[Ozone34]

ADHD = BS

[HungarianGypsy]

Yeah. Tell my 15 year old nephew that. He had a really rough time with it when he was younger. These days he's making A's, reading a lot, and off the meds. His parents never let his ADHD be an excuse for him.

ADHD is overdiagnosed, but not BS.

[deadmenvote]

later read

[gunservative]

ADHD = BS

I've gotta agree, for the most part. Years ago I had a co-worker whose teenage son was "diagnosed" with this. She put him into swimming at school. It wore the kid out in the evenings, and things improved almost overnight. Other kids I've seen with ADHD have been coddled and girlymanned or had issues with parents divorcing. The ones who subjected their kids to drugs happened to all be angry Democrats. I know it's anecdotal, but that's what I've seen.

[oyez]

OK, Mr. Medical expert tell us all about it.

[Resolute Conservative]

I thought so too and was one of the most BS callers around until my now 10 year old daughter ( out of 5 kids so I have a point of reference ). I am a believer. Think what you want it is real just over diagnosed.

[Dr.Deth]

Childhood is a syndrome which has only recently begun to receive serious attention from clinicians. The syndrome itself, however, is not at all recent. As early as the 8th century, the Persian historian Kidnom made references to "short, noisy creatures," who may well have been what we now call "children." The treatment of children, however, was unknown until this century, when so-called "child psychologists" and "child psychiatrists" became common. Despite this history of clinical neglect, it has been estimated that well over half of all Americans alive today have experienced childhood directly (Suess, 1983). In fact, the actual numbers are probably much higher, since these data are based on self-reports which may be subject to social desirability biases and retrospective distortion.

The growing acceptance of childhood as a distinct phenomenon is reflected in the proposed inclusion of the syndrome in the upcoming Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, or DSM-IV, of the American Psychiatric Association (1990). Clinicians are still in disagreement about the significant clinical features of childhood, but the proposed DSM-IV will almost certainly include the following core features:

1. Congenital onset
2. Dwarfism
3. Emotional lability and immaturity
4. Knowledge deficits
5. Hyperactivity
6. Legume anorexia

[driftdiver]

Heard a report once that 12% of all the children in the great socialist state of Mass were on Ritalin as treatment for this ‘disease’.

[Hardcorps]

I agree 100%. My youngest son was diagnosed with all this crap in the early 70s. He was hyperactive and liked to fight. In the first grade he was forbidden metal lunch pails because they were his favorite weapon. Doctors insisted he be placed on drugs. We denied this treatment. at about age 8 one of his fighting episodes cost him $40.00. He has not had a violent moment since and is now a priest with a chemical engineering degree plus MBA in finance. SF