First-line medications used to treat ADHD are among the most rigorously studied, with decades of supporting evidence. So why do fears about their use persist?
[N]o other class of medications in virtually all of medicine inspires more baseless fears, intentional disinformation, and wild beliefs as do the stimulants used to treat ADHD.
Interestingly, these fears are almost entirely an American phenomenon that hardly exists elsewhere in the world.
[H]aving ADHD lowers a person’s estimated life expectancy by 12.7 years.
From other articles on the site:
ADHD medication use lowers risk of death by 19%, risk of overdose by 50%, and it reduces hospitalizations
[T]he risk of substance abuse decreases substantially when [ADHD] patients are treated with stimulant medication
PapaEmeritusIII [any] - 1.7yr
I think a lot of people’s fears come down to some combination of these silly reasons:
Drugs bad
Drug name is similar to methamphetamine and meth is bad
I know someone who abused stimulants and it didn’t go well for them, so that’s what’s going to happen to you too, even if you just take them as prescribed
ADHD is fake and you’re just taking drugs because you’re lazy
ADHD is real, but if you can’t overcome it through sheer effort of will, you’re lazy. And a drug addict. And that’s bad
ADHD is fake; it was invented by big pharma to peddle addictive drugs. So you’re being taken advantage of and you should stop taking your medication
28
TankieTanuki [he/him] - 1.7yr
Sadly, the last sentiment is somewhat common among leftists, such as the Hampton Institute.
17
TankieTanuki [he/him] - 1.7yr
I'm beginning to worry I may be one of those ADHD adults who needs a dosage higher than than the conservative limit set by the FDA. If that's the case then I'm fucked.
Maybe I should ask about combining it with a non-stimulant drug.
11
iie [none/use name] - 1.7yr
I keep my tolerance low by only taking meds 3–5 days a week. If not for tolerance I would take it every day.
6
TankieTanuki [he/him] - 1.7yr
Same here with the 3-5 times a week.
5
bdazman [he/him] - 1.7yr
Wow this is crazy to me.
I always believed I was just going to die sooner because I needed stimulants just to hold my job down.
22
Rivalarrival @lemmy.today - 1.7yr
The FAA prohibits pilots from using ADHD medication for 90 days before getting or exercising the privileges of a pilot's license.
I am pretty sure the air force still offers it to pilots that ask.
1
Rivalarrival @lemmy.today - 1.7yr
Not upon request, but under certain circumstances, yes. They are used for fatigue, not ADHD. Generally, for crews of dual-piloted aircraft on irregular missions longer than 12 hours.
2
merthyr1831 @lemmy.ml - 1.7yr
because sometimes people take them and feel "high" and one of the pillars of global capitalism is the puritanical "suffering is virtuous" ideology that targets drugs that have any positive emotional effect.
It's why we so heavily target opiates*, cannabinoids, and amphetamines.
* yeah even if opiates aren't as safe as other drugs they're important for pain management and their stigma, not their safety, is what drives their repression.
19
TankieTanuki [he/him] - 1.7yr
I'd like to know more about these lobbying groups from the 1970s they mentioned.
13
ReadFanon [any, any] - 1.7yr
I suspect that the Scientologists were a large part of this push. Obviously they are vehemently anti-psychiatry and they certainly jumped on the anti-ADHD bandwagon with great gusto but I'm not sure whether or not they were lobbying but I feel like they were a large part of the cultural zeitgeist that claimed that ADHD meds were turning the children into drugged-out zombies.
5
SpiderFarmer [he/him] - 1.7yr
Lower life expectancy? Not like I can afford retirement anyway.
13
luciddaemon @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 1.7yr
I personally stopped taking mine because I felt my emotions where too flat.
Otherwise I think meds are fantastic for anyone with ADHD and have recommended people to look into them.
12
NephewAlphaBravo [he/him] - 1.7yr
Vyvanse did that shit to me and it's one of the reasons I switched to a different med, every other one has made me feel livelier instead.
