Forum Post: Ritalin Caused OWS?
Posted 12 years ago on Nov. 20, 2011, 11:25 a.m. EST by tomcat68
(298)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Research shows the majority of OWS protesters are young adults who grew up part of the Ritalin generation. A generation of children whos parents would feed them pills rather than deal with the actual problems.
Beginning in the 1960s, Ritalin was used to treat children with ADHD or ADD, known at the time as hyperactivity or minimal brain dysfunction (MBD). Production and prescription of methylphenidate rose significantly in the 1990s, especially in the United States, as the ADHD diagnosis came to be an easy answer within the medical and mental health communities.
We can see the direct results of this broad brush prescribing within this OWS generation of Ritalin users.
Doctors would prescribe Ritalin as a cure for bad behavior, in previous generations Parents would prescribe spankings and punishment which led to responsible level headed adults rather than spoiled rotten overaged adolecents.
Also in the 1990s a growing trend from book experienced social workers and their lefty liberal cousins was the "time out" and other meaningless forms of punishment for disobediant, defiant, and disrespectful, among other things, children. These Educated non parents themselves, inforced strict guidlines on actual parents in how to raise their children. The results are in the streets today, protesting just to protest. demanding what they can not have what is not rightfully theirs what they will never get, throwing tantrums and out of Ritalin.
don't like what I've pointed out? then maybe YOU are one of those lefty liberal lunatics or their "we know better than actual parents" social workers.
just my thoughts for the day :)
Ty
I guess the whole destruction of the middle class, the money flowing all to the wealthiest 400 families, the growing number of poor and near-poor, the 45 million Americans on food stamps, the huge disparities in income and wealth...that's all just a coincidence? The real problem is Ritalin. Just because you don't want to see the truth or don't have the courage to fight for real values doesn't mean you should disparage people who do. America is better off without people like you. My thoughts for today are that you are a moron.
I don't necessarily agree with your conclusions (nor the "spoiled", "tantrum" view you're taking of the situation), but I do think you raise an interesting question about how Ritalin, etc. has played into this generation who is so prominently featured at the protests. I can tell I'm very different than you ideologically and politically, but I too have my suspicions about what exactly OWS is about and who is involved in it. I just come from the other side of the aisle than you. I started as a strong supporter of OWS because at first I bought into the superficial reading of it as a left-leaning, peaceful social-justice movement aiming to narrow the gap between super-rich and poor and restore sanity and the middle class. I see that it's far more convoluted than that, though I haven't yet figured out exactly how or why. But as relates to the Ritalin generation, what I've tended to observe is more the opposite of what you suggest, meaning I've seen a tendency toward increased conservatism and blind obedience to authority, given the nature of the drug as a tool of behavioral control. That this seemingly out-of-the-blue 'rebellion' is happening now among these kids is odd to me and doesn't sit quite right (except perhaps if you follow a theory of repression, that they have pent up their rebellion too long). What I've mostly observed among this generation is an unprecedented level of uber-capitalistic over-achieving (along with helicopter parents), a very high percentage of young evangelicals, and the corresponding flattening of affect that one would suspect goes along with long-term use of psychoactive prescription drugs. When one considers that the primary goal/effect of drugs such as Ritalin is to promote "good behavior" by streamlining "focus" onto the "task at hand" (which we can presume in most cases is ordained by a superior, i.e. a teacher, parent or boss), then it stands to reason that the net effect on the personality and viewpoint of the person would evolve into an increased goal-orientation and a decreased empathy for others who do not have the same goals or focus. And a privileging of "outcomes" over human factors. So, in short, many of them have struck me as somewhat more 'robotic' than kids of generations past. I've noticed this for years and wondered how it would play out. Correspondingly, it's interesting to note that the right wing is very engaged in trying to engage the under-30 vote, and is doing so in various ways: Ron Lawl with the pot issue, some of these specious studies we've seen implying that the older generation of Americans are significantly better off than the youth (implying a schism and suggesting they don't need Social Security) and other tactics. I don't know how all this connects yet, but I'm someone else who's been paying attention to the possible outcome of Ritalin, etc. My fear is that the right-wing sees this under-30 generation's goal-driven focus, ingrained obedience and even its potential flipside of unleashed repressed rebellion as something they can build an army with. And really, youth have always been malleable.That's why I fear it's only a matter of time before they try to co-opt OWS.
