'Take Your Pills" documentary on Netflix

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s all go live on a commune then! That will take the stress out of our lives! No meds!

It's better than drugging our kids. Goodness me.

I'd really love to know how some of this drug-happy parents would react if their kid ended up on meth. The funny thing is that I think most of them would be horrified (as would I). And yet..... same thing, different place it comes from, and it's fine?

There's a major lack of critical thinking here.

It's not the same thing because my child's medication use is being closely monitored by two doctors (psych and ped) and by involved parents who make sure medication is dosed properly and teach complementary behavior modification as well. We teach him, at an age aproriate level, the benefits and risks of medication and the importance of using it properly. And he's getting it from a legal, licensed source so it's not cut with a bunch of random and dangerous crap.

Your blind faith in the pharmaceutical industry astounds me.

You know how 50 years ago people were sending their SN kids off to different institutions to be subjected to shock therapy and other things to 'help' them? Everyone used to do that. The government suggested it, supported it. And now, we know that it was totally the wrong thing to do.

I strongly believe that giving kids speed is going to be one of those thing that in 50 years people will look back at these primitive times and shake their heads at how clueless people were.

It's not blind faith, it's based on a lot of research, which we do on an ongoing basis as new information comes out. I don't think we'll need to wait 50 years for our understanding of ADHD to be very different than it is today, I think in 20 years we'll know so much more and treatments will be very different, and as we know better we will do better. For now, though, we are taking all of the information out there and using it to create the best treatment plan we can for our child given the knowledge and treatment options available today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The defensiveness for medication on this board is consistent and astounding. For people who are quick to deplore processed food, chemicals, etc., so many are willing to medicate their elementary school children to make them easier to manage and to make school focusing easier.

This is speed. I don’t understand why people don’t embrace CBT, etc because that has lasting effects where Adderall wears off in half a day and the person has not grown their abilities at all. And there are significant side effects.

My ADHD child I manage with therapies, etc and while it isn’t easy for him or me, in the long run it is the only thing that will help him as a lifelong matter.

We have treated DS's ADHD without meds for over 10 years now. It has been a long, hard road. DS is now a junior and we are finally seeing a vast improvement in his ability to self-regulate and in his executive functioning. DS's academic advisor and pediatrician pushed hard for medication in 8/9th grade but his academic advisor recently told me that he is the model for kids with learning differences because he no longer procrastinates and does the things he needs to do without prompting. The therapies made all of the difference. It was extremely difficult, he received academic warnings in 9th grade, but he is likely headed to a top 50 college and is a happy, healthy kid. Our pediatrician and those on this board often repeat the threat that your kid will end up self-medicating if you don't use ADHD medication. That was not true for our son, as best we know -- I do not like how people say that as an absolute truth. Reading about the impacts of medication, I'm actually torn. DS feels like he could have done better in high school with it, and will likely use it in college, but he also thinks there are benefits to being med-free.

People on this board love to threaten all sorts of things when parents are doing things in a way that makes them feel inferior. They literally say that parents who feed their kids a healthy diet with lots of vegetables as a kid are setting them up for eating disorders and they'll stop eating all vegetables when they get older. You just need to shake your head...

[Anonymous]

I'm astounded when I see the timetable for kids today. At primary school (abroad) we had a twenty minutes recess every morning and an hour for lunch (including 40 minutes of play ) when we jumped rope, played four square, did somersaults off the jungle gyms or played other sports. In high school we used that time for clubs. Or to do nothing.The teachers didn't withhold recess -they were with their colleagues having morning tea, and getting a break themselves. It's a wonder that 100% of kids aren't being diagnosed as unable to sit in their chairs when they get no recess, are monitored at lunch, and are not allowed outside to play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm astounded when I see the timetable for kids today. At primary school (abroad) we had a twenty minutes recess every morning and an hour for lunch (including 40 minutes of play ) when we jumped rope, played four square, did somersaults off the jungle gyms or played other sports. In high school we used that time for clubs. Or to do nothing.The teachers didn't withhold recess -they were with their colleagues having morning tea, and getting a break themselves. It's a wonder that 100% of kids aren't being diagnosed as unable to sit in their chairs when they get no recess, are monitored at lunch, and are not allowed outside to play.

I remember the same thing. Pretty sure it's still that way in Aus. Not sure why it's different here. We finished at 3pm too, not the middle of the day like here, so maybe that's why we could have proper breaks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm astounded when I see the timetable for kids today. At primary school (abroad) we had a twenty minutes recess every morning and an hour for lunch (including 40 minutes of play ) when we jumped rope, played four square, did somersaults off the jungle gyms or played other sports. In high school we used that time for clubs. Or to do nothing.The teachers didn't withhold recess -they were with their colleagues having morning tea, and getting a break themselves. It's a wonder that 100% of kids aren't being diagnosed as unable to sit in their chairs when they get no recess, are monitored at lunch, and are not allowed outside to play.

I agree. The class schedules are such that you need to be medicated. There was an article in the Atlantic about how lack of exercise can lead to ADHD symptoms.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/exercise-seems-to-be-beneficial-to-children/380844/

[Anonymous]

I took stimulant medication and now have heart disease. An aneurysm from high blood pressure.
I am on heart medication and will probably need open heart surgery in the future.
You will probably ignore my post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I took stimulant medication and now have heart disease. An aneurysm from high blood pressure.
I am on heart medication and will probably need open heart surgery in the future.
You will probably ignore my post.

Did you have any other contributing factors to your heart disease? I ask because my DD is on concerta, and while I can see that it is helpful(we put it off until it was affecting her life in every aspect) and because there is also a history of a lot of heart disease on both sides of the family. How can I as a parent make the right decision? DD was so hyper before that she was acting as if she was high before starting meds at 15. I just watched this documentary and I really don't know what to think or do anymore.