1
Poogona [he/him] - 1.7yr
Capitalism really do be making it hard to be on the right frequency doesn't it
It always feels like this sort of quandary is utterly defined by its existence in a world order that lets people who don't perfectly fit their groove starve. Like I can't even picture what the ideal substance relationship would be without capitalism to define why I would take them. I'm picturing someone with ADHD who, without anything to directly coerce them into doing labor, might just have ADHD and live in a way that is comfortable for them, bouncing between tasks and finding their own groove.
This is not at all to say these drugs are dubious, just that whenever I consider this question I wind up feeling especially asphyxiated by the current status quo.
(If I'm completely off the mark someone tell me, this topic is something I used to grapple with a lot before I personally decided against going on antidepressants in high school, and I sometimes wonder if I made a mistake)
12
QueerCommie [she/her, fae/faer] - 1.7yr
Some ADHDers can probably live like that. Some, like myself, have pretty bad understimulation, but I guess I have yet to see if stimulants make me feel ok.
9
Poogona [he/him] - 1.7yr
I hope it doesn't sound like I'm implying that people shouldn't take meds, that's not how I feel at all. I just can't help but wonder how much of stimulant use (meds of all kinds really) is to help cope with capitalist reality vs to help manage disorders. In a way, it's an arbitrary distinction, since this is the reality we live in, but it just makes the status quo feel all the more opaque to me, like I can't even see what lies beyond.
7
QueerCommie [she/her, fae/faer] - 1.7yr
I totally agree. I tend to argue on your side, I am simply compelled to disagree with people.
4
AmericaDelendaEst [comrade/them] - 1.7yr
all i know is adderall made me insanely fucking horny and really really good at Heroes of Newerth and League of Legends. It did not make me study or go to class
It still does all those things tho, it did but it still does
To be fair though my adhd assessment was basically going to a GP and saying "hey doctor, i can't read so good no more, it's hard to focus on the page" and he said "yup sounds like the adhd, here's your amphetamines my good sir"
i was 19
10
AmericaDelendaEst [comrade/them] - 1.7yr
To be fair though my adhd assessment was basically going to a GP and saying "hey doctor, i can't read so good no more, it's hard to focus on the page" and he said "yup sounds like the adhd, here's your amphetamines my good sir"
Which makes it wild that im afraid of getting a legitimate script again, I lost my insurance for 6 years and idk how to ask for drugs without looking like im seeking drugs. I guess i have a medical record? Idk
7
IlliterateOphthalmologist [he/him] - 1.7yr
Ok sure, but they just feel bad.
10
MouthyHooker - 1.7yr
Bodies/brains are different but Adderall XR is like a miracle drug for me. I have very few side effects, it makes my life easier, and it also helps with emotional regulation.
4
IlliterateOphthalmologist [he/him] - 1.7yr
I am glad it works for you. My comment was dumb. I had bad experiences with Concerta and focalin, but the adderall I've bought on the street has been super helpful in my career (even the weird pressed stuff) and I probably should have just gotten a prescription and taken it regularly instead of sporadically.
2
MouthyHooker - 1.7yr
I don’t think your comment was dumb at all. I have friends with ADHD who can’t take stimulants because it makes them feel like shit. Everyone’s brain and body is different so we all react differently to medications.
I am also diabetic and one of the drugs I take (Metformin) gives some people horrible GI side effects to the point that it’s intolerable and they can’t take it. But it doesn’t seem to bother my GI system at all 🤷🏼♀️
2
AOCapitulator [they/them, she/her] - 1.7yr
ADHD lowers a person’s estimated life expectancy
You WHAT?!
9
TankieTanuki [he/him] - 1.7yr
I added the "having" to the beginning of the sentence.
5
AOCapitulator [they/them, she/her] - 1.7yr
So having ADHD under capitalism lowers your life expectancy, not like a biological consequence? I wasn't sure what you meant
Like being trans doesn't kill kids, being trans under capitalism kills kids
I decided not to pursue diagnosis when I read that taking stimulants with high blood pressure is bad. I’d be happy to have this notion corrected.
7
PapaEmeritusIII [any] - 1.7yr
I don’t have the medical knowledge to comment on the blood pressure thing, but I do know that there are several non-stimulant ADHD medication options these days.
15
CrawlMarks [he/him] - 1.7yr
It will complicate your blood pressure treatment but it would probably be worth taking an extra half a stain dose to make your life more manageable.
