GPs have warned that they are increasingly concerned that people are self-medicating ADHD amid a global shortage of drugs used to manage the symptoms.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) says many people are taking matters into their own hands, sometimes acting out of frustration or anger.
The group’s chair, Professor Camilla Hawthorn, told Sky News she understood people were in a desperate situation.
But she warned that self-medication could make the problem worse and advised people to contact their GP for help.
The issue comes amid a global shortage of ADHD drugs due to manufacturing issues, supply chain issues and increased demand.
“It’s like putting a bottle to your head and pulling the trigger.”
Kevin Pearson was diagnosed with ADHD 15 years ago and put on Ritalin.
The 60-year-old from Leeds said the drug had changed his life, helping him manage symptoms such as restlessness, inattention and anxiety, and allowing him to maintain work and relationships for the first time. Ta.
But in recent months, he has been unable to access medication and has turned to alcohol instead.
He told Sky News: “I was self-medicating, I was waking up and drinking.
“It’s like putting a bottle to your head and pulling the trigger.
“I knew alcohol was definitely a form of suicide, and I was playing Russian roulette with my life.”
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“It has a huge impact on my life.”
Sherry Freese, 14-year-old Isaac’s mother, said she faces a constant battle to get his ADHD medication, which is affecting his schoolwork.
“This is a nightmare. I mean, this is people’s livelihood…You know ADHD is a medical illness. Like dealing with a migraine or dealing with an illness without taking medication. It’s like telling someone,” she said.
Sherry Freeze worries that medication shortages are affecting her son Isaac’s schoolwork.
“It’s definitely had a huge impact on me and my life, and people are getting it the wrong way,” Isaac said.
“If I fidget or turn around during class, sometimes the teacher will warn me or I’ll feel depressed. But sometimes I can’t control it.”
Global shortages of critical medicines have been an issue for months, and pharmacists warn the situation is only going to get worse.
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Drug shortages are becoming more serious
Global shortages of critical medicines have been an issue for months, and pharmacists warn the situation is only going to get worse.
Ashley Cohen runs a chain of pharmacies in West Yorkshire.
He said the problem is now so serious that he has staff dedicated solely to tracking drugs and hopes the government will step up and work with the drug czars to help solve the problem.
Ashley Cohen has a dedicated staff to find missing medicines
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We know how frustrating and distressing drug supply issues can be for patients and the pharmacists and clinicians who care for them.
“The Government has inherited a broken NHS, alongside global supply issues that continue to impact the availability of medicines. We work closely with the NHS, manufacturers and other partners in the supply chain.”
But Kevin decided he couldn’t wait any longer.
He has stopped drinking alcohol and is now taking antidepressants. Having to travel miles and visit multiple pharmacies was so unpredictable and disorienting that I learned to live without the medications that had vastly improved my health and well-being.
