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| photo from fanpop.com |
by Barbara Mulloy-Robbins
ADHD
has become a “hot topic (a favorite expression used by talk show host, Whoopi Goldberg). However, ADHD is definitely a hot topic not to be
taken lightly.
In the mid-to-late
70’s and 80’s my lovable, but definitely out of control five year old son,
Greg, was professionally diagnosed with MBD
(Minimal Brain Dysfunction)... Along came the 80’s and 90’s with the viewpoint
that it was just a “catch-all, yuppie fad disorder.” Today ADHD is the official
renamed disorder according to the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
Recently, Alan Schwarz and SarahCohen wrote a great, and certainly timely article for The New York Times... ADHD in 11% of U.S. Children as Diagnoses Rise.
Some of the big
questions from the article seem to be…
1. How
discriminating is the diagnosis and treatment?
2. Are mild symptoms
being diagnosed too casually? and…
3. Dr. Thomas R. Frieden
at the CDC (The Center for Disease Control) likened the
rising rates of stimulant prescriptions among children to the overdose of pain
medications and antibiotics in adults. Can this be true?
It appears that the etiology of ADHD is calling out for more definitive answers.
ARTICLE LINK... It's a good read.
As a person who
likes to stick a quote in wherever I can, this one seemed appropriate...
“There are
years that ask questions, and years that answer.” -Zora Neale Hurston.
Barbara,
ReplyDeleteIt seems that a good bit of the current research on depression, particularly treatment-resistant depression, points to an over-abundance of Glutamate in the brain. It is no longer a secret that traditional SSRIs, SNRIs, and SSNRIs simply do not work in the long-term and are often ineffective even in the short-term. This research indicates that the GABA receptors and Glutamate inhibitors are what really have the most impact on Dopamine, Seratonin, and Norepinephrine levels. Since ADHD is known to be caused, at least in part, by low levels of Dopamine in the brain, it may be worth looking in to some of this recent research. Unfortunately (especially for people like me with co-occurring addiction and mood disorder), the only effective treatment has been Ketamine, an animal tranquilizer! I understand a great deal of the pharmaceutical industry research money is going in to figuring out ways to get this drug in a pill form so that it can be approved by the FDA. Anyway, I was just curious to see if you had heard anything about this Glutamate/GABA - brain neurotransmitter connection and its affect on ADD/ADHD treatment.
Dan M.