Analysis Of The Documentary: The Drugging Of Our Children

Our Generation
In today’s society there are issues brought up daily on the news about political regimes and debates, however a much more debilitating issue is . Children, as young as two years old are being put on drugs that are stated “more addictive than cocaine”. Instead of gummy vitamins 7 million kids are given a prescription drugs before they go to school. Seven million kids are being handed a drug that’s “more addictive than cocaine” everyday! As the child grows with the medication, they are faced with an even bigger problem than originally. Any anti-psychotic, anti-depressant, anti-anxiety and/or stimulant given to an adolescent under the age eighteen, puts the child at great health risk. Yet, the government, doctors and schools continue

to push parent’s opinions aside and look at the quickest, most convenient solutions.
As kids keep taking pills to help them with imaginary symptoms, their bodies are being affected as well as their minds. Kids are out playing with friends and little Tommy gets distracted by a butterfly, his mom notices he chooses to chase the butterfly rather than stay with his friends. The next day, the teacher said Tommy kept drawing butterflies in class rather than doing his math worksheet. The teacher suggests Tommy has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. His mom takes him to the doctors and he notices that Tommy could not keep still. He prescribes Tommy “Ritalin” which he has to take daily. Kids will daydream; it is part of their curiosity. When a person finds little to no interest their mind starts to wonder off without acknowledging they’re doing it. Sitting in a meeting for an hour is hard for an adult to do; putting a kid in a classroom to sit for eight hours is even harder. Kids sleep for about ten hours, they go to school for about eight hours and then spend about an hour to two hours doing homework and about two more hours eating dinner, showering and getting ready for bed. That leaves them with two hours to relax and have free time. In this generation, they’re probably watching television, playing on the computer or playing outside. Kids love to explore and learn new things, but when they are forced to concentrate and listen to every word that the teacher says, they lose interest. A part of exploring is walking around and uses senses to observe things. When a child is not given the opportunity to interact with things they are learning, they become anxious. Does little Tommy really have ADHD or is he just fascinated about butterflies?
Parents complain about kids not being outside and playing with their friends. They do not like the fact that their kids are inside with all their technology. As children develop they discover new things. If an adult hands a six year old a smart phone, chances are he’ll figure out how to work it better than the person who gave it to them. Growing up in a world with technology is not a negative aspect. As the world spins, humans advance. Instead of blaming the video game consoles for kid’s attention span, maybe one should consider that the world is evolving into a faster pace environment. This generation is learning to work at a high speed pace. If human progression is moving quickly then why are the schools still teaching the same way? This does not mean to soar past subjects and leave stragglers behind. If the school could adjust their teaching style using modern technology and get kids to be more interactive then ADHD would not be such a problem and learning could be more efficient.
Along with teachers, parents often struggle with handling an energized child. Most parents know how to settle their children down with various activities or crafts. Also, over-active brain function can be caused by an adolescent’s diet. If a parent does not pay attention to what their child is eating, the child’s body and mind can become corrupt. Studies at Harvard Mental Health create evidence that a child with ADHD symptoms should “reduce exposure to artificial colors and additives and improve intake of omega-3 fats and micronutrients”.
Parents often neglect other factors such as reflection on themselves as parents in the doctor’s office. Discarding the term “lazy”, parents may become overwhelmed and frustrated with their kid’s behavior. Instead of seeking advice on ways to solve the problem through reinforcement, many jump to the quickest solutions. Putting a child on prescription drugs should be the last option for a parent. If a student is not doing well academically because a lack of interest, therefore, lack of attention, their mother or father may turn to ADHD medicine to help them succeed. Statistics show, if a parent is taking a prescription drug, they are less hesitant to agree for their kid to be on a daily dose.
There are reports of children in preschool being prescribed drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, etc.

How could a four year old have such a distinguished mental illness? Is it because he or she could not concentrate on a bed time story? In the documentary “The Drugging of our Children”, film maker, Gary Null asked famous producer, Michael Moore: Film maker, “Michael, to hear the experts say, ‘if you manifest any number of symptoms like easily distracted, blurting out an answer before you’re asked, daydreaming and looking out the window, fidgeting at your desk, unable to sit still, that these are the symptoms of the mental disorder called ADHD. What do you think about that?” Michael Moore replied, “That was me! All those things were me! Seriously, if this had been the way things were run back when I was growing up: always asking questions, always seeming a bit agitated, my mind drifting off to some creative place. I tell you, they would have had me so doped up, you guys would have never heard of me!” Symptoms that play along with ADHD medicine are risky and the drug itself is addictive. Symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, ringing in ears, anxiety, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, uneven heartbeats, seizure and the list goes on. As the drug rates go up, unfortunately, so does the death rate of small children. One out of the many children was fourteen year old, Matthew Smith, who died suddenly on March 21st, 2012. His parents are now trying to create awareness for other parents by telling their story. “One morning at one of these meetings while waiting for the others to arrive, Monica told us that if we refused to take Matthew to the doctor and get him on Ritalin, child protective services could charge us for neglecting his educational and emotional needs.” The government is forcing parents to put their children on highly addictive, dangerous medication. Medicals reported, “A full-grown man's heart weighs about 350 grams and that Matthew's

heart's weight was about 402 grams.” and “This type of heart damage is smoldering and not easily detected with the standard test done for prescription refills.” Matthew’s parents were never informed of the serious side effects of the drug and that Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is one of the top ten abused prescription drugs. The government withheld the red flags from the parents which led to Matthew Smith to be on Ritalin for seven years until his young heart could not take the damage any longer. More dangerous than the drug, the withdrawal is highly destructive. Withdrawal symptoms can include tiredness, panic attacks, crankiness, extreme hunger, depression and nightmares.
Young kids are not the only ones suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, preteens through adults are being overprescribed for medication. Teenagers are often treated for anxiety and depression more than any other mental illness. Studies are trying to figure out what might be causing these issues in young adults. Researchers are starting to point at all the social media linked on all technological devices. Are teens being bullied or are they being the bully to themselves? When an adolescent logs onto their social media webpage, they see everything their friends, family and peers are doing. They immediately start comparing their lives to the lives they see. Being constantly connected to the world around you is exhausting; there is no space to free think. Their ideas are constantly being accepted and denied by others which cause self-importance to rely on what others think. Social media story or opinion of teen Teens feel as if they do not have enough potential for a job. They think they're stupid because they cannot comprehend algebra. The schools make it worse by magnifying their weaknesses rather than their strengths. “Einstein did not speak until he was four and did not read until he was seven, causing his teachers and parents to think he was mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social.” After they are put on medication, they might start to lack self-confidence. Who would they be if they were not on medication? Did the medication lead to these achievements? Was it really "me" accomplishing these great things? Personal experience story Teens also experience personality distortion when taking stimulant drugs. Their true identity might conflict with chemicals. Involuntary, their brain activity can be altered. Therefore, the victim of these drugs can start thinking in ways they would never even think of. Drugs can stimulate emotions such as depression, anxiety, anger, etc. If a doctor advises a patient to stop taking a drug, withdrawal effects could be even more serious. 
Are kids feeling normal emotions? Is the medical business so greedy as far as to put our children at risk for mental illness? When a child is put on a medicine that has side effects then the doctors will simply “treat the side effects” with more drugs. This creates more stimulated brain activity than normal. Child services are accusing parents of "child/emotional neglection" when they refuse to give their children addictive medication.