- Rates of mental illness in children are rising rapidly, with psychotropic drugs being the conventional solution. The documentary “Kids on Pills” examines treatment options and long-term impacts of medicating children
- U.S. doctors are more likely to diagnose children with conditions like bipolar disorder and prescribe multiple medications, while European doctors tend to be more conservative in their approach
- Children in the U.S. often receive cocktails of powerful psychotropic drugs that have numerous side effects and health risks, with minimal evidence of benefit in many cases
- The long-term effects of polypharmacy in children remain unclear. Some experts warn these drugs alter brain development when prescribed at young ages, causing lasting changes
- Alternative therapies like occupational therapy and family-based interventions are encouraged. As parents, you must advocate for your children and consider nondrug approaches to address behavioral issues
(Mercola)—Rates of mental illness in children have risen at an alarming rate, and the conventional solution? Psychotropic drugs. Today, it’s no longer uncommon for children to receive a cocktail of medications to manage their mental health. But is this really the best course of action? Or are we just subjecting our children to severe side effects while inadvertently worsening their mental health in the long run?
The 2022 documentary “Kids on Pills: Happiness Out of a Bottle” from Only Human1 takes a closer look at the treatment options for children with mental disorders. Directed by Stefanie Schmidt and Lilian Franck, the film compares how American and European children are treated and medicated for these conditions, and what the long-term impact on their health might be.
Rate of US Children with Bipolar Disorder Has Increased 4,000%
The documentary follows the lives of several children who have sought treatment from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for their mental health disorders. The doctors in Boston have been the subject of criticism and controversy for several years due to their early diagnosis of mental disorders among children, some only a few years old.
Siblings Anna and Will Birtwell, 9 and 6 years old respectively, have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder (manic depression), and often struggle with unpredictable mood swings. Their mother, Kelli, narrates:2
“The tiniest thing would set off a two-hour rage or crying fit. She [Anna] might start saying things that someone says when they’re depressed. For instance, one week would be drawing butterflies and flowers and rainbows and all sorts of things that [are] happy. And then the next week, she would take a black crayon and scribble and rip the paper through, and she would say just things like ‘I don’t want to be alive anymore.’”
Jaylene Quijada, also a patient at Massachusetts General Hospital, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was just 3 years old. In her case, the manic aspects of the condition are more evident. Jaylene’s psychiatrist, Dr. Robert Doyle, who is also the chief medical director at the hospital, comments:3
“Looking back, she was the most classic bipolar kid, with these full-blown, manic, giddy laughing, out of control, unable to be redirected children I’ve ever seen.”
However, physicians in Europe diagnose psychiatric irregularities like this differently. According to Dr. Martin Holtman,4 who has a clinic in Frankfurt, if the factors used to diagnose bipolar disorder in the U.S. were to be considered as mere behavior descriptions instead, then the children would be diagnosed with milder disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Holtman recounts how young American patients in Frankfurt might be given psychostimulants for their ADHD, but when these children go to the U.S. for vacation, they return with additional prescription medications, saying they’ve been diagnosed in the States as bipolar.5
Children in America Often Fall Victim to Polypharmacy
Polypharmacy refers to the use of multiple medications to address a health condition, and it is becoming prevalent among both the elderly and the youth. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics,6 out of 302 pediatric patients surveyed, 68.2% have experienced polypharmacy.
In the featured documentary,7 Jaylene’s mother, Elizabeth, shared how Doyle has prescribed various types of medications to manage her daughter’s condition:
“About [age] 6, she started with the anxiety. So, I mentioned that to him [Doyle] and he said, ‘Well, let’s give her an antianxiety medication.’ So, at that point, he gave her Lorazepam to calm her down. That didn’t do anything. It just made her more hyper; it just made her more stimulated. So, he said, ‘Well let’s try Klonopin.’ We tried that — [it] didn’t help her. Nothing would help.
So, at that point we went back and forth. He just kept mixing the medication[s], like the Risperdal. That was the only thing that really helped her. So, we just kept upping the dose, upping the dose, splitting the doses up to see if that would help.”