[Anonymous]

The judgment on this thread is really hard to take. My DC is 8 and just started ADHD meds, although not Adderal. Dc is two grade levels behind in some subjects. Can’t sit at the dinner table long enough to eat a meal. Doesn’t sleep well. We do various therapies three times a week, he does lots of physical activity on the weekends but with all the therapies it’s hard to do as much during the week. Because of his LDs and being so far behind private school isn’t an option and we couldn’t secure admission at any of the SN schools. What do I do? He knows he is different, can’t keep up with peers. Is starting to show signs of depression. We already do a specialized diet similar to Fiengold but with some differentiation because of other medical issues. I can’t move my child to a farm. He needs to be in a big city where he can see his medical specialists.

I’m talking about a child who cannot handle a second grade curriculum. I’m running pillar to post trying everything I can think of. Snark about parents who would rather have their kid pop a pill than do the hard work of parenting does nothing but make this struggle worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The judgment on this thread is really hard to take. My DC is 8 and just started ADHD meds, although not Adderal. Dc is two grade levels behind in some subjects. Can’t sit at the dinner table long enough to eat a meal. Doesn’t sleep well. We do various therapies three times a week, he does lots of physical activity on the weekends but with all the therapies it’s hard to do as much during the week. Because of his LDs and being so far behind private school isn’t an option and we couldn’t secure admission at any of the SN schools. What do I do? He knows he is different, can’t keep up with peers. Is starting to show signs of depression. We already do a specialized diet similar to Fiengold but with some differentiation because of other medical issues. I can’t move my child to a farm. He needs to be in a big city where he can see his medical specialists.

I’m talking about a child who cannot handle a second grade curriculum. I’m running pillar to post trying everything I can think of. Snark about parents who would rather have their kid pop a pill than do the hard work of parenting does nothing but make this struggle worse.

I am sorry to hear about your DS's struggles and yours. This is a different forum, people are much kinder on SN forum and understand so much more.

[Anonymous]

21:19 - I hear you. And you get nothing but sympathy from me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I took stimulant medication and now have heart disease. An aneurysm from high blood pressure.
I am on heart medication and will probably need open heart surgery in the future.
You will probably ignore my post.

I'm not ignoring it. I'm thinking this coincidence is a very sad one, and I wish you weren't dealing with it, but it was not connected to ADHD meds.

https://www.cnn.com/2011/12/12/health/heart-attack-stroke-risk-adhd-meds/index.html
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/852555

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whoops... choice... given this adhd dx. Adhd is not just exec fx issues... it’s also emotional regulation challenges etc. while this documentary is correct to help people be mindful of abuse, making it seem so slated is very shaming to parents and adults who benefit from meds. We were not flippant about this and we are both scientists, but I am still human and feel shame and worry after watching something like this (e.g. am I doing the wrong thing? Will he not be able to get off these etc.) this was a tough decision, but we need to go with the data— that these meds can be very helpful for people who have ADHD.

Of course "the data" shows that stimulants can be very helpful for people [with or without ADHD]. You're talking about speed. The same stuff that truckers pop so they can stay awake and drive all night long.

If you want to look at the real data though, the data showing the long term effects of these drugs, then you'll be looking pretty hard because it doesn't exist.

And if you knew you'd really tried everything, and that drugging your child was 100% necessary, you would not feel guilt or shame about it. I'd be willing to bet money that even a "natural" and "healthy" person like yourself has not done a 100% strict special diet for any serious amount of time. And for most parents on this board who laugh at "natural" parents, well, it's even less likely.

FWIW I have a science PhD. We highly value education. We plan/hope for our kids to go to one of the top colleges in the world (we have multiple citizenships) of their choosing. But above all else, we value the health and wellness of our children. We would move to a farm in a heartbeat and homeschool and teach our kids a vocation related to farming or whatever else they could handle before we gave them speed even once, let alone every day. I'm not staying in a rat race that they can't handle and then drugging my kids just so I can throw them in public school and make life more convenient for me.

So you are still here and not on a farm yet? How is that not a rat race? How are you not putting the same pressure on your kids with planning and hoping they go to one of top colleges in the world? How old are your kids? Do you kids have any educational struggles or behavioral struggles? Clearly not. How many kids do you have right now? You sound exactly like those bosses in the documentary who want and expect more from their workers, except it is your kids. What is this "natural" parent? I had my kids grow up in Africa, with no schooling, no early education, where are your kids growing up? Your pedestal seems all too high to me, when you are not on a farmer, and would yet teach your kid vocation related to farming?? What exactly makes you such an Einstein in farming education? You sound astonishingly ignorant for somebody with a PhD in science.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I took stimulant medication and now have heart disease. An aneurysm from high blood pressure.
I am on heart medication and will probably need open heart surgery in the future.
You will probably ignore my post.

I watched the documentary and wow this seemed like a miracle pill. Except the rate of depression and increase in cardiovascular illness is not worth messing up with your brain chemicals. Thanks, but no thanks.

[Anonymous]

Imagine your child acts high every single day, your child jumps around on fridges and tables and never stops talking. Imagine your child does random cartwheels when everybody else is sitting waiting for a piece of cake at a party. Imagine your child inviting whole classroom home after school and half of the showing up? Imagine your child now drives and goes to get milk and is gone for several hours because she needed this and that and decided to drive to Great Falls to see the sunset, and never once thought to call even though this has been thought in therapy over and over again? Would you medicate then? Or would you move to a farm?

[Anonymous]

I sure hope no farmers are reading this forum, some pretty insulting things have been said of their profession, by some ignorant douche.