ADHD Medications Could Increase Risk of Psychosis

Health Wellness

Over the past couple of decades, millions of children have been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). To some, the diagnosis is still controversial. Is it really a mental disorder or could some of the children simply be products of poor parenting? I’ve seen cases where proper parenting changed the behavior of some kids diagnosed with ADHD. After the parenting change, the diagnosis of ADHD was changed.

Regardless of one’s views on ADHD, it seems to be inflicting children at a dangerously rapid rate. According to the CDC, by 2016, there were at least 6.1 million kids that had been diagnosed with ADHD. About 388,000 of them are between the ages of 2-5, another 2.4 million between the ages of 6-11 and 3.3 million between the ages of 12-17. What’s more, they say that 2 of every 3 kids with ADHD also have an additional mental, emotional or behavioral disorder.

According to The A.D.D. Resource Center, about 6.4 million kids ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD. The average age at diagnosis is 7, with the symptoms usually occurring at 3-6 years of age, when many kids naturally act up and are filled with extra pent up energy. About 12.9% of males will be diagnosed with ADHD at sometime in their lives while only 4.9% of females will face the same diagnosis. While most believe that ADHD is a disorder that only affects kids, about 4% of adults over 18 will face ADHD on a daily basis.

In case you’re are interested, the states with the lowest rates of ADHD are:

  1. Nevada: 4.2%
  2. New Jersey: 5.5%
  3. Colorado, 5.6%
  4. Utah: 5.8%
  5. California: 5.9%

The states with the highest rates of ADHD are:

  1. Kentucky: 14.8%
  2. Arkansas: 14.6%
  3. Louisiana: 13.3%
  4. Indiana: 13.0%
  5. Delaware and South Carolina: 11.7%

How is ADHD diagnosed? Turning to the CDC:

“Healthcare professionals use the guidelines in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth edition (DSM-5)1, to help diagnose ADHD. This diagnostic standard helps ensure that people are appropriately diagnosed and treated for ADHD. Using the same standard across communities can also help determine how many children have ADHD, and how public health is impacted by this condition. For more details on the diagnostic procedures, click here.”

“The common treatments for ADHD are behavioral therapy (including training for parents), medications and school accommodations and interventions.”

The drugs commonly used to treat ADHD include stimulant and nonstimulant medications. Stimulant medications include:

Nonstimulant medications include:

If your kids or young adult children have been diagnosed with ADHD and have been prescribed medications to control the disorder, then pay attention to this new study:

“Certain medications used to treat ADHD in teens and young adults may be more likely to cause symptoms such as paranoia, hallucinations, delusions and hearing voices, a new study suggests.”

“Researchers found patients 13 to 25 years old who had been newly prescribed amphetamines, such as Adderall and Vyvanse, were more likely to develop psychosis than those who had received a prescription for methylphenidates, such as Ritalin and Concerta, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.”

“The key take-home message is that these cases involved new prescriptions, or patients who had just started treatment, said NBC medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar Thursday.”

If you have concerns, see your doctor who is treating your ADHD family member.

I hate to be blunt, but perhaps the problem isn’t just a mental or behavioral disorder but your parenting skills. I’ve noticed that the increased cases of ADHD coincide with more parents abandoning traditional parenting discipline which does include spanking. Please note there is a distinct difference between disciplinary spanking and beating. Spanking is done in love, not anger, and it is done in a manner that does not inflict physical damage. I know it is frowned upon by many experts but don’t forget that most of those experts are flaming liberals who have misled millions of parents. Remember the old saying – “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”

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