In continuation of mood enhancement drugs for kids and adolescents, we next discuss the issues of Prozac. Of course there is the other favorite drug Prozac which was approved back in 1987 and was the first anti-depressant aimed at regulating serotomine which is the major chemical contributing in the brain for mood. Side effects yes we have all heard. Insomnia, nervousness, weight loss and mania.
Lithium is interesting and a popular thing often prescribed which stabilizes the episodes of elated, intensely joyous moods. If not taken it can cause severe negative emotion swings along with mania, other side effects include nausea, loss of appetite, trembling of the hands.
Zyprexa is a mood stabilizer designed to balance levels of serotomine and dopamine. It has side effects of weight gain, drowsiness, dry mouth and even seizures and it has not been approved yet, good.
Depakote is an anti-seizure medication which treats the grandiose, hyperagitated states of mania, with other problems it induces which are serious; liver and white blood cell abnormalties, headaches, nausea and drowsiness. Also not approved.
Effexor targets serotomine and norepinephrine to regulate one's mood with side effects too; nausea, constipation , nervousness, loss of appetite and drowsiness.
Paxil is similar to the theory that both Prozac and Zoloft uses as it elevates the levels of serotomine in the brain. And like the others causes drowsiness, nausea and insomnia. Now Zoloft enhances the levels of serotomine to maintain the feelings of satisfaction and stability. Now then is this really what we want to be feeding our kids? Not me. I am so concerned with the 7% of kids being prescribed under the age of 10. And in adolescents almost 17% in some regions of our country, this is nuts.
How can we know when we hire workers that they are not of severe deficiency and if they are on these drugs and have stomach pains and head aches won't this effect their work performance and productivity? Of course they will. The question is will the benefits out way the problems? Should people on these drugs be paid less than those who are not? Or are we as employers expected to accept this and call it a handicap? Is that fair to the others? Who do not call in sick and perform better? So parents realize when they do this to their kids for the short-term gain in controllability that they are putting their kids at a disadvantage the rest of their lives when simple discipline could take care of the problem and no drugs would be needed? We do not know the longterm affect of these drugs but will we all be blindsided with health care costs starting in the next few decades? If the experts are telling us this stuff is okay maybe they need their heads examined?
An interesting book on this is "Living on Prozac" and it will scare you after you read it. Here are some thoughts on what we need to do to make sure we do not zap the minds of our future generations:
http://www.parthe.net/_cwg1003/00000012.htm
Why is this important to small businesses and to my company The Car Wash Guys? Well because we have team members who are ADHD who are generally more intelligent than others and perform just as well or better without any enhancement drugs. Why would we want them to take any drugs with side effects? I am simply stating that if 30 percent of the kids ages 18 to 28 are doing some type of drug, recreationally or prescription only that they may not be able to work for our company. If we do drug tests and 30 percent do not qualify we have a big problem, if the unemployment rate goes below six percent and 30 percent are doing drugs that means my unemployment rate for the business is really four percent. This means it will be very hard to find employees. Drug Testing could kill a small business in costs alone. I once read a report where a Trucking employee was accused of running over his boss, this article in the Bowling Green Daily News, in KY. No kidding; A trucking company employee is accused of running over his boss after refusing to take a drug test. Are businesses going to be forced to hire people with such a disability, which requires Prozac or some other drug and then if something goes wrong they go berserk one day? Well, what do you think? We all need to be thinking here? It affects everyone in this great nation and the future of the country depends on healthy minds and bodies.
"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs