Posted on 12/18/2006 6:44:16 AM PST by shrinkermd
Newly minted grown-ups are carrying out a massive natural experiment by choosing to do without the drugs that profoundly affected their experience of childhood.
...American society remains deeply ambivalent about the diagnosis of ADD, a catch-all term used more commonly in the past that includes today's more well-known attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. (Children diagnosed with ADD typically have difficulty focusing and paying attention. Those with ADHD are physically frenetic as well.)
Almost three decades after the psychiatric profession first detailed the condition in its diagnostic manual, nagging questions remain: Does medicating a child with ADD help that child's well-being in the long term? Are there any negative consequences? And must it be a life-long prescription?
Although most mental health professionals believe that about 2 in 3 children with ADD will continue to contend with the condition as adults, the truth is that "we have very few firm numbers," says Dr. Xavier Castellanos, a leading ADD researcher at New York University.
In short, "There are more questions that are unanswered than are answered," says Lisa L. Weyandt, a psychologist at Central Washington University who studies college-bound kids with ADD. Nobody, she says, knows how these fledglings will fare away from home and neighborhood schools, and whether the medications that appeared to help them in grade school will continue to be of use to them as adults. "They are," Weyandt says, "in uncharted territory."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I saw this post yesterday - I realize that I'm probably stepping into an ongoing volley, or maybe it has been resolved downthread, but felt I needed to add my humble 2 cents. It's an issue that's close to my heart. I know some folks that have to deal with such issues and I think it's important to illuminate - if possible.
"There's no such thing as ADD!!!"
I disagree.
If this were so ALL the children of one particular set of parents would suffer the same diagnosis. That's often not the case.
I've worked with kids at the outset of the Ritalin revolution(1988, I worked as a counselor with very difficult adolescents). Ritalin, at the time, was touted as a silver bullet. After initially agreeing with the folks that thought the stuff was a miracle drug I had some second thoughts. I felt it would be better to work with behavioral modification over medication. In many circumstance I could modify behavior myself, on children who were otherwise "diagnosed" with ADD or ADHD,...however, not all of them.
I really don't like being on the side of the psychobabblers on this. You and I are probably of the same mind in believing that love and care, consistency and discipline are important above all in raising children, but I've seen many parents with common sense and patience fall by the wayside trying their best to address issues in children that I do not even recall having as I grew up; ADD, ADHD, SADS, OCD, various types of Autism. Sure they all follow that sort of hip APA diagnosis, which has a pill for any problem, but I don't beleive this stuff is simply conjured out of thin air. Just because it didn't exist when I was a kid doesn't mean that these troubles are not for real TODAY.
That being said, I really don't have any idea what is causing this problem with our children - the children of our country. It seems to be a cultural phenomenon that is attacking young people in our sphere and culture. Theories abound among professional teachers and parents; artificial food coloring, processed foods, cooking surfaces, vaccines, proteins, stimulating video games,...no one really has any conclusive proof. As many parents who have ADD might tell you, they would work an entire battery of solutions including changes in diet and routine and environment before ever considering the option of medication.
Folks who deal with this issue everyday - and the nightmare of having to choose an option of messing with the brain chemistry of their own children - are understandably sensitive to the issue. In many cases I would not fault the parents. I would try to support and encourage them with a very difficult path. We all should. Proclaiming this to be a bad parenting issue is really not the appropriate way to address the issue.
Great post, and I love the tagline. It fits some of my replies on this thread!
Yeah, funny thing about that coincidence. Schools as they exist today are just not boy-friendly. Boys need more time to be loud, rough-house and just plain run around. They also need time to work constructively at something other than bookwork.
However, that doesn't mean girls are so much better off. My daughter is a high energy person who likes to do more than 1 thing at a time. When measured against ADHD behavioral scales for boys she is rated a "normal" child. However, when rated against the behavioral scales for girls, she turns up ADHD.
Girls are not allowed to be active outside what is considered a "normal" range for girls.
While you are correct that some kids are just plain more active and a lot of changes that will work on some kids will not work with a few.
I'd then suggest to you that you are still missing the point. You are still trying to fit these "oddball" kids into a place that is unnatural to them. Some kids will take years to get to the point where they can sit at a desk for more than 10 minutes. They just do not belong in a regular classroom and would do much better in a completely different situation.
In days long gone these types of kids would do farm chores or other work in the morning and afternoon and squeeze in an hour or two of bookwork in the middle.
None of these kids would be forced to spend 7 long hours at a desk at a time - anf that's the biggest problem in our schools today in dealing with these types of kids.
Ritalin has the same chemical effect that cocaine has on the brain.
In my school district it's 28%. Of course, every illegal kid is in special ed getting extra bucks for the sd because English is not spoken at home.
Yes, and to someone who has never been depressed, there's no such thing as depression. To someone who is not an alcoholic, there's no such thing as alcoholism. To one who has never had a religious experience, there is no such thing as a religious experience.
Puh-LEEZE! Get off your arrogant high horse. There are things in this world you know nothing about. ADD is apparently one of them. The fact that you have never experienced something is not evidence that it does not exist.
As one who has had ADD since way before it had a name, I can and will stand up every time and say that it does exist. There are plenty who have kids who have ADD, and it's obvious to them because their behavior is so markedly different than that of their own other children.
Oh, and by the way, ADD does often persist into adulthood, as it has for me. I've tried some of the meds, but I don't like the way they make me feel, so I just compensate the best I can.
You are spot on. Notice that all the posters on this thread who say their kids are ADD/ADHD also say their kids are very intelligent.
BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADHD (BARKLEY, 1990)
1. Poorly sustained attention in almost all situations
2. Diminished persistence on tasks not having immediate consequences
3. Impulsivity, poor delay of gratification
4. Impaired adherence to commands to regulate or inhibit behavior in social contexts
5. More active, restless than normal children
6. Difficulty adhering to rules and regulations
BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH GIFTEDNESS (WEBB, 1993)
1. Poor attention, boredom, daydreaming in specific situations
2. Low tolerance for persistence on tasks that seem irrelevant
3. Judgment lags behind development of intellect
4. Intensity may lead to power struggles with authorities
5. High activity level; may need less sleep
6. Questions rules, customs and traditions
Tell me, which do you think schools subscribe to ?
Yes indeed, which is why the "ADHD" problem gets worse every year. No one is allowed to be an individual anymore, least of all in K-12 education.
These types of disorders have always been around-they're just much more noticable in our society. Kids are not supposed to sit all day. Even adults have trouble with this.
Kids and adults that have ADD do have a lot more trouble with things like seasonal affective disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, and depression.
In years past, these kids would have dropped out of school and either owned their own business or ended up beggars or in insane asylums. Some of us just cope better.
Chemicals seem to play a large part as well. Some humans just do not react well to foreign substances. The last time our Dr. wanted to give my son an antibotic-I told him if he gave him the pink stuff that smells like bubble gum I was leaving my son at the Dr's office. :)
Actually, I meant "mostly". I look at ADD and ADHD kinda like obesity. That is, a fraction of those who are obese are so because of some sort of medical condition, but the gross majority are obese because of too much food and/or not enough exercise.
ADHD and ADD are real - but rarely so.
Dyslexia doesn't appear to be the problem...it is more in the way he doesn't seem to be "hearing" verbal instructions even though there is nothing wrong with his hearing.
Show him visually what you want and he'll do it. Tell him what you want and you never know what kind of response you'll get.
Amen to that. It is important to be an informed consumer--whether you are buying a car--and more importantly if you are consuming medications. Know that they do, track how you feel, and understand the long term implications.
My daughter went from a C- student, missing homework assighments to being a A+ student (an A in honors Latin!) within a school year.
She was never an over the top hyper kid, but the ADD doesnt always manifest itself in that way.
Pink stuff- think super ball!
White sugar-too much sitting still-chems- not a good combo!
Girls with ADD tend to be fairly quiet. They just do poorly because they can't stay on task. The bright student with ADD who can't stay on task often turns out the same quality of academic results as the average student who can focus. A correctly applied solution to ADD can make them real standouts. You've already seen that with your daughter.
I'm just sorry that you and so many other Americans have fallen for this hooey. I suppose that "Restless Leg Syndrome" is a legitimate disease! (and yes, if you haven't seen the ad, the pharm companies have come up with a drug as a solution) "I JIGGLE MY LEG!! HELP!!! I NEED A PILL!!!"
As soon as a kid looks the other way while an adult is talking to them, BOOM, he's got ADD. It's called improper diet! Sugar and lots of it all day long! It's that simple. And yes, BAD PARENTING! "This kid won't stop asking me questions! It's driving me nuts!!" "Must have ADD"!
Come on man, wake up!
I recommend the "pink stuff" - only with the Nyquil chaser. ;0)
Nyquil- for me or him?!!!
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