3 Facts About ADHD & Why It’s a “Fictitious” Disorder

Years ago, if a kid was bored and didn’t listen well in class, he was considered lazy, a daydreamer or perhaps a bit rambunctious. These days, he’s labeled with a mental disorder.

In fact, the CDC says 6.4 million kids ages 4-17 have been “diagnosed with ADHD” since 2011. And that stat doesn’t even include the 198,000 kids under age five who are taking ADHD drugs. Besides that, I guarantee you, these numbers are a lot higher today – because every year the rates continue to skyrocket.

In a DER SPIEGEL interview with retired Harvard psychologist, Dr. Jerome Kagan, he explains why he is critical of “fuzzy diagnostic practices” and the “over-prescription of drugs such as Ritalin for behavioral problems in children.” When SPIEGEL asked Dr. Kagan if he actually thought ADHD was just an invention, he said –

“That’s correct; it is an invention. Every child who’s not doing well in school is sent to see a pediatrician, and the pediatrician says: “It’s ADHD; here’s Ritalin.” In fact, 90 percent of these kids don’t have an abnormal dopamine metabolism. The problem is, if a drug is available to doctors, they’ll make the corresponding diagnosis.”

Child psychiatry researcher, Leon Eisenberg, one of the first to advocate major research studies on children’s developmental problems, like ADHD and autism, was one of the most famous neurologists in the world. He was a prominent figure in child psychiatry in the 50s and 60s. Some even identify him as the “inventor” or “founding father” of ADHD/ADD.

In Dr. Eisenberg’s last interview with SPIEGEL in 2009, just seven months before he died at age 87, he was quoted saying – 

“ADHD is a prime example of a fictitious disease.” 

You can find this quoted in articles all over the web. In one must read article from the Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR), another doctor was quoted on the topic. Dr. Edward C. Hamlyn, founding member of the Royal College of General Practitioners stated in 1998 that –

“ADHD is fraud – intended to justify starting children on a life of drug addiction.”

ADHD-like behaviors are real. But – kids with the “ADHD label” are likely suffering from toxic overload, poor gut health, food and environmental allergies or nutrient deficiencies – among other things. All of these issues mimic the signs and symptoms of ADHD and other psychiatric disorders. Yet the symptoms are all lumped together and labeled as one big fake disorder helping the pharmaceutical company earn billions while sacrificing the health of our kids.

In addition to ADHD being a “fake disorder,” here are three more facts you should know before giving your kids ADHD medication.

1. ADHD Cannot Be Proven

First off, there’s no lab test that proves a person has ADHD. There’s nothing that proves it’s even a disorder having anything to do with the brain. I don’t even believe it is a disorder.

The “ADHD diagnosis” is based on a list of signs and symptoms related to inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Things like, “is easily distracted,” “doesn’t like to sit still, blurts out answers, and talks alot. But all of these “ADHD signs and symptoms” are basic everyday child behaviors. Plus, there’s no objective way to measure a child’s behavior. But that doesn’t stop anyone, and Big Pharma sits back laughing devilishly at the billions of dollars being made on such an incredibly stupid system for diagnosing a “disorder” that doesn’t even exist! O.M.G.

2. Drug Companies Agressively Push & Sell ADHD

Big Pharma is an enormous and very powerful, money hungry drug industry actively pushing to sell medications.

It’s a business!

The people behind it don’t care about you or your kids. But they are very good at making it seem like they do with all their strategic “helpful” organizations and educational websites they create and sponsor behind the scenes.

And it’s so very obvious.

In the same article from the CCHR, American psychologist Lisa Cosgrove and others revealed some interesting facts about how 100% of members on the panels of ‘Mood Disorders’ and ‘Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders,’ had financial ties to drug companies.

In their study, they found that panel members were getting some major benefits from this “fictitious disorder.” Here’s two facts taken from that article –

• The assistant director of the Pediatric Psychopharmacology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School received “$1 million in earnings from drug companies between 2000 and 2007.”
• The U.S. pharmaceutical industry spent 24.4% of sales dollar on promotion, versus 13.4% for research and development in 2004. Almost twice as much money on pushing their drugs than research to make sure it is safe.

According to IMS Health, profits for the ADHD drug industry continue to soar. Sales of stimulant medication in 2012 were nearly $9 billion. That’s five times more than it was 10 years before.