1
Redshoes @lemm.ee - 1.7yr
They are supposed to only raise it by a few points and you can take BP meds and stimulants at the same time. I have high blood pressure and take both. Your GP/Psychiatrist should be checking your BP when they titrate your dose too. There are non stimulant meds as well so a lot of options.
1
iridaniotter [she/her] - 1.7yr
Mechanism being understood doesn't matter if it contradicts hegemonic ideology (many such cases).
7
MaoTheLawn [any, any] - 1.7yr
I tried a dexamphetamine a few times and although I went into robot mode and unstacked and restacked a giant shed in about 3 minutes, I felt a big crash at the end.
It just felt unnatural to me I guess.
7
sovietknuckles [she/her] - 1.7yr
Emotional blunting is common on stimuland ADHD meds, but not on non-stimulant ADHD meds like Strattera, guanfacine, or Qelbree. I prefer Strattera and have been on it for 8 years
2
aStonedSanta @lemm.ee - 1.7yr
If you truly are add/adhd try other medications. It’s like waking up on the right side of the bed when you find it. Quite astonishing tbh.
2
CrawlMarks [he/him] - 1.7yr
So, ADHD treatment with stimulants works. So it lowers incarceration rates. Then also it lowers stuff like impulse purchases. It then also allows a crack in the liberal framework if allowing that for some people are better world is possible. Yeah, I can see why people don't like it.
3
whogivesashit @lemmygrad.ml - 1.7yr
I mean my medication is great but the side effects are brutal at times.
TankieTanuki in neurodiverse
First-line medications used to treat ADHD are among the most rigorously studied, with decades of supporting evidence. So why do fears about their use persist?
https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-and-stimulants-medication-fear/From other articles on the site:
I think a lot of people’s fears come down to some combination of these silly reasons:
Sadly, the last sentiment is somewhat common among leftists, such as the Hampton Institute.
I'm beginning to worry I may be one of those ADHD adults who needs a dosage higher than than the conservative limit set by the FDA. If that's the case then I'm fucked.
Maybe I should ask about combining it with a non-stimulant drug.
I keep my tolerance low by only taking meds 3–5 days a week. If not for tolerance I would take it every day.
Same here with the 3-5 times a week.
Wow this is crazy to me. I always believed I was just going to die sooner because I needed stimulants just to hold my job down.
The FAA prohibits pilots from using ADHD medication for 90 days before getting or exercising the privileges of a pilot's license.
It's proven to lower the risk of auto accidents!
https://sci-hub.st/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659
I am pretty sure the air force still offers it to pilots that ask.
Not upon request, but under certain circumstances, yes. They are used for fatigue, not ADHD. Generally, for crews of dual-piloted aircraft on irregular missions longer than 12 hours.
because sometimes people take them and feel "high" and one of the pillars of global capitalism is the puritanical "suffering is virtuous" ideology that targets drugs that have any positive emotional effect.
It's why we so heavily target opiates*, cannabinoids, and amphetamines.
* yeah even if opiates aren't as safe as other drugs they're important for pain management and their stigma, not their safety, is what drives their repression.
I'd like to know more about these lobbying groups from the 1970s they mentioned.
I suspect that the Scientologists were a large part of this push. Obviously they are vehemently anti-psychiatry and they certainly jumped on the anti-ADHD bandwagon with great gusto but I'm not sure whether or not they were lobbying but I feel like they were a large part of the cultural zeitgeist that claimed that ADHD meds were turning the children into drugged-out zombies.
Lower life expectancy? Not like I can afford retirement anyway.
I personally stopped taking mine because I felt my emotions where too flat.
Otherwise I think meds are fantastic for anyone with ADHD and have recommended people to look into them.
Vyvanse did that shit to me and it's one of the reasons I switched to a different med, every other one has made me feel livelier instead.
Capitalism really do be making it hard to be on the right frequency doesn't it
It always feels like this sort of quandary is utterly defined by its existence in a world order that lets people who don't perfectly fit their groove starve. Like I can't even picture what the ideal substance relationship would be without capitalism to define why I would take them. I'm picturing someone with ADHD who, without anything to directly coerce them into doing labor, might just have ADHD and live in a way that is comfortable for them, bouncing between tasks and finding their own groove.
