Our society has become more medicated than ever before.  Although we appreciate longer life and better treatments for disorders like depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and insomnia, the side effects create havoc for some people.  The big question is, were we already becoming violent, which is supported by crime statistics, or is the medication pushing us that way?  A list of the top ten legal drugs that are linked with violent behavior include 5 that are anti-depressants, 2 that are used to treat ADHD and one that treats insomnia.  The concern that your child is taking your prescription medications presents further complications when some of these medications cause anywhere from 7.9 to 10.9 times increased likelihood of violent behavior.   We can test for use of legal, prescription medications such as amphetamines, benzodiazepenes, and tricyclic anti-depressants but not for all the of the medications on the list.

Some of these drugs are addictive and may be sought after for a drug addiction, accompanied by crime to get the drug, but many of these are not.  Some of the disorders that are treated with these medications involve violent behavior before taking the medication, such as some anti-psychotics.  Many of the drugs described in the study are non-addictive and are not treating a pre-existing violent condition, such as Strattera.  This medication, used to treat ADHD, has been linked to rage and hostility.  I have seen this in practice with my son.  He was diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago and after trying many amphetamines we tried Strattera.  The rages and depression he experienced have been painful to watch.  He isn’t old enough to cause much damage except to his own psyche through the guilt he feels after he has lost his temper.  It is obvious to us now after a couple of months of gradually increasing hostility that we’re back to the drawing board on treating his ADHD.  This leaves me feeling fortunate that the raging will hopefully go away when the medication wears off, but frustrated that my little boy had to go through such a painful period.  What if he had been old enough to get a gun or get into a fistfight in a bar?  The effects would have been much more powerful than just guilt and tears.  Treating a painful disorder is great, but watch out for side effects.  For some people, they may not be worth it.

Written by www.labtestingnow.com