[FreeRadical]

Putting this up asap to avoid double post, back in 10 with crosslinks to related material.....

[Grig]

ADHD is not a disease, it is a symptom. So yes, the disease of ADHD doesn't exist, just as there is no 'runny nose' disease, but ADHD does exist.

It is a set of normal, boyish behaviours taken to such an extreem that they are a behavoural disorder. For example: A boy quitetly chatting with his friend in the middle of a class when he should be listening to his teaching is normal, a boy blurting out in a loud voice some random thought that comes into his head to nobody in particular in the same situation is abnormal. When these extreem behaviours occur often it creates a disruption to the classroom that hinders the learning of all the students.

The cause for this behavior is usually unknown, but more is being learned. Recent studies have shown a great many kids diagnosed as ADHD actually suffer from sleep depravation caused by a sleep disorder. Their misbehaviour is the result of a lack of deep cycle sleep and when the sleep disorder is treated, no treatment for ADHD symptoms is needed. It is unlikely that all ADHD kids show these symptoms for the same reason.

Writing off the parents of ADHD kids as lazy or accusing others of various shortcomings and refusing to belive ADHD does exist is judgmental and ignorant. I have 6 kids, I spend 5 years as a Cub Scout leader and several years before that working with kids as well. I know what kids are like and how to deal with them, probably better than most school teachers do.

I watched my son slowly develop ADHD, I had him tested for every possible medical cause, sleep disorders, hypo-glycemia, alergies, diabeties, and more. His behaviour became disruptive to the point that we had to home school him but the inability (not unwillingness, inability) to focus his attention prevented learning, even though he is an extreemly smart boy. Taking Ritallin currently is his only hope of getting any kind of education. We did everything we could to avoid it, but it came to either having him take it or having him fail at school for years and years.

My son is an extreem case. There is a great deal of over-diagnosis, but that again is a result of not knowing the cause. If the cause was known, tests could be developed for it and instead of treating the symptoms, perhaps we could treat the cause. Teacher lazyness is a factor in over-diagnosis as well since the main diagnostic tool for ADHD is to have the school teachers fill out a questionair on the student's behaviour. Every teacher knows just what answers to give to make sure a kid gets labled ADHD.

In legitimate cases, Ritalin (a stimulant, not a sedative) is effective with no serious side effects. If you have strong objections to it, then try going all week long without any coffee and see how you behave. Then try and imaging a child trying to deal with the symptoms you feel.

You might also find this interesting...http://www.twilightbridge.healthology.com/focus_article.asp?f=children&c=add

[nmh]

I also believe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is nothing more than a pumped up discipline problem that drug companies expolit in having their loyal following of allopahtic (drug dealers) prescribe a drug to turn them into docile zombies. Problem is when they are young adolescents (12 or 13) the drug is NO longer affective. So we have high school shooting and other angry acts. And yes, EVERY one of the high school shootings involved kids on ritalin or a similar drug with the same result - a tranqulaizer type result.

[nmh]

"He cited cases where parents reported that their ADHD-diagnosed children could not pay attention - but then those same children could play video games for hours without being distracted. "

No kidding. The only ones that benefit is the drug companies. Meanwhile we have another generation of kids, at the youngest age ever, addicted to drugs.

[tutstar]

though you might be interested in this Ritalin/ADHD article...

[tutstar]

http://www.breggin.com/ritalinconfirmingthehazards.html

excerpt-----

In my practice of psychiatry, I am frequently consulted about children who are taking three, four, and sometimes five psychiatric drugs, including medications that are FDA-approved only for the treatment of psychotic adults. The drug treatment typically began when the children developed conflicts with adults at home or at school. In retrospect, the conflicts could easily have been resolved by interventions such as family counseling or individualized educational approaches. Usually under pressure from a school, the parents instead acquiesced to put their child on stimulants prescribed by psychiatrists, family physicians, or pediatricians.

When these children developed depression, delusions, hallucinations, paranoid fears and other drug-induced reactions while taking stimulants, their physicians mistakenly concluded that the children suffered from "clinical depression," "schizophrenia" or "bipolar disorder" that has been "unmasked" by the medications. Instead of removing the child from the stimulants, these doctors mistakenly prescribed additional drugs, such as antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and neuroleptics. Children who were put on stimulants for "inattention" or "hyperactivity" ended up taking multiple adult psychiatric drugs that caused severe adverse effects, including psychoses and tardive dyskinesia.

[tutstar]

Methylphenidate (MPH) commonly known as Ritalin

...."Abuse of MPH can lead to marked tolerance and severe psychic dependence...."

...."Students are giving and selling their medication to classmates who are crushing and snorting the powder like cocaine. In March of 1995, two deaths in Mississippi and Virginia were associated with this activity...."

...."The U.S. manufactures and consumes 5-times more MPH than the rest of the world combined.....

...."MPH aggregate production quota has increased almost 6-fold since 1990...."
http://www.breggin.com/dearelease.html

...."Every indicator available, including scientific abuse liability studies, actual abuse, paucity of scientific studies on possible adverse effects associated with long-term use of stimulants, divergent prescribing practices of U.S. physicians, and lack of concurrent medical treatment and follow-up, urge greater caution and more restrictive use of MPH...."

excerpts from DEA Press Release, October 20, 1995, "Methylphenidate"

[tutstar]

Psychiatrist Discloses Ritalin’s Hidden Dangers to Children

Warning Contradicts Claims that Drug is Helpful

Ritalin decreases blood flow to the brain, and routinely causes other gross malfunctions in the developing brain of the child, reveals Peter R. Breggin, M.D., Director of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology and associate faculty at The Johns Hopkins University Department of Counseling. In his new book, Talking Back to Ritalin (Common Courage Press, 1998), Dr. Breggin thoroughly documents the many scientific studies that have been ignored by Ritalin advocates.

America’s children are being exposed to a "prescription epidemic" of dangerous, addictive stimulant drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall, according to the psychiatrist, a leading critic of psychopharmaceutical practices.

"Ritalin does not correct biochemical imbalances—it causes them," Dr. Breggin says, adding that there is some evidence that it can cause permanent damage to the child’s brain and its function.

"Pediatricians, parents, and teachers are not aware of these hazards because a large body of research demonstrating the ill effects of this drug has been ignored and suppressed in order to encourage the sale of the drug," Dr. Breggin stated. Damaging effects of the drug can include:

* Decreased blood flow to the brain, an effect recently shown to be caused by cocaine where it is associated with impaired thinking ability and memory loss.
* Disruption of growth hormone, leading to suppression of growth in the body and brain of the child
* Permanent neurological tics, including Tourette’s Syndrome
* Addiction and abuse, including withdrawal reactions on a daily basis
* Psychosis (mania), depression, insomnia, agitation, and social withdrawal
* Possible shrinkage (atrophy) or other permanent physical abnormalities in the brain
* Worsening of the very symptoms the drug is supposed to improve including hyperactivity and inattention
* Decreased ability to learn

"Ritalin and other stimulants are currently prescribed to several million U.S. children in the hope of improving their supposed hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity," says Dr. Breggin. He presents evidence that these drugs "work" by producing robotic or zombie-like behavior in children. This enforced docility and obedience can produce a few weeks of subdued behavior but has no positive effect on academic achievement and no positive long-term effects at all. Contrary to claims by drug advocates, giving Ritalin to a child does not help to prevent future problems such as school failure or delinquency.

Ritalin’s lack of effectiveness has been proven by hundreds of studies but has not been revealed to doctors, teachers or parents. "Parents and teachers and even doctors have been badly misled by drug company marketing practices," Dr. Breggin says. "Drug companies have targeted children as a big market likely to boost profits—and children are suffering as a result."

Dr. Breggin describes the principles necessary to empower parents to help their children with their behavioral and school problems without resorting to drugs. He does not believe that mind-altering drugs are ever an appropriate approach to helping our children. Instead, he urges adults to learn to identify and meet the individual needs of the children in their care.

Most children receiving Ritalin have been identified for treatment by teachers who have been misled by drug company and government promotional campaigns for Ritalin and other stimulants. "Educate—don’t medicate," should be the motto of every parent or teacher who is tempted to resort to Ritalin, says Dr. Breggin.

The stimulant drugs include Ritalin (methylphenidate), Dexedrine and Dextrostat (dextroamphetamine or d-amphetamine), Adderall (D-amphetamine and amphetamine mixture), Desoxyn and Gradumet (methamphetamine), and Cylert (pemoline).

Additional information about the hazards of Ritalin and other stimulants can be found on Dr. Breggin’s web site at: http://www.breggin.com.

[tutstar]

Table I summarizes many of the most salient adverse effects of all the commonly used stimulant drugs. It is important to note that the Drug Enforcement Administration, and all other drug enforcement agencies worldwide, classify methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine (Dexedrine and Adderall) in the same Schedule II category as methamphetamine, cocaine, and the most potent opiates and barbiturates. Schedule II includes only those drugs with the very highest potential for addiction and abuse.

Animals and humans cross-addict to methylphenidate, amphetamine and cocaine. These drugs affect the same three neurotransmitter systems and the same parts of the brain. It should have been no surprise when Nadine Lambert presented data at the Consensus Development Conference (attached) indicating that prescribed stimulant use in childhood predisposes the individual to cocaine abuse in young adulthood.

Furthermore, their addiction and abuse potential is based on the capacity of these drugs to drastically and permanently change brain chemistry. Studies of amphetamine show that short-term clinical doses produce brain cell death. Similar studies of methylphenidate show long-lasting and sometimes permanent changes in the biochemistry of the brain.

