.

I need help! Currently, Eli-Lily is marketing Prozac with a 1 hour

infomercial airing several times a day on several local tv stations.

Dayton is most likely the test market for this new evil campaign, and

if it is successful, I expect to see them spread across the country.

Of course Ciba-Geigy, Merck, and their like will follow closely with

brainwashing infomercials for Ritalin, Dexedrin, Demoral, etc...

Help by sending you advice on how best to fight. I saw my Congressman

last week and urged him for action. I think he is a potato-head, and

will not move. I am preparing some things for local media, and

pamphlets urging the community to act. If you can travel, and see the

urgency and potential for bad that I see, please come here. Protest

with me here in Dayton. We can then go to Indianapolis and protest at

Eli-Lily.

Thank you for your time.  Pasquinilli@hotmail.com