One in Five U.S. Youth Suffers Mental Illness - 11 Warning Signs

[tangent4ronpaul]

http://www.latinospost.com/articles/19428/20130517/one-five-u-s-youth-suffers-mental-illness-11-warning.htm

Up to 20 percent of all children in the United States suffer from a mental disorder and the rate of youth diagnoses has been rising for more than a decade, according to a report just released by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The agency's first comprehensive analysis of disorders among youth aged 3 to 17 revealed childhood mental illness affects up to one in five children and costs $247 billion per year in medical bills, special education and legal fees.

"Millions of children in the U.S. have mental disorders that affect their overall health and present challenges for their loved ones," said Dr. Tom Frieden, Director of the CDCP. "We are working to both increase our understanding of these disorders, and help scale up programs and strategies to promote children's mental health so that our children grow to lead productive, healthy lives."

Children with a mental disorders often have trouble learning in school, making friends and building relationships later in life, the report said.

They are also more likely to have other chronic health problems asthma and diabetes and run a greater risk of developing mental illnesses as adults.

Based on data collected between 1994 and 2011, the reseach that showed the number of children with mental disorders is rising and suggested improved methods of diagnoses may be at least one of the factors behind the rate increase.

The most prevalent mental health diagnosis, as reported by parents, was Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, which affects 6.8 percent of children.

Other named disorders, which tend to occur together, were behavioral conduct problems, at 3.5 percent, anxiety, which consists mostly of fears and phobias, at 3 percent, depression, at 2.1 percent, and autism spectrum disorders, accounting for 1.1 percent of the reported disorders.

Boys were found more likely to suffer one or more of the listed disorders, except for depression and alcohol abuse, which affect girls more.

The study also said suicide, which can be precipitated by an untreated mental illness, was second only to accidents as the leading cause of death among children ages 12 to 17 years.

In 2011, the journal Pediatrics published a list of 11 warning signs of mental illness in youth.

The document grew from a request by the U.S. surgeon general back in 2001 to develop a list of key indicators similar that created in 1971 to help people recognize the early signs of cancer.

To determin the list, a committee reviewed mental health studies involving more than 6,000 children and made sure the symptoms included on the list could identify the majority of children with certain mental health disorders.

The 11 warnings signs are as follows:

Feeling very sad or withdrawn for two or more weeks
Seriously trying to harm or kill yourself, or making plans to do so
Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes with a racing heart or fast breathing
Involved in multiple fights, using a weapon, or wanting badly to hurt others
Severe, out- of-control behavior that can hurt yourself or others
Not eating, throwing up or using laxatives to make yourself lose weight
Intensive worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities
Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still that puts you in physical danger or causes school failure
Repeated use of drugs or alcohol
Severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
Drastic changes in your behavior or personality



The 11 signs of possible illness were are indented as mental health disorder "profiles" and not specific diagnoses, the researchers said.

-t

[tangent4ronpaul]

ADHD Is a Fake Disorder Designed To Excuse Bullying and Recklessness
http://www.policymic.com/articles/10373/adhd-is-a-fake-disorder-designed-to-excuse-bullying-and-recklessness



The increased propagating of fake disorders like attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and quite a few others has done nothing more than to offer a sense of alleviation of personal responsibility among those diagnosed. What ever happened to the concept of self-control?

To truly understand how the diagnosis of such disorders alleviates one of taking personal responsibility, one needs to look no further than the plans in place for those in public schools. In my second year of teaching, I taught an 8th Grade Science class. One of my students was well-grown for an 8th grader. He was both taller and larger in size than any other student in the school. From very early in the school year, he started picking fights with smaller students. By January, this bully had picked six fights, often assaulting other students simply because they looked at him wrong. Because of his ADHD diagnosis, this student had a 504 plan., which specified that he could not be suspended more than 10 days in a school year unless it could be justifiably argued that his behaviors were not a manifestation of his ADHD disability. After the sixth fight, he reached his limit on the number of suspensions and so the time came to determine whether or not his assaulting of other students was a manifestation of his ADHD. It was determined that it was a manifestation, and therefore we could not place him in an alternative setting as we would put students who did not have a disability. It was only two days after the decision was rendered that the student actually showed up to school drunk and yet only received one day of in-school suspension. It turns out that the student’s diagnosis of ADHD practically provided him with a license to get away with murder. Sadly, I imagine that such a story is not so uncommon in public schools.

