Frank Granett described to Lon Woodbury, radio host for the Struggling Teen’s L.A. Talk Radio program, that the primary reasons ADHD and depressive disorder have actually become an epidemic in this country is because of environmental, nutritional, and physiological reasons. He thinks that one causative element behind this epidemic amongst children is that we are overmedicating our youth.

Frank Granett

Frank Granett is a Board Certified Pharmacologist with over 25 years of consultative pharmacy work in the area of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and psychiatric medications. In his publication “Over Medicating Our Youth: The Public Awareness Guide for A.D.D. and Psychiatric Medications”, he summarizes how careless diagnostic procedures are harming the long-term wellbeing of our youth. He is the creator of the Coalition Against Overmedicating Our Youth (CAOOY).

So Why Are We Overmedicating Our Youth?

Granett talked about just how ADHD grew to such epidemic proportion. In the last five years alone, 12 million young people in the U.S.A. have actually been diagnosed as having ADHD. This is three times the rest of the kids in the world. Nonetheless, this higher number might be due to the very way ADHD is detected, which is based upon a behavioral analyses rather than looking at original biological factors. The outcome of this kind of quick assessment is that we are overmedicating our youth.

The response to this epidemic” has been overmedication, with millions of children being put on antianxiety, antidepressant, and antipsychotic drugs. Even children as young as three to four years are being put on these drugs. Moreover, this overmedication has created another alarming statistic: the number two cause of death of college students is suicide.

Granett discussed how the conditions for this perfect storm has actually been brewing over the past 40 years, when ADHD was first diagnosed. His study has actually led him to conclude that poor nutrition, as well as the rash, often superficial analysis that passes for diagnosis is responsible for the epidemic. He outlined some of the most effective methods mothers and fathers, teachers, instructors, and counselors could find out more about the real facts behind ADHD. He also recommended a dietary change to help youngsters suspected of ADHD. He suggested the use of enzymes, as well as avoiding foods which triggered hypoglycemia and behavioral aberrations due to a spike in adrenalin.

In addition, Granett discussed the mission of CAOOY, an organization he started to give doctors, parents, and instructors the know-how they need to make informed decisions about the best medications for kids, and he is inviting parents, educators, and doctors to lead a reform.

Conclusion

The guest emphasized just how crucial it is to do a bio-assessment prior to providing a prescription. This was a more accurate method than simply permitting therapists to continue basing their decisions on behavior outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Handbook. Just doing an assessment based upon acting-out behavior has resulted in a dramatic increase in medicating children. While a behavioral diagnosis might offer a short-term solution to inhibit visibly disruptive behavior, research is starting to show how overmedicating our youth has a long-term unfavorable impact on their future.

Learn more about Lon Woodbury on Struggling Teens. He has recorded the entire interview on his weekly L.A. Talk Radio show for people to listen to at any time.

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