I hear this a lot but also know a lot of people who were put on meds when they were young and didn't really understand what was going on.

I also have an adult friend put on an antipsychotic to treat their moderate depression. They went through horrifying side effects while doctors kept telling them to stick with it. They're going through even more horrifying side effects during the third week of their withdrawal.

There are no strict criteria. Some people need it. A lot of people don't. It's really no different from the opioid crisis America has, where many doctors hand stuff out like candy because, honestly, who cares? Not their problem. But it's a nice paycheck.

And the constant downplaying and dismissiveness of it all, with many people who have personal experience saying things are over-prescribed as well as studies showing such[1][2], while also saying things are massively under-dosed, really does not help the image of the psychiatric drug industry trying to find a solution to any divergence being a pill.

It's fine if you have actual struggles in life and need help and medicine helps you. It's good, actually. But if we're at a point where we're nitpicking and saying, "Your kid walks on their toes. That's bad. Let's get them diagnosed. Then get some meds", yeah, it's horrifying and absolutely indefensible.

And yes. Putting a 10 year old on a prescription drug that makes them sit and fold laundry all day very much fits the definition 99% of people would consider "drugged up." 10 year olds have periods of being little shits. If they're folding laundry all day, and you're giving them medication that makes them do so, you are very much drugging them up. And yes. Teachers did proactively call parents and try to get kids (mostly boys) medicated in the 90s. It was so wild that even South Park had an episode about it. It's unfortunate because people with legitimate issues do get caught up in it and have their issues dismissed. But then children who have no problems are also victimized by being forced to take drugs that make them fold laundry and quit being a kid.

[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11107288/

[2] https://www.rutgers.edu/news/risky-combos-psychiatric-drugs-...

Neither [1] nor [2] are studies showing that ADHD medication is over-prescribed. [1] isn't a study, it's a glorified blog post. [2] is a study that looked into the rate at which contraindicated medications are prescribed (6%).

Prescribing contraindicated medication is a reason to be cautious and weigh the risks against the benefits. It does not indicate that the combination is unwarranted.

> But if we're at a point where we're nitpicking and saying, "Your kid walks on their toes. That's bad. Let's get them diagnosed. Then get some meds", yeah, it's horrifying and absolutely indefensible.

Nobody is diagnosing anyone with autism based on how they walk, but it might be a sign to seek an evaluation, usually when it's accompanied by other symptoms. Furthermore there's no medication for autism.

> to treat their moderate depression.

I criticized depression being too easily diagnosed myself in the post above.

Autism and ADHD are clearly underdiagnosed. I have posted some sources here: https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=cardanome#44586532

Maybe depression meds are given too easily. Not my area of expertise. Might also specific to the US. Getting medication here in Germany seems to be much harder. However, this has NOTHING to do with autism and ADHD diagnosis.

It does not mean that ADHD meds are given too easily. They are a completely different thing.

> But if we're at a point where we're nitpicking and saying, "Your kid walks on their toes. That's bad. Let's get them diagnosed. Then get some meds", yeah, it's horrifying and absolutely indefensible.

That is not what is happening. That is pure fearmongering.

First of all there is no medication for autism. Second of all, no nobody get diagnosed for walking funny. That is not how any of this works.

I repeat, they are not getting medicated because medication for autism does not exist and probably can't even exist.

And even for ADHD, meds are one option. You don't have to take them. They work exceptionally well for some people but not at all for others. Again, there is therapy and coaching.

> hat makes them sit and fold laundry all day

This is not how this works.

The meds help with executive dysfunction. It when you want to do a thing, know how to do a thing, it is important to do it but you can't do it because your brain just doesn't cooperate. Medication helps you do the things you want to do. If you want to play video games all day, you will play video games all day, with or without medication.

Simplified, people with ADHD have lower levels of dopamine. So they are constantly understimulated. Boring tasks hurt to do. Medication helps to get their dopamine level up so they can have the same level of stimulation as a neurotypical person that watches paint dry. They don't get you high, they get you from deficit to base level.

And again

> in the 90s

We were ignorant of many things in the 90s. I don't want to invalidate your experience, surly these problems did exist, I am just saying that you childhood experiences might not be representative for the world in 2025.