Medication and Violence: Could America’s favorite pastimes be related?
As America enters the new year with high hopes and aspirations for change, it is only natural to reflect on the past and look at issues that seemed to have remained unchanged. One of those is the tragic continuation of gun violence in the United States, particularly surrounding young men. Whether it be mass shootings in schools or gang violence on the streets, Americans have become quite familiar with the overwhelming rates of homicides by firearms in the US. However, not much has changed.
In fact, the United States claims the second highest sheer number of gun deaths in the world, second only to Brazil, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. This number includes both suicides and homicides as gun deaths, which is somewhat ironic considering 11% of Americans are taking antidepressants, supposedly to impede potential suicidal ideation. Sadly, this exceptionally high medication rate did not prevent 1.4 million Americans from attempting suicide in 2017 alone.
In fact, the United States is not only the most violent developed nation in the world, but also happens to be the most medicated country in the world.
Could there be a correlation between the severe violence in America and severe medication?
A CDC study concluded that, from 2013–2016, over 48% of Americans took prescription medication in the last 30 days. Over 24% took at least 3 different medications and 12.6% of Americans took at least 5 prescription medications. But the number of young people who are being prescribed medication before their brains are fully developed is even more unnerving. For example, in 2016, the number of American children diagnosed with ADHD towered at more than 6 million, or 9.4% of all children in the US. Over 62% of boys aged 2–17 diagnosed with ADHD were taking medication, including 18% of those aged 2–5, according to CDC data. Additionally, 64% of boys diagnosed with ADHD are also diagnosed with at least one other mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder, which further puts them in the realm of medication. This raises the question:
If there are really so many cases of certain “disorders” in American children, especially boys, are these behaviors actually “disorders” or are they simply symptoms of boys’ development?
Regardless, there is no question that the American population of young people is heavily medicated. Of course, medication generally brings a long list of side effects, some being minor inconveniences, but others being as severe as causing psychosis or thoughts of suicide. In fact, there is an enormous number of young, homicidal offenders who were either taking medication or withdrawing from medication when they committed their crimes. Over 30 school shooters were known to have been on or withdrawing from medication when committing their horrors. The Parkland shooter was taking ADHD medication, the Virginia Tech shooter was on Prozac, and Eric Harris of the Columbine massacre was on the anti-depressant, Luvox. There were many more school shooters who were on medication and probably even more whose records were not released publicly.
Of course, some may be thinking that these school shooters, for example, were already psychotic or deranged, which was the reason they were on medication in the first place. But if this is your argument, then why are there so many school shootings, gang violence, and other acts of violence by young people in America? Are there really that many inherently evil American adolescents?
Or could it be that the 6 million boys who are diagnosed with ADHD because they cannot sit still at school for 8 hours a day might grow up thinking they are screwed up or that society does not understand them? Could it be that the 3.2 million adolescents who have experienced a major depressive episode in a single year have been told from early-on that they have a disorder and enter adulthood thinking they have something chronically wrong with them? Maybe it could be that the 4.4 million adolescents diagnosed with anxiety may grow up without understanding that feeling severe emotions, especially in adolescence, is completely normal and these feelings do not mean there is anything wrong with them as a human being. In fact, these emotions and episodes are completely normal for children and young adults to have.
Furthermore, if children are taught they cannot control their emotions or desires (such as a boy’s desire to not stay on task in the classroom) but that medication is the only way to control their emotions, these children become at risk of fulfilling that prophecy by never actually learning regulation skills because the child thinks he or she is somehow inherently messed up and requires an external solution (AKA medication).
In the United States, homicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 24 years old. According to the CDC, 86% of homicide victims within the same age range were male. Americans know violence is exceptionally present in young males. More than one in five males under the age of 18 are medicated. Americans know medication is exceptionally present in young males. Could there be a possible correlation?
Let’s hear from the FDA and other reports as summarized by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights:
“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified possible safety concerns with methylphenidate (Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, etc.) drug products. Specifically noted were psychiatric adverse effects when prescribed to treat “ADHD,” such as visual hallucinations, suicidal ideation, psychotic behavior, aggression and violent behavior.”
The CCHR summarized the British National Formulary finding on anti-anxiety medication that an “increase in hostility and aggression may be reported by patients taking benzodiazepines. The effects range from talkativeness and excitement to aggressive and antisocial acts.”
European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use warned about SSRI medication for depression, stating that SSRI’s “caused suicide attempts and thoughts, aggression, hostility, oppositional behavior and anger.”
These types of reports showing that medication for ADHD, anxiety, and depression potentially cause violent behaviors, combined with reports that young people are being diagnosed with pathologies and medicated more and more are alarming when put alongside the increasing trend of violence among young people in the United States. The growth of violence and the explosion of medication seems to coincide over the last two decades, which should prompt careful examination and analysis.
We must all do our part to prevent the spread of misinformation and take a closer look into hidden truths, even regarding sensitive topics.
The future of the United States rests with the younger generations. Children must be protected from the skewed messages of for-profit pharmaceutical corporations as well as empowered to understand that they do not necessarily need pills to overcome challenges. If this is done, violence in America may in fact see a positive change in the coming years.
See more posts from Max Parrella here.
Also take a look at Max Parrella’s new book, Collective Societal Wisdom: The Centerpiece to the Longevity of Civilization
