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the pharmaceutical companies claim drugs do wonders for people. But if that’s the case, then why don’t more individuals on prescribed medications get better and off the meds? It’s because drugs are like a band-aid that acts to mask or cover a symptom. Real healing comes at a deeper, more systemic level.

The interaction that takes place when drugs enter the body is not a natural one, although ironically that’s the goal of these man-made products. ADD/ADHD drugs work by tapping into the brain’s communication system and distorting the chemistry. They interfere with the way nerve cells normally communicate by specifically mimicking dopamine neurotransmitters. Drugs fool us into into thinking we’re naturally producing these essential neurotransmitters, but in actuality they’re leading to abnormal messages being transmitted through our cerebral network.

Drugs address symptoms, not the cause

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Along with the quick fix they provide for the more challenging symptoms of your ADD/ADHD child, or the “fun” involved for the parent or college student who abuses them, these drugs open the destructive Pandora’s Box of addiction.1 The D.E.A. lists Adderall and Ritalin as Schedule II controlled substances, which is the same category that other drugs such as cocaine and morphine fall into. This group of drugs is ranked among the most addictive substances with a medical use.

and stimulants can cause a wide range of them. Side effects are numerous–some minor, some serious, and others very serious! Maybe common side effects like appetite suppression and weight loss do not seem that threatening to you. Other known side effects of stimulants like amphetamine or methylphenidate-based formulations (like Ritalin, Concerta, Adderall, etc.) include hallucinations and the development of neck and eye tics. But hey, besides that potential tic, your kid’s sitting still in his chair, right?

Stimulant drugs are addictive and has side effects

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There’s often a need to medicate a prescribed drug’s side effects, and that drug’s side effects, and . . . a snowball effect occurs. The average senior citizen takes 13 prescriptions a year, most often to treat the unexpected side effects of the initial medication they were prescribed. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry that has the power to market (and manipulate) in ways that “smaller” entities can’t. You can’t sit down to watch a television show or flip through a magazine without seeing countless ads that convince us we need help, and show the instantaneous, glorious effects of pharmaceuticals especially when consumers think physicians are credible sources of nutritional information. If you’re a product of your environment, and that includes very little training on nutrition but does allow the pharmaceutical companies to compete for your loyalty, then . . . (Side note: we love that many doctors do go out of their way to get extra training and certification on holistic approaches to handle diseases and disorders. Kudos!)

Drug side effects

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Many think of drugs as magic pills that give you an immediate fix. However, the absence of symptoms does not equal resolution of the problem. It’s not always that easy to solve the underlying issue, and often multifactorial approaches are needed for true prevention and treatment. We’re giving drugs to developing brains. There are far too many uncertainties with giving children drugs. Sure, they’ve been given the thumbs-up by the FDA, but according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, “The FDA approval does not guarantee that a drug is absolutely safe and universally effective. Instead, it signifies that a drug is sufficiently safe and effective when used within the limits defined by its testing for indications, side effects, and contraindications.” What does “sufficiently safe” mean? Also from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, “When you fill a prescription for a relatively new drug, you are entering, in effect, a vast and unregulated human experiment.” Yikes. In other words, there are no guarantees when it comes to the effects these drugs might have. And in children, not only is the brain still developing, but the kidneys and liver–where the drugs are processed–are developing too. Sounds like a potential recipe for trouble to us!

Drugs are not Magic Pills

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Predictably, pharmaceutical industry-funded research tends to favor pharmaceutical products. There are strong financial links between medicine, physicians, and the pharmaceutical industry. The giant pharmaceutical empire has money to pay for studies and then milk them to highlight results and outcomes that they can attractively market. Readers are being deceived by the interpretation of results by pharmaceutical companies.

Many medications are overprescribed. Like the rest of us, doctors are busy, too, and it's nearly impossible for them to keep up with the ever-growing list and characteristics of drugs and holistic and systemic approaches. So it’s understandable that drugs are recommended for treatment, even when there are holistic and systemic approaches to treating the cause, not masking the symptom of ADD/ADHD.

Favor Pharmaceutical Products

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There’s more evidence of this than just at Danny’s facility (see Our Story). Adderall and ADD/ADHD meds are becoming commonplace in homes and schools around the country and used to “get more done” or earn better grades. Many individuals who start taking one pill a day end up taking a bigger dose later on. For addicts in recovery, continuing on ADD/ADHD medications (even if prescribed) keeps the addictive pathways open and makes relapse to harder substances very possible.

It’s one thing if you’re taking a pill from the vitamin shop. It’s another thing if you’re taking amphetamines and Schedule II drugs, which are readily

Gateway drugs and Convenience

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