Frank Granett described to Lon Woodbury, radio host for the Struggling Teen's L.A. Talk Radio program, that the primary reasons ADHD and depressive disorder have actually become an epidemic in this country is because of environmental, nutritional, and physiological reasons. He thinks that one causative element behind this epidemic amongst children is that we are overmedicating our youth.
Frank Granett
Frank Granett is a Board Certified Pharmacologist with over 25 years of consultative pharmacy work in the area of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and psychiatric medications. In his publication "Over Medicating Our Youth: The Public Awareness Guide for A.D.D. and Psychiatric Medications", he summarizes how careless diagnostic procedures are harming the long-term wellbeing of our youth. He is the creator of the Coalition Against Overmedicating Our Youth (CAOOY).
Why Are We Over Medicating Our Youth?
The guest talked about the reasons why ADHD appears to have reached epidemic proportions. In the last five years alone, 12 million young people in the U.S.A. have actually been diagnosed as having ADHD. This is three times greater than for other children around the world. However, this high number could be due to the way ADHD is identified, which is based upon behavioral assessments instead of looking at organic predispositions. The outcome of this sort of quick analysis is that we are over medicating our youth.
The response to this "epidemic" has actually been overmedication, with thousands of children being placed on antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medicines. Even kids as little as three to four years are being put on these drugs. In addition, this overmedication phenomena has produced one more disconcerting statistic: the number two cause of college students is suicide.
Granett discussed how the conditions for this perfect storm has actually been brewing over the past 40 years, when ADHD was first diagnosed. His study has actually led him to conclude that poor nutrition, as well as the rash, often superficial analysis that passes for diagnosis is responsible for the epidemic. He outlined some of the most effective methods mothers and fathers, teachers, instructors, and counselors could find out more about the real facts behind ADHD. He also recommended a dietary change to help youngsters suspected of ADHD. He suggested the use of enzymes, as well as avoiding foods which triggered hypoglycemia and behavioral aberrations due to a spike in adrenalin.
In addition, Granett discussed the mission of CAOOY, an organization he started to give doctors, parents, and instructors the know-how they need to make informed decisions about the best medications for kids, and he is inviting parents, educators, and doctors to lead a reform.
Conclusion
The guests revealed to Lon how vital it is to do a bio-assessment of the causes for the symptoms before issuing a prescription instead of merely basing their decisions on behavior outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Merely doing an assessment based on behavior has resulted in a great increase in premature drug therapy. While this may prove to be a short-term solution to arrest visibly disruptive behavior, research is beginning to show over medicating our youth has long-term negative effects on their development.
Frank Granett
Frank Granett is a Board Certified Pharmacologist with over 25 years of consultative pharmacy work in the area of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and psychiatric medications. In his publication "Over Medicating Our Youth: The Public Awareness Guide for A.D.D. and Psychiatric Medications", he summarizes how careless diagnostic procedures are harming the long-term wellbeing of our youth. He is the creator of the Coalition Against Overmedicating Our Youth (CAOOY).
Why Are We Over Medicating Our Youth?
The guest talked about the reasons why ADHD appears to have reached epidemic proportions. In the last five years alone, 12 million young people in the U.S.A. have actually been diagnosed as having ADHD. This is three times greater than for other children around the world. However, this high number could be due to the way ADHD is identified, which is based upon behavioral assessments instead of looking at organic predispositions. The outcome of this sort of quick analysis is that we are over medicating our youth.
The response to this "epidemic" has actually been overmedication, with thousands of children being placed on antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic medicines. Even kids as little as three to four years are being put on these drugs. In addition, this overmedication phenomena has produced one more disconcerting statistic: the number two cause of college students is suicide.
Granett discussed how the conditions for this perfect storm has actually been brewing over the past 40 years, when ADHD was first diagnosed. His study has actually led him to conclude that poor nutrition, as well as the rash, often superficial analysis that passes for diagnosis is responsible for the epidemic. He outlined some of the most effective methods mothers and fathers, teachers, instructors, and counselors could find out more about the real facts behind ADHD. He also recommended a dietary change to help youngsters suspected of ADHD. He suggested the use of enzymes, as well as avoiding foods which triggered hypoglycemia and behavioral aberrations due to a spike in adrenalin.
In addition, Granett discussed the mission of CAOOY, an organization he started to give doctors, parents, and instructors the know-how they need to make informed decisions about the best medications for kids, and he is inviting parents, educators, and doctors to lead a reform.
Conclusion
The guests revealed to Lon how vital it is to do a bio-assessment of the causes for the symptoms before issuing a prescription instead of merely basing their decisions on behavior outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Merely doing an assessment based on behavior has resulted in a great increase in premature drug therapy. While this may prove to be a short-term solution to arrest visibly disruptive behavior, research is beginning to show over medicating our youth has long-term negative effects on their development.
About the Author:
Find out more about Struggling Teens. Lon Woodbury has the recorded the entire interview on his L.A. Talk Radio show for people to listen to at any time.
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