Guest guest Posted September 15, 2004 Report Share Posted September 15, 2004 > Misty <misty3 > Wed, 15 Sep 2004 15:06:04 +1200 > Prescription drugs are > causing cognitive deficiency > > Robert Brown > Prescription drugs are causing cognitive deficiency > Tue Sep 14, 2004 16:31 > 198.81.26.102 > http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?disc=149495;article=65309;title=APFN > Crisis of the Mind > Who is Watching Out For Your Health? > The Challenge > > Memory and the ability to think effectively can be > lost, and the individual > that has lost them may not know that they are gone. > > At this time in your life, you are the way you are, > mentally and physically, > because of your accumulated life experiences and > your genetic make-up. Every > drug, chemical, thought, environmental experience, > what you have eaten, > every minute of exercise, and everything that has > been done to your body, > etc., have made you the way you are now. > > Is it possible to be driving, working or cooking > dinner and without warning, > lose your memory and not be able to think > effectively? > > I received a request from a hospital to evaluate one > of their patients for > possible referral to our traumatic brain injury > rehabilitation program. The > police had arrested this patient for driving under > the influence and had > brought her to the hospital emergency room because > of her obvious serious > medical condition. Her condition was stabilized, she > was tested for drug and > alcohol use and she was chemical free. She was > definitely not under the > influence. The hospital could not find a cause for > her condition. > While driving to work, she had lost most of her > memory, her ability for > complex thoughts and her ability to drive. She did > not recognize her mother; > she had become instantly senile (not officially > diagnosed), even though she > was only 24 years old. Her condition eventually > improved and she went home > with her mother. > I followed-up after about a month, with a call to > her mother and found that > she was “getting better,” she still could not live > on her own or return to > work. > > Is it possible to demonstrate senile behaviors at 24 > years old? > > I evaluated another individual who had demonstrated > senile behaviors at > work. Then, one of my employees suffered the same > “affliction.” I followed > his progression from being a good employee, to > becoming senile ( again, not > medically diagnosed with senility), through > recovery. I interviewed him > extensively after he was released from the hospital. > He seemed physically > well; however, he was emotional, did not remember > me, could not focus on a > task for more than one minute and was not able to > return to work. > I discussed these incidences of quickly acquired > senility symptoms with a > friend who was working in an emergency room, and > found that he was aware of > others that had lost cognitive functioning through > unknown causes as well. I > heard of more cases but didn’t have first hand > contact or experience with > them. I attempted to find out more about this > strange occurrence but to my > surprise found that there wasn’t an interest or > investigation of this within > the medical community. > I am a behavior specialist, teacher, alternative > therapies specialist and > rehabilitation services coordinator for people with > traumatic brain > injuries. I have more than 25 total years experience > working with addicts, > mild cognitive impairment, adjudicated youths, > developmentally disabled > individuals, and Alzheimer’s, among other > populations. This was my first > experience with individuals that had suffered a > seemingly non-diagnosable > cause for their cognitive impairment. > > These unfortunate individuals were affected by > something from their > environment and/or something that they put into > their bodies. Can this > happen to you? > > Since my experiences with “instant senility,” I have > been researching and > becoming more knowledgeable of cognitive impairment > causes. I failed to find > more information on these strange cognitive > depleting phenomena. Our mental > and physical health is directly and indirectly > effected by the environment > and what we take into our bodies There is a large > part of our population > that suffers from some form of cognitive or thought > process impairment and > this is growing rapidly every day. We should be > talking openly and > frequently to determine possible solutions. One > reason that more is not > known and the discussion is not more open, is that > mainstream/conventional > medicine and health care are contributing factors in > the worsening of this > problem. The use of drugs and chemicals for the > perception of life > improvement is encouraged. If you are not happy or > at least contented, take > a drug. Just watch, read and listen to commercial > advertisements. > > Are about 100 million people in the U.S. cognitively > impaired or at risk of > being impaired? > > Statistics and study results support this > possibility. Managing this real > and growing trend and assisting the unfortunate > individuals affected will > prove to be a challenge. We are not doing enough to > prevent the numbers of > this dysfunctional population from growing even > larger. We need to start > dealing with and managing this challenge using all > available resources and > treatment modalities. Main stream health > care/medical practice, is narrow in > its approach, ignores effective therapies and tends > not be forthcoming and > honest about its activities. > Effective, proactive thinking is important. We > continue to use the basic > ancient survival fear-based survival techniques of > reaction and fight or > flight. By now in our evolution, we should be able > to learn from history, > what has worked and what does not. The social > survival technique of drugging > ourselves to make our lives seem better is becoming > more popular and is > aggressively encouraged. A significant part of our > population is affected by > either an acquired, induced or sought after decrease > of complex thought > process ability. > > Can functional cognitive abilities be maintained, > restored and improved > through the use of alternative therapies? > > The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is increasing, > currently there are > approximately five million diagnosed cases and Mild > Cognitive Impairment > effects between 8 and 12 million (about 50% of these > unfortunate people will > develop Alzheimer’s). About 8% of all eighth graders > in the U.S. have used > or are using inhalant chemicals. The average age of > an inhalant abuser is > over 16 years and an estimated 18 million > individuals use/abuse inhalant > chemicals, with regularity. These afore mentioned > groups of people are > experiencing diminished abilities in: thought, > reasoning, response time, > learning, memory, creativity and more? It is a fact > that the unfortunate > individuals that have diagnosed Alzheimer’s and mild > cognitive impairment > suffer decreased mental capabilities. The National > Institute of Drug Abuse > (NIDA) has released the results of studies that > directly