Hello, Brains!
If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you already have a general idea how I feel about Netflix's new documentary "Take Your Pills".
"Take Your Pills" could have been an insightful documentary about the abuse of ADHD medication;
instead, it was an attack on the medication itself and the people who take it.
The producers of this film made it clear they didn't intend to shame or spread fear about taking stimulant medication
But, whether they intended it or not, it does.
The film repeatedly equates stimulant medication with street drugs.
"College crack"
"ADHD medicine is a very small dose of meth in a pill."
"This isn't booze, this is meth."
"Why would anyone want to put this in their body?"
and makes almost no distinction between the effects of taking the stimulant medication as prescribed
and the effects of abusing or flat-out overdosing on it.
"Surge of energy."
"I start to sweat; my heart accelerates."
"We were up for two and a half days doing Adderall"
It jumps back and forth between people diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder taking their medication:
"Went to the doctor I saw a difference immediately."
and people taking it illegally, often blurring the lines between them:
"You aren't worried about getting in trouble, you're just a kid with learning disability."
All this is interspersed with anti-drug propaganda:
"They said meth would help me get through my exams."
Misrepresentations of ADHD and ADHD treatment in the media:
"It is possible for Ritalin to get you pretty high."
"It is through medication!"
and interviews with experts who warn of the history and potential dangers of stimulants,
without acknowledging even one of the dozens of peer-reviewed studies on their effectiveness or safety when properly prescribed.
After nearly an hour of criticizing stimulants,
the documentary pauses to focus on under researched and unregulated alternatives
such as nootropics and microdosing psychedelics, where they do take care to mention dosage matters:
"In fact if you have anything like that, that's too high a dose."
"Take Your Pills" ends with a political theorist
[confused pause]
suggesting that what we lose - presumably by taking Adderall - is our ability to wander
to be creative, to experience deep connection, grief.
"The experience of being human itself."
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I'm sorry, what?!
I have a very creative brain but, without my stimulant medication,
I wouldn't have the focus to do what I do with that creativity.
My medication actually makes it easier for me to connect because I can filter out distractions
and better regulate my emotions and impulses.
And I still feel grief just fine, thank you.
I'm not positive they meant to include people with ADHD in that statement, but that's part of the problem with this documentary.
It's often unclear as to exactly who or what they're referring to, so it ends up being muddy and confusing.
But I don't want the bias or the clumsiness of this documentary to distract from the fact that many of the concerns expressed are real concerns.
Even when they're misrepresented or based on anecdotal evidence.
I'll go into some of these in more depth in future episodes but for now
if you have ADHD, or you love someone with ADHD
or even if you're just curious about the topic,
here are five of the main points the film attempted to address
and what you need to know.
1) Adderall abuse is a problem. Absolutely.
The documentary exaggerates the prevalence of this problem, but it is an issue that stimulants can be relatively easy to obtain.
Stimulant abuse also hurts those with ADHD who are pressured into selling the medication that they count on
or who have trouble getting their medication - or a diagnosis - because so many people abuse it
or who choose to stop taking their medication altogether rather than deal with the peer pressure.
This aspect of it wasn't addressed in the documentary, but it's happening in our community
and it's important to talk about it.
If you have a child who takes ADHD medication, talk to them about how they'll deal with this kind of peer pressure.
Creating and practicing a plan ahead of time can help.
2) ADHD is a real medical condition that needs to be treated somehow.
"If a child has ADHD, we're gonna do whatever it takes to get them to the next level; whether that be medicine, or therapy, but something must happen."
I'm glad they included this in the documentary.
Personally, I love my ADHD brain, but the research is pretty clear on this.
ADHD does put people at a higher risk for everything from job loss to addiction to divorce.
A 2015 study found that those with ADHD are twice as likely to die prematurely due to an accident.
And that risk is higher the later that ADHD is diagnosed and treated.
ADHD also affects a lot more than focus.
It's on a spectrum so it's more severe for some people than others.
But for most people with ADHD, it's important to find ways to minimize the risks and impairments associated with it.
When well-meaning people warn of the potential side effects of ADHD medication,
they may not realize not treating ADHD can have serious side effects, too.
3) ADHD medication can be dangerous.
