Lingum Posted September 10, 2014 Posted September 10, 2014 I recently came across a Pete Breggin podcast where he interviews a guest about a new, up-and-coming psychiatric disorder being prepared for the public by pharmaceutical companies and psychiatrists, aimed at children. This new disorder is called Sluggish Cognitive Tempo. The following list of symptoms is identified in a research paper. [*]Prone to daydreaming [*]Difficulty staying awake or alert in boring situations [*]Easily confused [*]Easily bored [*]Spacey or in a fog [*]Lethargic or more tired than others [*]Underactive or less energy than others [*]Slow moving [*]Don't process information as quickly or accurately as others This is where things begin to get interesting. The researcher is Russel Barkley, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychiatry who has devoted much of his scientific career to studying ADHD, childhood defiance and written several books on ADHD both for parents and practitioners. This latest research was done for the pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly, and published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, dedicating an entire edition to it. In Psychology Today - No Child Left Undiagnosed, Allen Frances describes: ...In today's New York Times, Schwarz reports on the latest bizarre twist (ref. ADHD). The very same experts who succeeded in promoting ADHD have now concocted and are promoting a new diagnosis that would be a terrific bonanza for pharmaceuticals, but terrible for the kids who would be misdiagnosed and over-treated. Sluggish Cognitive Tempo is a remarkably silly name for an even sillier proposal. Its main characteristics are vaguely described but include some combination daydreaming, lethargy, and slow mental processing. Its proponents estimate that SCT afflicts approximately 2 million children. Not surprisingly, Eli Lilly is already on the case. The Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology is also taking all this very seriously. SCT is featured in 136 pages of its January issue. Included are claims that the question of its existence “seems to be laid to rest as of this issue” and that SCT is gaining momentum toward recognition as a legitimate disorder. The article referenced is that of The New York Times investigative reporter, Alan Schwarz, who has previously written on the epidemic of ADHD. ...Yet now some powerful figures in mental health are claiming to have identified a new disorder that could vastly expand the ranks of young people treated for attention problems. Called sluggish cognitive tempo, the condition is said to be characterized by lethargy, daydreaming and slow mental processing. By some researchers’ estimates, it is present in perhaps two million children. ...Though the concept of sluggish cognitive tempo, or S.C.T., has been researched sporadically since the 1980s, it has never been recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which codifies conditions recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. The editor in chief of The Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Charlotte Johnston, said in an email that recent renewed interest in the condition is what led the journal to devote most of one issue to “highlight areas in which further study is needed.” ...“The scientist part of me says we need to pursue knowledge, but we know that people will start saying their kids have it, and doctors will start diagnosing it and prescribing for it long before we know whether it’s real,” Dr. Lee said. “A.D.H.D. has become a public health, societal question, and it’s a fair question to ask of S.C.T. We better pump the brakes more diligently.” Dr. McBurnett recently conducted a clinical trial funded and overseen by Eli Lilly that investigated whether proposed symptoms of sluggish cognitive tempo could be treated with Strattera, the company’s primary A.D.H.D. drug. (One of Strattera’s selling points is that it is not a stimulant like Adderall and Concerta, medications more susceptible to abuse.) His study, published in The Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, concluded, “This is the first study to report significant effects of any medication on S.C.T.” ...Dr. Barkley, who has said that “S.C.T. is a newly recognized disorder,” also has financial ties to Eli Lilly; he received $118,000 from 2009 to 2012 for consulting and speaking engagements, according to propublica.org. While detailing sluggish cognitive tempo in The Journal of Psychiatric Practice, Dr. Barkley stated that Strattera’s performance on sluggish cognitive tempo symptoms was “an exciting finding.” Dr. Barkley has also published a symptom checklist for mental health professionals to identify adults with the condition; the forms are available for $131.75 apiece from Guilford Press, which funds some of his research. Dr. Barkley, who edits sluggish cognitive tempo’s Wikipedia page, declined a request to discuss his financial interests in the condition’s acceptance. What do you guys think? 3
MMX2010 Posted September 10, 2014 Posted September 10, 2014 [*]Prone to daydreaming [*]Difficulty staying awake or alert in boring situations [*]Easily confused [*]Easily bored [*]Spacey or in a fog [*]Lethargic or more tired than others [*]Underactive or less energy than others [*]Slow moving [*]Don't process information as quickly or accurately as others Have you ever had days where your behavior matched five-out-of-the-nine descriptions above? Have you ever had days when your behavior matched seven-out-of-the-nine descriptions above? Have you ever had days when your behavior matched all nine of the descriptions above? =================== How about the same three questions, substituting the word "weeks" for "days"? ---------------------------------- Now the most important question of all: Do you honestly think that LITERALLY 100% of the people you know can honestly say, "No psychiatrist guy, I've never had days or weeks that match at least five of the descriptors."? If not, then this psychiatric disorder describes literally everyone. 1
Lingum Posted September 10, 2014 Author Posted September 10, 2014 It also describes children who are abused or neglected, which would bring the psychiatric tragedy full circle, once again. On every site I visited trying to gather information on this, there were parents leaving comments, convinced that they had now gotten medical validation that their children suffer from a brain disorder.
jpahmad Posted September 10, 2014 Posted September 10, 2014 This shit fills me with such anger. I have no other words. 1
Wuzzums Posted September 10, 2014 Posted September 10, 2014 So "being sleepy" is a psychological disorder now? 1
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