One would think based on this that the public schools would be hesitant to allow a student to be diagnosed. However, schools have an incentive to get children diagnosed as it means more money coming from the federal government. Schools are not the only beneficiary of the diagnosis. The parent(s) of the diagnosed child receive a $3,000 tax credit.

For the medical companies that sell the drugs to treat these disorders, there is a huge influx of cash. In many cases, the medicine does not work. This results usually in an increase in dosage, thus generating more revenue for those medical companies.

Those who suffer most are not the ones who are diagnosed, but rather the teachers who deal directly with the children. While there are some parents of diagnosed children who are marvelous and will support the teacher regardless, there are many who do not. It is rather frustrating for a teacher to make calls only to get blamed for having a lack of sensitivity towards children with ADHD, ODD, or ADD. Other parents though they may not blame the teacher will deflect all personal responsibility from their child with comments like, “Well, you know it’s part of him having ADHD,” or “I guess I’ll have to talk to the doctor and increase her dosage of medicine to get her more focused.”

While not everyone may agree with me that these disorders are fake, it can be agreed upon that they are heavily over-diagnosed. In order for a child to be diagnosed ADHD, a form must be filled out evaluating 14 statements regarding the child’s behavior and focus. These statements range from determining how focused a child is to evaluating the level of difficulty a child has in getting along with authority figures. If 8 of 14 statements are filled out affirmatively, then the child is diagnosed as having ADHD. Could you imagine going to the doctor with concerns that you may have cancer only to be given a checklist to fill out rather than running any empirical tests or scans? “Yes sir, you have 8 of the 14 symptoms of cancer. We are sorry to inform you that you must indeed have a brain tumor.”

-t

[angelatc]

Could you imagine going to the doctor with concerns that you may have cancer only to be given a checklist to fill out rather than running any empirical tests or scans? “Yes sir, you have 8 of the 14 symptoms of cancer. We are sorry to inform you that you must indeed have a brain tumor.”

Gotta love the hyperbole. There's no bloodtest for any mental disorder.

[COpatriot]

Have no fear my children. All you need to do is buy more of our drugs and everything will be just fine.

[Anti Federalist]

And I'll just drop this off right here, mmmmkay?

INVENTOR OF ADHD'S DEATHBED CONFESSION: "ADHD IS A FICTITIOUS DISEASE"

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?414784-INVENTOR-OF-ADHD-S-DEATHBED-CONFESSION-quot-ADHD-IS-A-FICTITIOUS-DISEASE-quot

[heavenlyboy34]

The Myth Of Mental Illness: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Szasz/myth.htm (By Thomas Szaz)

[sailingaway]

how much of this is just because they have turned having a personality into a personality disorder to get insurance payments for whatever they want? Nevermind that it stigmatizes the person for life - and now will likely keep them from being able to own a gun.

[angelatc]

And I'll just drop this off right here, mmmmkay?

INVENTOR OF ADHD'S DEATHBED CONFESSION: "ADHD IS A FICTITIOUS DISEASE"

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?414784-INVENTOR-OF-ADHD-S-DEATHBED-CONFESSION-quot-ADHD-IS-A-FICTITIOUS-DISEASE-quot


Taking the quote out of context. He never said that there wasn't a set of behaviors that improved with stimulants. He just didn't intend the country to jump on the treatment as hard as they did.

[angelatc]

The Myth Of Mental Illness: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Szasz/myth.htm (By Thomas Szaz)

Really? He doesn't believe in mental illness at all?

So, the people who literally hear voices telling them to do things aren't mentally ill - they're just having problems living?

[angelatc]

Have no fear my children. All you need to do is buy more of our drugs and everything will be just fine.


You'd have a point if anybody actually said that.

[Michigan11]

how much of this is just because they have turned having a personality into a personality disorder to get insurance payments for whatever they want? Nevermind that it stigmatizes the person for life - and now will likely keep them from being able to own a gun.

I tell you what like Angela said, there is no blood test for a mental disorder, as in no proof. As time goes forward, as the government gets us ever more cornered, the police state grows, the types of disorders will grow, as the percentage of "mentally ill" will grow, the severity of the punishments will grow, and the drugs will grow.

I also see it as you say, that they are outlawing personalities! This I think anyone who is awake can agree or see that people are becoming zombies out there today, and I really can't blame these bastards because what exactly is their incentive within this system. I can't figure out what keeps people ticking slaving away and jumping thru hoops and being lied to all day long, living in a illusion. If I were just coming into this system I'd go get a bag of prozac and a pez dispenser.