All stimulants impair growth not only by suppressing appetite but also by disrupting growth hormone production. This poses a threat to every organ of the body, including the brain, during the child's growth. The disruption of neurotransmitter systems adds to this threat.

These drugs also endanger the cardiovascular system and commonly produce many adverse mental effects, including depression.

Too often stimulants become gateway drugs to illicit drugs. As noted, the use of prescription stimulants predisposes children to cocaine and nicotine abuse in young adulthood.

Stimulants even more often become gateway drugs to additional psychiatric medications. Stimulant-induced over-stimulation, for example, is often treated with addictive or dangerous sedatives, while stimulant-induced depression is often treated with dangerous, unapproved antidepressants. As the child's emotional control breaks down due to medication effects, mood stabilizers may be added. Eventually, these children end up on four or five psychiatric drugs at once and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder by the age of eight or ten.

In my private practice, children can usually be taken off all psychiatric drugs with great improvement in their psychological life and behavior, provided that the parents or other interested adults are willing to learn new approaches to disciplining and caring for the children. Consultations with the school, a change of teachers or schools, and home schooling can also help to meet the needs of children without resort to medication.

http://www.breggin.com/classactionmore.html

[BJungNan]

DeathFrom Ritalin
The Truth Behind ADHD
www.RitalinDeath.com

[SauronOfMordor]

When my middle daughter was in 1st grade, we were called into a conference at school. The school wanted to have here "evaluated" by a doctor that they would recommend. Suspecting that this was a prelude to having her Ritalinized, I declined. The principal then told me she would like for me to sign a form saying I declined to have my kid evaluated, and gave me an info packet (about 75 pages of legalese and bureaucratese).

When we got home, my wife called her friend, who was a special-education teacher in another district, who confirmed that this sort of conference ALWAYS led to an ADHD/Special-ed designation. And buried in the "info packet" was the disclosure that, if parents refused evaluation, the school could appeal the refusal AND HAVE THE KID EVALUATED ANYWAY. (They probably did not expect many parents to actually wade thru that huge document and discover this). So the next day, I filed notification that were starting homeschooling for my kid

She's now in 3rd grade, reading very well, and with no study problems. It turns out her behavior problems were due to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). We were giving her breakfasts high in carbohydrates (pancakes, Eggo waffles, sugary cereal), which was causing her blood sugar to spike, and then crash. Upon switching to high-protein breakfast (meat, cheese), the problems went away (meat digests slowly, providing a more gradual and sustained source of nutrients into her blood stream throughout the morning)

[hosepipe]

ADHD = spoiled kids...
spoiled at home, spoiled at school
and then "medicated" to a stupor or not...
Spoiled kids become spoiled adults
That future spouses(and lawyers), and bosses have to deal with..

Spoiled kids <<- a reality ever since parents undertook on the job training.. always has been, always will be.. Grand parents spoiling the children, pre-supposes proper discipline at home... Spanking works(in moderation), time-out is time out for the parents from the kids THEY'VE SPOILED..
Kids understand spank, don't understand convoluted sematics... always have, always will...

[The FRugitive]

Amphetimines are bad, m'kay? (except for children and F-16 pilots)

[Sloth]

ADD/ADHD is *ridiculously* overdiagnosed, but it is certainly a real disorder. My wife has it... she takes Ritalin when she works because without it she is so scatter-brained that she might have diffculty holding a job.

[geedee]

I don't know about ADHD but I'm disabled and without Ritalin I wouldn't be able to get outta bed. As I understand it, it calms down the youngsters and juices up us geriatrics. I spent five years going from bed to the toilet and back. Ritalin's given me "some semblance" of life and I can even think "semi-clearly" for a few hours a day. Some might dispute that, LOL, but Ritalin has been a God-send for me.

[matthew_the_brain]

ADHD should be relabeled DADD.......Dad Attention Deficit Disorder. Most of these poor kids suffer from lack of a Dad's presence in the home, either the old man is working too much, or simply an incompetent boob. I have read many studies that show that 'ADHD' mysteriously disappears when someone, like a Dad, spends quality time with the poor kid.


ADHD is a fraud, sold mostly to single moms, and other dysfunctional family types.

[petercooper]

Follow the money. Schools get more money for kids with "disorders". Drug companies sell more product when more kids are "diagnosed" with the "disorder".

ADD/ADHD is a scam.

[nkycincinnatikid]

bump

[tx4guns]

My mom and girlfriend being public school teachers, they can tell you that ADD does exist, but it is more rare than not. From what they tell me, the vast majority of kids on medication don't need medicine. They need parents who aren't afraid to be parents, not friends. A good dose of whoop-a$$ once in a while can work miracles in these kids. Discipline is critical for young kids IMHO. The lack of it turns them into irresponsible adults a lot of times. I got my butt spanked, and I turned out OK.