MEDICATED AMERICA
During the last half of the 20th century, teenagers who were rebellious were being diagnosed as mentally ill. Once diagnosed as ill, they were given psychiatric drugs, like Ritalin, Adderall and other common drugs. Sometimes children are given Risperdal and antidepressants like Zyprexa to children who are disruptive. Sometimes this results in tragedies like mass shootings and suicide.
New diseases were identified by the American Psychiatric Association, such as ADD, ADHD, ODD and others. ODD stands for Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The definition is basically being hostile, and defiant,which includes, arguing with adults and refusing to comply with requests or following rules. Most people consider this to be typical teenage behavior.
Just because a teenager behaves in an objectionable manner toward some adults, it doesn’t mean they will behave that way toward all adults. But if they were ill, wouldn’t they?
ADHD is sometimes the result of a child being passive aggressive. They refuse to pay attention in order to maintain some independence when they feel powerless. They often pay attention to the things they are interested in, even though they remain inattentive to things they feel are forced upon them. If they were diseased, wouldn’t they be unable to pay attention to things they were interested in?
I understand that there are some children who really do always say ‘black’ when someone else says ‘white,’ regardless of whether or not they respect them. Some of them really can’t pay attention to things that they enjoy. For those children, medicine is still not the only answer. They can be taught coping mechanisms in order to better their quality of life. Then if they are medicated, maybe they can take a lower dosage.
As adults, we are often worn down by life, and we learn that giving in is often easier. We choose the path of least resistance. Children are still new in this world and therefore less worn down. Perhaps the reason adults and particularly members of the establishment see them as ‘wrong’ is because we are reminded by them, that we should be resisting more, and we are ashamed that we don’t.
Perhaps when we see a child’s behavior as rebellious, we should consider what is making the child feel oppressed and resulting in the behavior.
An even more insidious explanation is that the APA has an agenda. This agenda is to make us all better citizens by teaching us to become compliant citizens. This starts in the public school system. Frequently, it is a teacher, counselor, or principal who first suggests medicating a child. Often this ends up happening despite a pediatricians assurance that the child is normal.
True mental illness, is when you think everyone but you is crazy. Maybe it is also when you say that everyone who disagrees with you needs to be on medication.
Maybe the AMA would serve the world better by teaching teachers how to engage their students minds instead of how to control their minds.
“What is a rebel? A man who says no”–Albert Camus
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”–Albert Camus
“Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God.”–Benjamin Franklin
Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.
Albert Camus
It’s both rebellion and conformity that attack you with success.
Amy Tan
Repression will provoke rebellion.
Hugh Williamson
The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion.
Frederick Douglass
Introspective Scrapping 