[oyarde]

Well .... the last half of #6 sounds crazy to me , lol

[angelatc]

I tell you what like Angela said, there is no blood test for a mental disorder, as in no proof. As time goes forward, as the government gets us ever more cornered, the police state grows, the types of disorders will grow, as the percentage of "mentally ill" will grow, the severity of the punishments will grow, and the drugs will grow.

I also see it as you say, that they are outlawing personalities! This I think anyone who is awake can agree or see that people are becoming zombies out there today, and I really can't blame these bastards because what exactly is their incentive within this system. I can't figure out what keeps people ticking slaving away and jumping thru hoops and being lied to all day long, living in a illusion. If I were just coming into this system I'd go get a bag of prozac and a pez dispenser.

Except that there really are mentally ill people in the world. Just because there's no medical test (yet) doesn't mean these people are sane.

[Michigan11]

Except that there really are mentally ill people in the world. Just because there's no medical test (yet) doesn't mean these people are sane.

Yes they are out there for sure. To say there aren't is foolish.

[heavenlyboy34]

Really? He doesn't believe in mental illness at all?

So, the people who literally hear voices telling them to do things aren't mentally ill - they're just having problems living?
You ought to be able to read it for yourself...but I'll quote a passage to (hopefully) answer your question.

While I have argued that mental illnesses do not exist, I obviously did not imply that the social and psychological occurrences to which this label is currently being attached also do not exist. Like the personal and social troubles which people had in the Middle Ages, they are real enough. It is the labels we give them that concerns us and, having labelled them, what we do about them. While I cannot go into the ramified implications of this problem here, it is worth noting that a demonologic conception of problems in living gave rise to therapy along theological lines. Today, a belief in mental illness implies -- nay, requires--therapy along medical or psychotherapeutic lines.
What is implied in the line of thought set forth here is something quite different. I do not intend to offer a new conception of "psychiatric illness" nor a new form of "therapy." My aim is more modest and yet also more ambitious. It is to suggest that the phenomena now called mental illnesses be looked at afresh and more simple, that they be removed from the category of illness, and that they be regarded as the expressions of man's struggle with the problem of how he should live. The last mentioned problem is obviously a vast one, its enormity reflecting not only man's inability to cope with his environment, but even more his increasing self-reflectiveness.
By problems in living, then, I refer to that truly explosive chain reaction which began with man's fall from divine grace by partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge. Man's awareness of himself and of the world about him seems to be a steadily expanding one, bringing in its wake an ever large; burden of understanding (an expression borrowed from Susanne Langer, 1953). This burden, then, is to be expected and must not be misinterpreted. Our only rational means for lightening it is more understanding, and appropriate action based on such understanding. The main alternative lies in acting as though the burden were not what in fact we perceive it to be and taking refuge in an outmoded theological view of man. In the latter view, man does not fashion his life and much of his world about him, but merely lives out his fate in a world created by superior beings. This may logically lead to pleading nonresponsibility in the face of seemingly unfathomable problems and difficulties. Yet, if man fails to take increasing responsibility for his [p. 118] actions, individually as well as collectively, it seems unlikely that some higher power or being would assume this task and carry this burden for him. Moreover, this seems hardly the proper time in human history for obscuring the issue of man's responsibility for his actions by hiding it behind the skirt of an all-explaining conception of mental illness.

[heavenlyboy34]

Except that there really are mentally ill people in the world. Just because there's no medical test (yet) doesn't mean these people are sane.
Yes, but the pseudo-science of psychiatry isn't yet equipped to deal with the mind truly scientifically in the manner a physician deals with the body. Psychometrics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychometrics), for example, are quite arbitrary but are passed off as "science".

[tttppp]

ADHD Is a Fake Disorder Designed To Excuse Bullying and Recklessness
http://www.policymic.com/articles/10373/adhd-is-a-fake-disorder-designed-to-excuse-bullying-and-recklessness



The increased propagating of fake disorders like attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and quite a few others has done nothing more than to offer a sense of alleviation of personal responsibility among those diagnosed. What ever happened to the concept of self-control?

