antidepressants and autism????

[Bruno2006]

http://naturalsociety.com/drug-conta...#ixzz1xVMsvE98

[Junior]

I have a son with autism, diagnosed 18 years ago, and have heard a zillion theories as to the apparent increase in the diagnosis of this disorder. None have proven to be definitive although there is known link to bipolar and depression as many families have these in relatives. I take new theories like these with a grain of salt.

[LCrawford67]

I agree, Junior. First it's vaccines, then it's food additives, now it's ADs. Fact is - no one knows.

[Junior]

I just read it again. Autistic fish??????????????????? LOL!!!!

[Bruno2006]

Obviously, there is not one single cause that can be linked to autism. Moreover, the article is not saying antidepressants are the sole cause of autism, rather that there seems to be a link. It has been shown that antidepressants defragment dna, including dna in male sperm. Therefore, its very possible that this could lead to a host of conditions, including autism.

[Junior]

Just to clarify, what the article is saying is that there is an assocation, ie., a correlation. One thing that was drummed into me when I was studying psychology is that correlation is NOT causation.

As I said before, many theories have been proposed about possible causes of autism and NONE have been proven.

[Bruno2006]

Actually there have been cases of autism completely reversed. Autism, like many other issues, does not have one single cause, but there are causes that have been identified and corrected. For example, Dr. Natasha Campbell Bcbride and many others have reversed their children's autism by correcting the gut. You can go on youtube and see great success using her GAPS diet. I think the whole goal is to find what that cause is- in her child's case it was a gut issue. Perhaps in other cases it may be toxicity or something else not fully understood. One guy I met had almost completely cured his son's autism by chelating heavy metals. Moreover, there could be exposure to various toxic chemicals, I.e antidepressants, that could without a doubt cause developmental issues in the child. You can dismiss everything you want as "unproven" or whatever but to me there are some obvious links, like the gut issues and defragmented dna, that have a basis in the development of such conditions as autism.

[Junior]

Bruno, I am aware of people's children being 'cured' but then, I would argue that they didn't truly have autism in the first place - that they had autistic features caused by food intolerances etc. I know about the leaky gut theory, the heavy metals theory and numerous others. I do think that mercury poisoning is a possiblity as the features of both that and autism are almost identical.

As I said before, my son was diagnosed 18 years ago and I've heard every theory going. I've also done quite a bit of research myself. I do think that autism has multiple causes and that there are a large group that are now being triggered by various environmental factors. I believe such people have a genetic susceptibility which explains why others are not affected in the same way. I also believe a smaller group has a form of autism that is strictly genetic. The 'environmental' group tends to have a high incidence of ear infections, colds, food intolerances, etc. while the 'genetic' group is the exact opposite. The genetic group generally has family members with depression and in particular, bipolar disorder. I believe my son belongs to this group.

All I am saying about the story you have posted is that it is correlational (a link) which does not demonstrate anything and therefore needs to be taken with a grain a salt.

For the record, I was on antidepressants when my son was conceived (amitryptline) and tortured myself for years, thinking it may have been my fault. I now realise that my husband has autistic traits and that with the history of depresssion and bipolar on my side of the family, well the odds were stacked against my son. My pregnancy and the birth were both trouble free.

[meistersinger]

Being that my youngest brother and his wife have a son and a daughter that are severely autistic, and I am in the spectrum myself (being diagnosed with asperger's), who knows. There is currently a big controversy with the autism support groups and the APA in regards to changes that are being made to the criteria in DSM 5.

Personally, I now believe that 98% of the DSM is b*******. The 2% that is actually legit (autism and related developmental issues) are getting the short shrift because the shrinks and big Pharma have yet to find a way to make any money off of us in the spectrum. I belong to an Asperger's online support group called GRASP. They were recently on a conference call with the DSM-5 Autism working group. For a group of doctors that are supposed to have some sort of decorum, I was quite shocked at the vitriol displayed toward GRASP. My opinion now is the APA needs to be destroyed, along with the DSM. I'd rather take my chances with WHO's ICD-10. Here's a link to the communique on GRASP:

http://grasp.org/profiles/blogs/unde...dsm-5-a-report

With friends like the APA, who needs enemies?

[meistersinger]

Just found this article on Reuters:

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/id...20423?irpc=932

Yet another reason NOT to medicate children, and Big Pharma is lying to the public.