Doyle adds that he even tried giving Jaylene small doses of lithium — a mood stabilizer with side effects like memory problems and seizures.8 It even poses a risk for kidney failure when used long-term.9 But it still didn’t work out, as Jaylene started to become confused and couldn’t think clearly, causing him to halt the lithium treatment.10
Meanwhile, Anna, who has been taking a new drug called Abilify to curb the manic side of her condition,11 is shown to be struggling with severe mood swings and crying fits. Her mother says that according to her doctor, the new drug works to get rid of “the manic side” of the condition, but as a result, the depression manifests more, causing Anna’s intense outbursts.12
Indeed, U.S. children are now being plied with powerful drugs to treat mental health concerns. Rarely do these medications address the root of the problem. Plus, they create new issues of their own. The result? More symptoms that are then treated with additional medications.
Giving Children a Cocktail of Drugs Provides Very Little to No Benefit
There’s no doubt that overprescribing medications is ultimately setting children up for a downward spiral of increasing side effects and worsening health. The documentary mentions some of the side effects of psychotropic drugs on children, including weight gain, growth dysfunction, sleep problems, nervousness and mood swings. Medicated children are also at higher risk of diseases like heart disease and diabetes.13
What’s even more alarming is that drug cocktails have been shown to provide very little or no benefit. For example, a 2021 review published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology14 found that when selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were added to other ADHD treatments, there was only “minimal evidence of benefit for mood or anxiety comorbidities.”
In addition, the drug Strattera (atomoxetine) led to “mixed reports of benefit, including the only small RCT [randomized controlled trial] showing no benefit.” The study also highlighted that taking drug combinations frequently resulted in more side effects — as expected.
And although six million children in the U.S. are now taking psychotropic medications,15 many of these drugs are not approved for use in children. According to the featured film:
“Doctors can justify prescribing other medications earlier as ‘individual healing attempts’ — this is a regular occurrence in the U.S., which accounts for the majority of the 17 million children taking psychotropic drugs worldwide.”16
Dr. Dominik Riccio, director of the Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology, explains why giving antipsychotic medications to children could be particularly damaging:17
“When you give an antipsychotic drug to anyone, especially children, you are causing an imbalance. It’s an exogenous substance that you’re putting into the brain and you’re causing a purposeful imbalance.
You’re doing very damaging things, in my opinion, to the child because you’re shutting down the centers of the brain that are responsible for creativity, for loving, for emotion, for feeling — the very things that make us human beings and discriminate us from the animals.”
The Long-Term Effects of Polypharmacy in Children Are Still Unclear
Eleven-year-old Raul, who has ADHD and bipolar disorder, has been on a cocktail of psychotropic drugs since he was diagnosed. According to his adoptive parents, Tessa and Terrence Williams, some of the prescription medications he was given include antianxiety medications like Buspar, stimulants like Concerta and Ritalin (methylphenidate), and even Depakote, an antiseizure drug.18
They also describe an incident in which Raul’s outbursts took a turn for the worse, and he became violent and had a seizure. He was hospitalized in the psychiatric ward for a month. Terrence shares how he was “very upset” as he was hopeful that the medications were working. “We thought perhaps we were turning a corner, but they actually really [went] downhill,” he said.19
The film states that without definitive studies, the long-term consequences of these drugs cannot be concluded, and with incidents like Raul’s, it’s often unclear whether it’s the illness or the medication that’s really responsible for the behavior.20
European doctors also highlight the long-term risks associated with prescribing psychotropic drugs to young children. According to Dr. Bruno Müller-Oerlinghausen, a clinical psychopharmacologist, these drugs are “excitatory potent” — patients who take them often experience sleep disturbances, coordination problems, agitation and even suicidal thoughts.21
Dr. Gerald Hüther, a German neurobiologist who has done in-depth studies on Parkinson’s disease, also voices his concern about long-term methylphenidate use among young children, saying:22
“Medication that changes the functioning of the brain, and is prescribed very early, also leads to the alteration in the maturation of the brain. If one prescribes the same psychotropic medication for an adult, then it’s as if one sets a wobbling train back on the tracks. But the tracks are all already there.
If these drugs are given to a child whose brain is still in the stage of development, then it’s as if it affects the building of the tracks. That means the train can drive somewhere else and that is then also verifiable.”
