Letter to L. Alan Sroufe, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, who published the article entitled "Ritalin Gone Wrong" in the NY Times on January 28, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 09:12AM Dear Dr. Sroufe,
ISEPP (International Society for Ethical Psychology and Psychiatry), commends you for writing and publishing your article, “Ritalin Gone Wrong,” in the N.Y. Times on January 28, 2012. We deeply appreciate your cogent, insightful, and thorough analysis of the current epidemic of over-medicating children for A.D.D., which we have demonstrated is a scientifically dubious diagnosis. We agree that the present course of attempting to handle children’s behavioral challenges with a pill poses enormous risks of both short- and long-term adverse effects for children in the U.S. and around the world. ISEPP proposes that we proceed with extreme caution in response to challenging childhood behavior and use known, non-invasive interventions that do not entail the significant risks of psycho-stimulant medication.
Like you, we believe that politicians, scientists, teachers, parents, and doctors are accountable for making wise and ethical decisions in the care and assistance given to children as they grow and mature. As you mentioned, putting children on drugs does nothing to change the conditions that derail their development in the first place. Instead it masks the underlying problems and enforces conformity at a terrible price. We applaud your efforts to make the public aware of the terrible reality behind the rush to Ritalin.
We invite you to join ISEPP in its mission to explore and change current mental health practices and theories. We share your dedication to exposing the real-life impact of current mental health practices upon public policy, therapeutic applications, individual well-being, and the personal freedom and rights of children and adults.
ISEPP’s members include psychiatrists, psychologists, professional clinical counselors, academic researchers, educators, lawyers, psychiatric survivors, concerned family members, mental health professionals, and advocates for the ethical use of psychology and psychiatry. Our annual conferences are a major resource for cutting-edge information on mental health practices, applications, and humane, healthy, life-affirming alternatives. We publish an annual peer-reviewed academic journal entitled Ethical Human Psychiatry and Psychology and we provide a communication and referral network for both members and non-members.
Thank you again for publicly going on record with the facts about A.D.D., Ritalin, and the potential damage for children and society. We fervently hope that your insights will encourage the public to rethink its approach to handling challenging childhood behavior and honor the individual expressions and needs of every child in healthy ways without the use of psycho-stimulant medication.
Click here to read "Ritalin Gone Wrong"