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Children taking ADHD drugs showed small increases in blood pressure and pulse rates but ‘risk-benefit ratio is reassuring’
Archived version: https://archive.is/20250406225306/https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/06/adhd-medication-drugs-risks-benefits-children-study
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
We’ve known ADHD cuts years off a person’s life for a while. Here’s a talk from an expert that uses data from 2019: https://youtu.be/FI7i5iphdLk
He’s given talks about the dangers of untreated ADHD at least 10 years ago and probably further back.
So, uh, say, hypothetically, if someone had, oh I don’t know, 20+ years of untreated ADHD, how screwed would I be, I uh mean them, the hypothetically person?
It’s like smoking. A 20 year smoker will never be as healthy as they would have been without smoking. But someone who smoked for 20 years, then quit for 10 years will be far better off than a 30 year smoker.
ADHD treatment is effective in adults too. I wasn’t diagnosed until my 30s, and it’s something I’m (very mildly) bitter about not being treated sooner.
The big help is unpacking “maladaptations”. Most of ADHD’s problems aren’t direct, but a domino effect. We adapt to try and cope, but cause other problems. Coping with them cause yet more. The best solution is to nip it in the bus, during childhood. However, unpicking them as an adult is possible. The drugs help MASSIVELY with this, though significant personal effort is also required.
Thanks for that nice, in depth response.