link inhalant abuse > to a decreased mean IQ score of 20%. These three > groups of people are > cognitively impaired now and there are about 32 > million of them. > > Alzheimer’s disease is not new, Dr. Alzheimer first > diagnosed it in 1906 and > since that time, mainstream medicine has advanced > little in its treatment. > Are there effective alternative therapies for > Alzheimer’s disease and its > precursor, Mild Cognitive Impairment? > > Including strokes and cardiovascular anoxic > incidents, there are about 2.25 > million traumatic brain injuries in the U.S. every > year. Many of the > individuals that are included in this unfortunate > group survive and suffer a > long-term disability. Diminished cognitive ability > is experienced by a > significant percentage of traumatic brain injury > survivors. The accumulative > numbers get very large in 5, 10 or 20 years and as > these individuals age > their symptoms become more dominant, they require > more care and are included > in the growing number of cognitively impaired. > > Are life style, personal choices and addiction major > contributors to the > numbers of people suffering from decreased cognitive > abilities? > > NIDA publishes statistics of chemical/drug abuse and > the results of > scientific studies that prove their negative effects > on brain and body > chemistry utilization and biosynthesis. Prescribed > medications can share the > same basic chemistry make-up as non-prescription > (illegal) drugs that > produce similar effects. The following is a listing > of some popular drugs > and an approximate number of current users/abusers: > cocaine, 17 million; > crack, six million; heroin, three million; PCP > (similar to an active > ingredient in many cough and cold medications), six > million; non medical use > of prescription pain relievers, 22 million; ecstasy, > eight million; inhalant > chemicals, 18 million; non-medical use of > prescription tranquilizers, 13 > million; non-medical use of stimulants, 16 million; > methamphetamine, nine > million; non-medical use of sedatives, seven > million. Many of the > individuals included in these studies used more than > one of the listed > drugs. What percentage, of these millions of > unfortunate individuals is > cognitively impaired (10%, 25%, 50%)? > In 2001 about 44 million individuals were considered > heavy alcohol users or > binge drinkers. The negative effects of alcohol > abuse on the brain and the > resulting decrease of intelligence and cognitive > abilities are well > documented. In this short summary we have not > touched upon the “possible” > cognitive impairment resulting from prescription > drugs and chemicals used > “properly.” > In 2001 the estimated number of individuals that > received mental health > support and/or counseling were 22 million and some > of these people do not > think clearly (using logic). > > Cognitively impaired individuals can also be > parents, drivers, supervisors, > laborers, bureaucrats, homebuilders, politicians, > pilots, teachers and more? > > This article introduces you to the problem of > induced, acquired and the > possibility of prescribed cognitive impairment. The > numbers and statistics > represent a large problem that we are all going to > be dealing with, in the > not so distant future. The approximate total so far > is more than 100 million > (raw data, and significant). I encourage you to find > out more. > > Can a person be prescribed cognitive impairment? > > An ever increasing number of children (about 4% of > “all” school aged > children) are diagnosed with Attention Deficit > Hyperactivity Disorder (also > ADD) and now three million adults have the label of > being hyper active and > deprived of attention. A large percentage of these > diagnosed ADD types are > being prescribed a legal carefully controlled > Amphetamine drug/medication, > which is also sold as a street drug. Please remember > here that NIDA lists > Amphetamine type drugs as being linked to cognitive > dysfunction and > impairment. About 50 million adults (that’s more > than every adult living in > Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, > Colorado, New Mexico, North > Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, > Wyoming, Utah and Montana) > are being prescribed chemicals to help them function > and to manage their > depression, frustration, anger, fear, anxiety and > more. These medications > are becoming so common that they are being found in > drinking water, along > with antibiotics, birth control chemicals and in > some places, rocket fuels. > They have become a part of our environment. > I am not aware of study results that definitively > link decreased cognitive > abilities to the use of prescribed drugs to manage > ADD, ADHD, anxiety, > depression or others. Any drug or chemical does > affect the body, does have > the potential to change and possibly permanently > change body chemistry. What > happens to brain and body natural chemical > biosynthesis when a drug or drug > type is used for an extended period of time, > possibly longer than one year? > Drugs, both prescription and non-prescription would > not be used if they did > not have an effect and humans rarely participate in > activities that they do > not get something from. This is the basics of most, > if not all behavior > theories. > If you are not using either prescription or > non-prescription drugs to help > you make it through the day, improve your perception > of life or to just > become a functional human being, please congratulate > yourself for being more > in control, more self-empowered and watching out for > your health! Be aware > of what you are taking into your body from your > environment. > > Start studying alternatives, learn of them, and > learn where you can get more > information. Become knowledgeable. You will be > pleased with the results and > how your life is affected for the better. > > Yes, there can be a positive ending. Mild Cognitive > Impairment, mild to > moderate Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain > injuries respond well to > alternative therapies. Learn of alternative > therapies and preventive > measures. Take care of your own future and health, > while you can. For > prescription and non-prescription drug and chemical > use/abuse: get a life, > think, exercise (do something physical every day), > learn, read, be creative, > get a hobby, learn about nutrition, learn about > alternatives, deal with your > past, change your job or relationship if they don’t > work for you, get > involved in the actual control of your life! > Suggested reading: “Healthy > Healing” and “Health, Greed, Power” and > “Racketeering in Medicine” – found > at Amazon or downloadpress.com. Start living your > life in moderation, stop > using drugs and chemicals now. Alternative therapies > can help you recover. > Your life will improve and you will avoid being a > statistic for cognitive > impairment. If you do not look out for your own > health, no one else will! > Robert Brown rbrownchoice The answer to > all the bold typed > questions, “yes!” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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