Since I'm 69 years old and a whole-hearted fan and strong supporter of OWS, you'll probably accuse me of dementia or some other interesting ailment of the elderly. The question is what tragic delusion do you labor under? My grandchildren have never been subjected to ritalin or any other dangerous drugs, unless you include pepper spray which has, so far, been used on two of them....both of whom are beautiful young women who have put their lives on the line for the salvation of their generation and their country (Yes, THEIR country...NOT Wall Street's!).
I've never been prescribed any mental health drugs, and I can say I am highly involved with the organization of my local Occupy.
And I might be going out of bounds, but I did notice that there were no spelling or writing errors until the last paragraph. I suspect this is copied and pasted. SO let's hear from who actually wrote this, i.e. not Ty.
the name is Tom and this part:
Beginning in the 1960s, Ritalin was used to treat children with ADHD or ADD, known at the time as hyperactivity or minimal brain dysfunction (MBD). Production and prescription of methylphenidate rose significantly in the 1990s, especially in the United States, as the ADHD diagnosis came to be an easy answer within the medical and mental health communities.
was copy/pasted.
didn't catch the misspellings but thanks for pointing that out. Also, I did say the "majority" not everyone.
Thank you for the honesty.
You do have a valid point, but a very hard one to stand on. Good luck in conversations to come concerning this matter.
And what of the sociopaths on Wallstreet?
What drug do they need to take?
How's your research on the score coming along?
haven't looked into wallstreet yet. perhaps when it is them protesting in the streets we will take a closer look.
and BTW. the people who you block from walking in and making a few trades a day, aren't any part of who I'd claim is wealthy. and most of them work for firms who are trading the stocks from your mothers retirement portfolio so she doesn't starve.
just sayin :)
have a nice day.
They like cocaine, scotch, DMT and whores and stuff like that.
Once blitzed out they like to gamble with grandmas IRA.
Now that they stole the reduced pension fund grandpa left her, they like to watch grandma starve.
Are saying they should be denied their favorite entertainment "choice"?
they sound very very bad
Well, they don't have to worry about the cops catching them up in their penthouses.
So they party on with your money.
And if they crash the economy? So what! They got hedge funds.
Research shows? No matter how I feel about Ritalin, I wouldn't make up stuff to support my own leanings.
journey is correct, the research is our own. but nothing posted was made up.
how do you know it wasn't his own research?
Not talking about the facts presented about Ritalin. "Research shows the majority of OWS protesters are young adults who grew up part of the Ritalin generation. A generation of children whos parents would feed them pills rather than deal with the actual problems." Absurd.
yea I see lol.
but he does have a point. and the time line can't be disputed. the talk shows were so full of parents and problem children towards the end of the 90s and mid 2000s weren't they? all with kids who had been subject to every pill a doctor could prescribe but never a good spanking.
i don't know really, and of course you are right but. I do believe in a lost saying :" spare the rod and spoil the child" and his timeline falls dead on target with the majority of the faces we see on TV.
Yup, I'm a lefty liberal social worker who has two children who have taken Ritalin, and I take Ritalin myself. And I'm a Phi Beta Kappa BA and MSW graduate of UCLA. I have worked with street gangs, the mentally ill, abused children, the poor, and the hungry. I am also co-owner of a small tech business. My son is a Masters degreed high school English teacher in a rural, high poverty school. My daughter is an RN. We contribute to our society. I do not understand why we should be objects of scorn because we have sought medical treatment for a brain condition that can be debilitating and is 72% heritable. Ritalin has helped us, but we have also had to work harder than others to accomplish our goals. And, oh yes, I forgot to mention that my son and are are proud participants in OWS.
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Can you provide your source for the research?
Our research is yet in its Infancy true. you can consider what we believe to be a possible problem in our society or not while we further our attempts to help these people.
I'm not trying to build a federal case. and ALL the facts are here on the net, if you care to look for them.
If you can't point me in any direction whatsoever and can only say "all the facts are here on the net, if you care to look for them.", then, I'm sorry, but I can't take your word. Your post is a waste of time. It's not my job to prove your points. Don't be lazy and give us some links.
Fair enough. The history of Methylphenidate (Ritalin, MPH) if you trust Wiki can be found there. The timeline and connection between those subjected to the drug, rather than conventional discipline, is only starting to become apparent Now.
stay tuned in and thank you for your replys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z9WVZddH9w