There are risks involved in any medication, for any medical condition,
which is why it's important to get a proper diagnosis and take it under medical supervision.
But is ADHD medication particularly dangerous?
To answer that, I reached out to leading ADHD expert, psychiatrist,and author of over 20 books on ADHD,
Dr. Ned Hallowell, who was kind enough to share his expertise.
"I have seen in my practice over the past thirty five years
thousands of lives - from 6 years old to 76 years old - changed dramatically for the better.
Educational career saved; marriages saved; professional career saved.
We have a tremendous amount of research on these medications.
If you get the medical facts you'll find that these medications are,
when used properly, under medical supervision,
among the safest medications we have.
And for some reason, all that we read about are the dangers.
Yes, they can be dangerous, but the headline should be:
"Taken properly, these medications change lives dramatically and safely for the better."
Please see a doctor who knows what he or she is doing
and don't listen to people who have well and good intentions, but don't really understand the facts.
This is Dr. Ned Hallowell wishing you all the very best."
I've linked to Dr. Hallowell's full response to "Take Your Pills" in the description below.
4 ) There are alternatives to stimulants.
Though the film doesn't go into them there are research-based ways to treat ADHD beyond stimulant medication.
Mindfulness; meditation; diet; exercise; getting enough sleep; all have an impact on symptoms.
Behavioural therapy for children;
cognitive behavioural therapy for adults and adolescents;
school accommodations can make a huge difference;
non stimulant medication is also an option.
The research shows the greatest outcomes when
medication is combined with other treatments and strategies,
but if you don't want to take it, or medication doesn't work for you
-which is true for about 20% of people with ADHD-
there are still lots of things you can do.
There are also lots of people who prey on fears about stimulant medication
and will happily sell you alternatives that range from ineffective
to unregulated
to potentially harmful
Natural does not always mean "safe."
So do your research, consider the source, and talk to your doctor.
Finally, 5) many ADHDers are uncomfortable with taking their pills.
The documentary did a good job of portraying that and it boils down to three reasons.
A) They don't like how it makes them feel
Often this can be resolved just by changing medications
or adjusting the dose, so talk to your doctor.
Every brain reacts differently and even a medication or dose
that's effective for you might not be the best one for your brain.
B) They feel like their medication is more for the people around them than it is for them
Parents: be careful with this, because I hear it a lot.
It's really easy for a kid with ADHD to end up resentful about being made to take a pill that makes them more "manageable".
Of course medication can make life easier for the family too
but it's important that your ADHDer knows that the primary goal of their treatment is to help them,
not anyone else.
Thanks Mom.
And C) They - or their loved ones - feel like they shouldn't need them.
This is what I think "Take Your Pills" did best:
authentically portray the shame that many ADHDers feel about taking their medication.
Ironically that shame isn't really about the medication itself,
but the stigma hammered into us that we shouldn't need it.
Or that somehow we're cheating by taking it.
A stigma that says that treating disorders in any other organ of the body is fine,
but treating disorders in the brain is not.
A stigma that tells us taking a medication as prescribed under medical supervision
is no different than doing illegal drugs off the street.
Whether intentional or not, it's a stigma that this documentary perpetuates.
"I feel here it's too easy to put a kid on something close to meth and not question it."
"There's other things you can do; just teach them how to focus."
[sceptical pause]
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[click]
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That's it for this week.
To be clear, I have never taken any money from a pharmaceutical company,
and I am not recommending that everyone with ADHD take medication
I think it's an individual decision that's between you, your loved ones, and your doctor.
But I do believe that if medication is what's right for you you should never have to feel ashamed about taking it.
So if you'd like to help me fight the stigma against mental health treatment,
or if you just need a mental hug,
Check out the hashtag #ITakeMyPillsBecause on Twitter.
Let's break that stigma
I've provided citations for studies and link to good sources of ADHD info in the description below,
and, if you want to know what it's really like to have ADHD,
check out this video I made with ADHD brains from all over the world.
Thank you to my Brain Advocates and all my Patreon Brains who not only make content like this possible,
but support me through the process of making it
and come up with awesome ideas and hashtags to help combat the stigma against mental health treatment.
Like, subscribe, start thoughtful - and respectful - discussions in the comments below
and I will see you next week.
Bye, Brains!
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