This is not at all to say these drugs are dubious, just that whenever I consider this question I wind up feeling especially asphyxiated by the current status quo.
(If I'm completely off the mark someone tell me, this topic is something I used to grapple with a lot before I personally decided against going on antidepressants in high school, and I sometimes wonder if I made a mistake)
Some ADHDers can probably live like that. Some, like myself, have pretty bad understimulation, but I guess I have yet to see if stimulants make me feel ok.
I hope it doesn't sound like I'm implying that people shouldn't take meds, that's not how I feel at all. I just can't help but wonder how much of stimulant use (meds of all kinds really) is to help cope with capitalist reality vs to help manage disorders. In a way, it's an arbitrary distinction, since this is the reality we live in, but it just makes the status quo feel all the more opaque to me, like I can't even see what lies beyond.
I totally agree. I tend to argue on your side, I am simply compelled to disagree with people.
all i know is adderall made me insanely fucking horny and really really good at Heroes of Newerth and League of Legends. It did not make me study or go to class
It still does all those things tho, it did but it still does
To be fair though my adhd assessment was basically going to a GP and saying "hey doctor, i can't read so good no more, it's hard to focus on the page" and he said "yup sounds like the adhd, here's your amphetamines my good sir"
i was 19
Which makes it wild that im afraid of getting a legitimate script again, I lost my insurance for 6 years and idk how to ask for drugs without looking like im seeking drugs. I guess i have a medical record? Idk
Ok sure, but they just feel bad.
Bodies/brains are different but Adderall XR is like a miracle drug for me. I have very few side effects, it makes my life easier, and it also helps with emotional regulation.
I am glad it works for you. My comment was dumb. I had bad experiences with Concerta and focalin, but the adderall I've bought on the street has been super helpful in my career (even the weird pressed stuff) and I probably should have just gotten a prescription and taken it regularly instead of sporadically.
I don’t think your comment was dumb at all. I have friends with ADHD who can’t take stimulants because it makes them feel like shit. Everyone’s brain and body is different so we all react differently to medications.
I am also diabetic and one of the drugs I take (Metformin) gives some people horrible GI side effects to the point that it’s intolerable and they can’t take it. But it doesn’t seem to bother my GI system at all 🤷🏼♀️
You WHAT?!
I added the "having" to the beginning of the sentence.
So having ADHD under capitalism lowers your life expectancy, not like a biological consequence? I wasn't sure what you meant
Like being trans doesn't kill kids, being trans under capitalism kills kids
Here's the full article.
The bush-created DEA
I decided not to pursue diagnosis when I read that taking stimulants with high blood pressure is bad. I’d be happy to have this notion corrected.
I don’t have the medical knowledge to comment on the blood pressure thing, but I do know that there are several non-stimulant ADHD medication options these days.
It will complicate your blood pressure treatment but it would probably be worth taking an extra half a stain dose to make your life more manageable.
They are supposed to only raise it by a few points and you can take BP meds and stimulants at the same time. I have high blood pressure and take both. Your GP/Psychiatrist should be checking your BP when they titrate your dose too. There are non stimulant meds as well so a lot of options.
Mechanism being understood doesn't matter if it contradicts hegemonic ideology (many such cases).
I tried a dexamphetamine a few times and although I went into robot mode and unstacked and restacked a giant shed in about 3 minutes, I felt a big crash at the end.
It just felt unnatural to me I guess.
Emotional blunting is common on stimuland ADHD meds, but not on non-stimulant ADHD meds like Strattera, guanfacine, or Qelbree. I prefer Strattera and have been on it for 8 years
If you truly are add/adhd try other medications. It’s like waking up on the right side of the bed when you find it. Quite astonishing tbh.
So, ADHD treatment with stimulants works. So it lowers incarceration rates. Then also it lowers stuff like impulse purchases. It then also allows a crack in the liberal framework if allowing that for some people are better world is possible. Yeah, I can see why people don't like it.
I mean my medication is great but the side effects are brutal at times.