Nondrug Approaches for ADHD
In Europe, even though they still prescribe drugs to children, doctors are more conservative than U.S. doctors when it comes to prescribing multiple medications at a time. According to Holtman:
“We’re not quick to prescribe medication. In most cases, we don’t give high doses. We don’t give several types of medication. The Americans almost always don’t just take one type of medication. You could say they are taking a cocktail of drugs. So, we are being careful.”23
In addition, seeking alternative therapies are encouraged, such as enrolling in rehab centers where children with ADHD work with their family and other families to develop traditional values, such as trust and strengthening the child-parent relationship to manage their condition. Jens Missler, whose young children Marc-Andre and Jan-Phillip have both been diagnosed, says:24
“I don’t think that you can call it a general remedy. You try to integrate into daily life what you have learned as much as possible. It won’t always be easy, that’s obvious, but of course, you have to see what you alone have got out of it. We have to see what he wants to put into practice for himself, at his age and of course, how far we can propel him in that direction.”
Marc-Andre, before doing therapy, was unable to do simple tasks like catching a ball or hopping on one foot. After two years of occupational therapy, his concentration has improved, as well as his dexterity and ability to focus on one task at a time.25
Yet, there’s no doubt that the urge to seek medication as a primary treatment is also increasing in Europe. Despite his successes in occupational therapy, Marc-Andre’s parents are planning to put him on methylphenidate, as he is set to begin school in a few months.26
Be Your Child’s Advocate
In 2008, physicians from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital made headlines after it was discovered that they received millions of dollars of funding from pharmaceutical companies. It’s a clear indication of how Big Pharma is pulling strings to ensure that medications become the first line of treatment for adults and children alike.
In the documentary, Dr. John Abramson, a former psychologist and author of the book “Overdosed America,” comments:27
“There’s definitely a relationship to the funding system of how the knowledge is produced and disseminated that creates the impression that physicians who are trying their best to help children will realize that goal by using drugs and expensive drugs instead of by doing what they did before these expensive drugs became the recognized therapy for pediatric bipolar disease.”
Advocating for your child is your responsibility as a parent; it is imperative that you stand up against allowing powerful corporations to rake in profits at the cost of your child’s well-being. If your child is dealing with an emotional or mental challenge, I recommend seeking help from a trustworthy physician who does not consider psychotropic drugs as the first choice of treatment.
“The treatment of children with psychotropic drugs is a science that is still partly experimental. Only the future will tell if the parents of these children have made the right decisions, and by then it will be too late to go back,” the film concludes.28
You must also realize that most behavioral problems in children are related to an unhealthy diet, emotional upset and exposure to toxins. For example, paying attention to the health of your and your child’s gut microbiome is crucial. Research shows that the makeup of gut flora at birth and during a child’s first year of life plays a key role in the development of neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD.29
Other toxic substances that have been associated with an increased risk of ADHD include lead, phthalates, BPA, pesticides and air pollution, as they disrupt brain development and neurotransmitter systems, affecting your child’s behavior and cognitive function. For more information on this, I recommend reading my article, “Why Do 1 in 9 Children Now Have ADHD Diagnosis?”
- 1 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human
- 2 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 2:20
- 3 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 7:26
- 4 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 8:09
- 5 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 10:38
- 6 The Journal of Pediatrics, August 2024, Volume 271, 114056
- 7 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 20:35
- 8 NIH, Lithium, January 14, 2024
- 9 International Journal of Bipolar Disorders volume 11, Article number: 35 (2023)
- 10 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 21:15
- 11, 15 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 11:40
- 12 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 13:25
- 13 J Autism Dev Disord (2023)
- 14 J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. April 2021;31(3):148-163
- 16 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 14:46
- 17 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 21:43
- 18 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 22:28
- 19 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 25:21
- 20 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 25:43
- 21 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 26:36
- 22 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 28:48
- 23 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 15:00
- 24 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 16:25
- 25 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 34:20
- 26 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 41:14
- 27 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 36:45
- 28 YouTube, Medicating Children For Mental Disorders: Is It Right? Kids on Pills | Only Human, 42:29
- 29 Cell, April 11, 2024, Volume 187, Issue 8, p1853-1873
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