To truly understand how the diagnosis of such disorders alleviates one of taking personal responsibility, one needs to look no further than the plans in place for those in public schools. In my second year of teaching, I taught an 8th Grade Science class. One of my students was well-grown for an 8th grader. He was both taller and larger in size than any other student in the school. From very early in the school year, he started picking fights with smaller students. By January, this bully had picked six fights, often assaulting other students simply because they looked at him wrong. Because of his ADHD diagnosis, this student had a 504 plan., which specified that he could not be suspended more than 10 days in a school year unless it could be justifiably argued that his behaviors were not a manifestation of his ADHD disability. After the sixth fight, he reached his limit on the number of suspensions and so the time came to determine whether or not his assaulting of other students was a manifestation of his ADHD. It was determined that it was a manifestation, and therefore we could not place him in an alternative setting as we would put students who did not have a disability. It was only two days after the decision was rendered that the student actually showed up to school drunk and yet only received one day of in-school suspension. It turns out that the student’s diagnosis of ADHD practically provided him with a license to get away with murder. Sadly, I imagine that such a story is not so uncommon in public schools.

One would think based on this that the public schools would be hesitant to allow a student to be diagnosed. However, schools have an incentive to get children diagnosed as it means more money coming from the federal government. Schools are not the only beneficiary of the diagnosis. The parent(s) of the diagnosed child receive a $3,000 tax credit.

For the medical companies that sell the drugs to treat these disorders, there is a huge influx of cash. In many cases, the medicine does not work. This results usually in an increase in dosage, thus generating more revenue for those medical companies.

Those who suffer most are not the ones who are diagnosed, but rather the teachers who deal directly with the children. While there are some parents of diagnosed children who are marvelous and will support the teacher regardless, there are many who do not. It is rather frustrating for a teacher to make calls only to get blamed for having a lack of sensitivity towards children with ADHD, ODD, or ADD. Other parents though they may not blame the teacher will deflect all personal responsibility from their child with comments like, “Well, you know it’s part of him having ADHD,” or “I guess I’ll have to talk to the doctor and increase her dosage of medicine to get her more focused.”

While not everyone may agree with me that these disorders are fake, it can be agreed upon that they are heavily over-diagnosed. In order for a child to be diagnosed ADHD, a form must be filled out evaluating 14 statements regarding the child’s behavior and focus. These statements range from determining how focused a child is to evaluating the level of difficulty a child has in getting along with authority figures. If 8 of 14 statements are filled out affirmatively, then the child is diagnosed as having ADHD. Could you imagine going to the doctor with concerns that you may have cancer only to be given a checklist to fill out rather than running any empirical tests or scans? “Yes sir, you have 8 of the 14 symptoms of cancer. We are sorry to inform you that you must indeed have a brain tumor.”

-t

I probably had ADD when I was a kid but wasnt diagnosed because I forced myself to sit down and study. Not doing your work is not an excuse to make up fake problems.

[tttppp]

You'd have a point if anybody actually said that.

Psychiatrists say that.

[Roxi]

Wanna know if a kid actually has ADHD? Give them coffee. If they get hyper they are just kids, if it makes them sleepy, they probably have it.

[jclay2]

I was pushed on adderall by my mom, via an extremely dishonest doctor. I almost failed 5th grade at an elite private school due to not doing homework and just wanting to play when I went home(how terrible). I scored 99% on their profile testing and that was enough for them to prescribe adderall. After taking it for over a year or so, my appetite went completely away and my behavior was definitely more quiet and subdued (I am not rambunctious to begin with). Basically, adhd is utilized as a crutch for failing, a means for lazy parents to control their children, and a funnel for the drug industrial complex.

[Constitutional Paulicy]

I suspect that the exposure to neurotoxins such as MSG and Aspertame along with numerous other toxins in our processed foods are playing a role in abnormal mental behavior. These toxins are in everything from the toothpaste we brush with to the only other form of antioxidant defense we have in fruits and vegetables which are treated with pesticides, herbicides, fungicides. The list goes on and on and we do nothing to detoxify ourselves.

We overexpose ourselves every day and we question how these dysfunctional behaviors exist.

EDIT: Exclude me from the pronoun we. :p

[Carson]

They'll grow out of it once they figure out they've been lied too?

[devil21]

Hmm...the roughly same 5% of genius IQs in population? Were there any tests to determine whether IQ and these "disorders" were linked? If you're not a sheep then you have a mental disorder. That seems like the general claim. Ive seen this coming for a while but it's scary seeing it starting to be pushed as policy. Drug the ones that aren't easy to control in the general population.

