Medication can have an addictive effect for people who are sensitive to it. For example, young people with ADHD are particularly susceptible to addiction. But according to research, young people who use medication for this purpose are less likely to use drugs. People have the idea that prescribing medication has a preventive effect before they start ‘self-medicating’. That is not entirely true. Because of the medication they are already using ‘drugs’. Finally, we must cautiously conclude that medication use in young people actually promotes the use of stimulants or narcotics.
Medication for ADHD is addictive
GPs and psychiatrists prescribe medication too quickly and too often, without really realizing the consequences. Medikinet, Ritalin and Concerta are the best-known ‘legal’ drugs that thousands of young people swallow every day. All three fall under the Opium Act and are super addictive. Some even fall under anti-psychotic drugs. Some young people can be very busy in their heads, but to immediately fill them with amphetamine and antipsychotics.
Methylphenidate
used
in most ADHD medications. As mentioned earlier, this substance falls under the Opium Act and may not be used for more than one year. This substance is known to cause heart problems, growth and psychological disorders. It has been proven that only a small percentage benefits from the substance. For some people, only a small part of the substance is absorbed into the blood.
Is medication for ADHD an illegal drug
Several psychiatrists agree. According to them, we have gone too far in the Netherlands when it comes to prescribing medication for ADHD. In the Netherlands we love pills. In the meantime, the use of illegal XTC pills no longer differs much from ‘legal’ ADHD pills. The ‘drugs’ may only be prescribed by specialists under strict conditions. The ‘user’ must take his dose on time. That’s where things are already going wrong. There are even young people who crush and sniff the tablets. Others are a kind of Ritalin ‘dealer’ and sell their own dose. Both are punishable under the Opium Act.
Carbonated drinks and ADHD
In most cases it is impossible to get a correct dosage. Especially not among young people. Under the influence of their daily dose of amphetamine or methylphenidate, they ‘bounce half stoned’ through puberty. It is known that carbonated drinks have a good therapeutic effect. Just look at how much cola and energy drinks the average teenager drinks. Not to mention drinking beer and alcoholic mixed drinks. It is therefore impossible to ever achieve a good dosage.
Side effects of medication for ADHD
The side effects are also common; palpitations, high blood pressure, suicidal thoughts, delusions. Despite the noble aim of providing behavioral therapy in addition to medication, in practice this simply does not or hardly ever happen. If you read the leaflet, all kinds of alarm bells should start ringing.
ADHD research and treatment
Much research is still needed to properly map the short- and long-term consequences. The preference is to stop taking medication and look for good behavioral therapy. Not short therapy but long-term guidance for the person with ADHD and the environment. ADHD is not one person’s ‘problem’. The entire environment and society play a role. Precisely because this takes a lot of time and energy, we prefer to fall back on medication that ‘works quickly’.
According to Laura Batstra , child and youth psychologist, ADHD is not a disease but a behavioral disorder. Treatment must be done by behavioral experts. In addition, she believes that the pharmaceutical industry insists too much on making the diagnosis.
Dutch disease
In foreign clinics for treating addiction, doctors say that ADHD is a Dutch ‘disease’. Dutch doctors are said to be too quick to prescribe medication to treat ADHD. Further research is being done into this, but the fact is that Ritalin and Concerta are stimulants that can disrupt the adolescent brain. This also influences behavior.