The drug industry is a massive conglomerate with enough money to pay doctors, schools, athletes celebrities huge amounts of money to promote their products.

It doesn’t stop there…

All sorts of organizations, online resources and well known public authorities are being paid mega bucks by Big Pharma to recommend, advertise and claim the meds are safe. The American Psychiatric Association (APA), for example, and many similar organizations, get special financing from drug companies to sell their products. Who do you think funds the CDC, the FDA, etc. etc.

The APA even recently added “makes careless mistakes” and “has a hard time waiting his or her turn” to the list of signs and symptoms to diagnose ADHD. They may as well add “asks to use the bathroom in class” or “looks a little tired today” to the list. Geesh!

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Big Pharma spends billions marketing to doctors and teachers. They go as far as sponsoring online quizzes and educational videos designed to help persuade people to use ADHD drugs.

And guess what?

You’d never know these profit ridden marketing geniuses are behind the resources unless you researched who sponsored it. And why would you do that, right? We simply trust what we read – especially if it’s a helpful resource made especially for you by government organizations. It’s all a matter of what we perceive.

This is not a crazy conspiracy theory. These are simply the facts.

Do some research. Find trusted, reputable sources and you’ll see. There are plenty of lies, fraud and criminal acts that go on behind the scenes of this industry. Google it.

Here’s another very interesting fact I found as I started digging…

The “patient’s rights group” called CHADD, or Children and Adults with ADHD, has had a very sweet and very private financial relationship with Ciba Geigy – the manufacturer of Ritalin – since 1987. CHADD, which is also funded by Shire Pharmaceuticals – the maker of Adderall and Vyvanse, is the same group that helped get schools set up with federal funding for each kid who is “diagnosed” with ADHD.

Get this…

“In 1991 CHADD lobbied for the Individuals and Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to amend eligibility rules for federal special education programs and federal education grants, providing schools with $400 for each child diagnosed with ADHD. (source)

PLOS Medicine published an article saying CHADD tries to make teachers “sickness brokers for ADHD.”

The article goes on stating,

“Pharmaceutical companies have been able to exploit the Internet to access teachers and to influence their brokerage role. The approach to teachers tends to mirror strategies used to familiarise doctors with pharmaceuticals.”

Dozens of educational resources for teachers appear to be helpful, but are only designed to sell the ADHD drugs.

Here’s a good example from that same PLOS Medicine article of how one of these resources works –

“Shire also funds “ADHDSupport.com Teacher Discussion Guide,” copyrighted by Shire (2009), which has parents fill out their child’s name on a form and directs them to ask questions to elicit teacher collaboration to label the child, such as: “Could the school counselor/psychologist provide support in addition to what you’re doing in the classroom?” and “Would you be willing to fill out symptom checklists, to help monitor progress, on a weekly basis?”

The Guide is promoted on what looks like a consumer education website called “ADHD Support,” described as an ADHD Resource Center. However, it is just another marketing online site set up by Pharma—Shire Pharmaceuticals. It includes “checklists” for determining ADHD in children and adults and provides a Discussion Guide and refers readers to the CHADD website and its conferences.

Sadly, even schools become part of the system. And these days, millions of kids are forced to take ADHD drugs before they can even go to school.

3. ADHD Medications Are Dangerous

Stimulant or non-stimulant, FDA-approved or not, ADHD medications are darn right dangerous!

They aim to boost levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which most often is not even the root of the cause. Meanwhile, these drugs are causing addiction, nervousness, insomnia, low levels of motivation, brain damage, liver failure, depression, stunted growth and development, worsened hyperactivity, irritability, eating disorders, heart pain, high blood pressure, headaches, dizziness, trouble moving the body, abdominal pain, compulsive disorders, mood disorders, a gateway to illicit drug use, a lower threshold for seizures, death and the list goes on.

They are aware of all these side effects, but they haven’t even studied long-term affects!

If my kid was on these meds I’d be terrified out of my mind to think of what else they are capable of in the long run.

An article from CCHR International reports –

“Even Roger Griggs, the pharmaceutical executive who introduced Adderall in 1994, said he strongly opposes marketing stimulants to the general public because of their dangers. He calls them ‘nuclear bombs,’ warranted only under extreme circumstances and when carefully overseen by a physician. 