There's so much more on this topic I could post since I have direct experience with the system trying to force my children onto drugs with little to no regard for whether they were actually "different" because they were smarter than classmates.

[tangent4ronpaul]

Hmm...the roughly same 5% of genius IQs in population? Were there any tests to determine whether IQ and these "disorders" were linked? If you're not a sheep then you have a mental disorder. That seems like the general claim. Ive seen this coming for a while but it's scary seeing it starting to be pushed as policy. Drug the ones that aren't easy to control in the general population.

There's so much more on this topic I could post since I have direct experience with the system trying to force my children onto drugs with little to no regard for whether they were actually "different" because they were smarter than classmates.

It's been policy ever since NCLB got shoved down our throats.

Here is one paper on ADHD & IQ, there are many others:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3095845/

Personally, it seems the condition exists but is really rare. Lots of people are being put on drugs because there is a financial motivation to do so and because they are board to death in class, with the pace set to the slowest student. So fidgety... YEPPERS! - that's a checklist diagnostic point for non-psychiatrists to check to see if a kid should be diagnosed as having ADHD and forcibly drugged.

-t

[sailingaway]

Hmm...the roughly same 5% of genius IQs in population? Were there any tests to determine whether IQ and these "disorders" were linked? If you're not a sheep then you have a mental disorder. That seems like the general claim. Ive seen this coming for a while but it's scary seeing it starting to be pushed as policy. Drug the ones that aren't easy to control in the general population.

There's so much more on this topic I could post since I have direct experience with the system trying to force my children onto drugs with little to no regard for whether they were actually "different" because they were smarter than classmates.

Actually, yes, highly gifted people have a larger percentage of 'other disorders' (being highly gifted being off the norm as well.) They call it 'doubly gifted' as a euphamism and don't consider that perhaps their measuring stick just sucks.

[devil21]

And I'll just drop this off right here, mmmmkay?

INVENTOR OF ADHD'S DEATHBED CONFESSION: "ADHD IS A FICTITIOUS DISEASE"

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?414784-INVENTOR-OF-ADHD-S-DEATHBED-CONFESSION-quot-ADHD-IS-A-FICTITIOUS-DISEASE-quot

Considering there's now a Big Pharma (or at least big business) alternative to nearly every illicit substance on the market, it's not really surprising to me that schools have been bought off to start replacing "illegal" drug tendencies with legal drug tendencies that have the same effect but at a young age. Adderall = pure cocaine. Ritalin = meth. Alcohol = depressant (downers). Oxycontin = heroin. I guess they're just waiting till Glaxo has figured out how to get a weed high from a pill and then you'll have the big ones covered. It's pill indoctrination and slowly taking away the unregulated free black market that is illicit drug sales. Substance use in this country is largely uncovered and makes up a gigantic percentage of GDP (though no one dares actually study it!). Definitely in corporate interest to turn that demand toward their products.


Actually, yes, highly gifted people have a larger percentage of 'other disorders' (being highly gifted being off the norm as well.) They call it 'doubly gifted' as a euphamism and don't consider that perhaps their measuring stick just sucks.

Gonna bet the other disorders are because they're trying to cope with being surrounded by idiots all the time. Can I get an amen? Reminds me of the South Park episode on Ass Burgers.


It's been policy ever since NCLB got shoved down our throats.

Here is one paper on ADHD & IQ, there are many others:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3095845/

Personally, it seems the condition exists but is really rare. Lots of people are being put on drugs because there is a financial motivation to do so and because they are board to death in class, with the pace set to the slowest student. So fidgety... YEPPERS! - that's a checklist diagnostic point for non-psychiatrists to check to see if a kid should be diagnosed as having ADHD and forcibly drugged.

-t

Good point about NCLB. Definitely ramped up with the passing of that garbage.

A financial motivation but it's exceedingly easy to target that motivation on the brightest ones that don't want to sit around and "learn" shit they don't care about, particularly at the pace of the lowest denominator. Not necessarily saying it's completely targeted (tinfoil) but the ones that will usually get labeled disruptive are the ones that have higher IQs and won't conform. Jesus dont get me started on lowest common denominator trends everywhere too.



Gifted children with a lot of energy can be seen as having ADHD, especially those children who receive little or no academic stimulation. Alternatively, some gifted children with ADHD who can concentrate for long periods of time on areas of interest (i.e., hyperfocus) may not be diagnosed with ADHD.

There ya go. That's the money quote.