So much for “extreme circumstances” or “carefully overseen.” It’s pretty much the exact opposite.

When we hear about school shootings, stabbings and bomb threats – we scratch our heads and say “Gee, how could young kids do something like that?”

Well, here’s an idea – they’re on or withdrawing from ADHD and other psychiatric drugs.

The CCHR posted an article with some facts on school shootings –

“Fact: At least 31 school shootings and/or school-related acts of violence have been committed by those taking or withdrawing from psychiatric drugs resulting in 162 wounded and 72 killed. In other school shootings, information about their drug use was never made public—neither confirming or refuting if they were under the influence of prescribed drugs. The most important fact about this list, is that these are only cases where the information about their psychiatric drug use was made public.”

All that, for a little boost of dopamine, which is highly reported ineffective? Great idea, Big Pharma.

Let’s exchange our children’s hyper behaviors for suicide, depression or death. Much better!

Oh, and if that’s not enough, when our kids finally do get off the drug, these side effects can persist for months and even years after stopping them. (source)

No thank you Big Pharma – I’m on to you.

How Our Standard American Diet Causes “ADHD” Symptoms

I’ve got some great news for parents with kids who often behave in ways listed on the ADHD list. There’s a much safer and more promising way to help your kids!

Get as far away from the Standard American Diet (SAD) as you can. I could go on an on about the SAD – which I blame Big Food, Big Ag and Monsanto for – the sisters of Big Pharma. Thanks to our highly processed and addictive dead food choices, we’ve got people feeding their poor bodies loads of harmful, toxic junk. We eat things we are sensitive or allergic too. We accumulate a build up of GMOs, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, high fructose corn syrup, etc.), food dyes, preservatives, nitrates, hormones, antibiotics, MSG – and so on.

Toxicity leads to inflammation in the gut. Inflammation in the gut leads to a dysfunctional immune system. A dysfunctional immune system leads to sickness and disease. 

Real food is our fuel. It’s what keeps our bodies working the way they should. The health of our guts is responsible for almost our entire immune systems, which are our army against sickness and disease. But most people’s guts are toxic. We’re loaded with bad bacteria and inflammation causing all sorts of health issues like constipation, eczema, asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, autism, ADHD, heart disease, cancer and death.

If people and even doctors were more informed about proper nutrition, we’d all be a lot better off. But our health industry is too focused on prescription drugs, disease treatments, health insurance and big profits.

An article from Foodforthebrain.org, explains just how our diet factors into ADHD.

“In any case, when a child is regularly snacking on refined carbohydrates, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks, juices and little or no fibre to slow the glucose absorption, the levels of glucose in their blood will seesaw continually and trigger wild fluctuations in their levels of activity, concentration, focus and behaviour. These, of course, are also the symptoms of ADHD.

Crap in – crap out.

It’s just that simple.

There’s a huge food on mood connection that so many people aren’t aware of. Most of the time, we shouldn’t even call what we’re eating food!

An apple is food. A Twinkie is poison.

Broccoli is food. Hot dogs are poison.

Nuts and seeds are food. Mc Donalds is poison.

See the pattern there? When it comes from a tree, a plant or the ground – it’s real food!

• If you want to learn how to eat to prevent sickness and disease, check out this natural health and nutrition pyramid. If you actually eat that way, I know some of your kid’s ADHD-like symptoms would disappear.

Sugar and white breads deplete our bodies of important nutrients.

Processed foods and sweetened beverages deplete our bodies of essential nutrients.

In addition to this, we’re not eating the right foods, or enough of the right foods, to give our bodies the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients they need. Nutrients from foods that come from the Earth are what keep us alive and healthy.

Eat a healthy diet. Ditch the sugar. Ditch the processed junk. If you can grow it – eat it. If you can’t – don’t.

And be aware that there are many nutrient deficiencies that mimic the signs and symptoms of ADHD. Stay tuned for our article on 5 major nutrient deficiencies commonly found in kids with ADHD – coming soon!

Check out a few more facts in this video on The Drugging of Our Children 0-5 Years Old, via CCHR International.

And more great stats from 12 Keys Rehab

Keep reading…

Natural Ways to Treat ADD & ADHD

Natural Supplements that May Help With ADHD/ADD.

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