Posted on 04/29/2003 8:40:41 AM PDT by Houmatt
The following are short pieces recently written by Neal Boortz regarding Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, appearing in Neal's Nuze:
DONT PAY ATTENTION TO THIS. JUST KEEP DRUGGING YOUR KIDS.
More and more medical and psychological professionals are speaking out against this phony disease of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Dr. Bob Jacobs, a psychologist, is on the advisory board of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology. He recently told a conference in Australia that ADHD is a behavioral problem, not a medical disorder. He correctly points out that there is no proof that ADHD exists.
Jacobs notes that many children who are diagnosed with ADHD children who it is said cant pay attention are perfectly capable of sitting still with a video game and paying rapt attention for hours on end. He also points out that when parents pay attention and change the way they are treating and handling their children, the ADHD symptoms go away. A real diseas doesnt go away when somebody else does something.
I just love it that this debate is surfacing again. Sure, Ritalin works. Its a drug, of course its going to have an affect on children. It makes them more docile and compliant. Take that word compliant and put it next to government. Would anyone argue that government doesnt just love a compliant citizen? Then why wouldnt a government school teacher love a docile and compliant child? It sure makes their job easier, doesnt it?
In 2001 U.S. drug companies made more than $600 million profit in ADHD drugs like Ritalin. If ADHD goes away so do those profits.
Its time for you parents and teachers to stop looking for the easy way out here. Your easy way out is a potential disaster for your child.
IM STILL HERE
The controversy over my comments on ADD/ADHD continues. Station management continues to feel the effects of an organized campaign to have me either silenced or fired. Hey, I dont blame these people. If I was drugging my child for a non-existent disease I wouldnt want anyone reminding me of my irresponsibility either.
Just to fuel the fire, here are some excerpts from letters and e-mail Ive received in the last few days:
I am a Special Education teacher in Kansas --anti-NEA, extremely conservative: endangered species. Agree with you on ADHD. Problem - liberals insist all students with behavior problems have the right to disrupt the education of others, so meds used to control behaviors. In Kansas, ADHD students receive special education services under the label of Otherwise Health Impaired (OHI). Some of us know that OHI really stands for Otherwise HOME Impaired. Please do not use my name publicly -- retaliation from liberal dominated administration probable
Before you delete this please read on. I am ecstatic on your position on add and ADHD. I have a son that was so diagnosed, they, she who is always right, put him on Ritalin. it is a devastating drug, they are doped up and not themselves. Chris is adopted has a handicap and parents that care. i took on the problem, the problem was not a condition it was a matter of wills. i withdrew him from the medication and worked my ass off making the difference. Neal is right, get off the medication, instill confidence, give a damn about how they behave and stand firm. today my son has a 4.0 average in his junior year of high school and has been accepted to Penn State, will get a partial scholarship and is a GREAT KID. Not bad for someone the system wanted to put into a stupor. Dad's can make a difference, although you may not be the most popular guy around. God Bless
Man, when your right your right! The stories that I could tell you about my ex-wife and hooking my son on this drug since he was two are unbelievable. Parents and teachers are not alone in this. Doctors who are prescribing this and other mind altering drugs are the number one problem. My ex-wife found a doctor in Miami that did "testing" on my son only by giving him some blocks to assemble, and when my son started looking around instead of putting all of the blocks in place that was it, instant A.D.H.D. Oh yeah, this boy was not only A.D.D. He was hyper as well.(here's a clue HE'S TWO YEARS OLD!!) Needless to say this eventually lead to our divorce, but to make matters worse, there are judges out there who believe this crap also, so I did not get custody. He's now 15 and my Ex-wife and I have another court appointment to settle this issue.
AND NOW --- INTRODUCING YOU TO ODD!
This will be the next great fad disease for school age children. Oppositional Defiance Disorder. The ODD child is a child that gets angry or frustrated and defies authority. In other words a child. He argues with adults, he loses his temper, he has a negative attitude, he blames others for his mistakes. Teachers.net has a chatboard discussing this grand new disease. One post by a teacher says: Today was a really bad day. I have been teaching grade seven for four years and today was the first time I was called a "Whore," by a kid who has Oppositional Defiance Disorder.
Stand by folks, this is soon going to become a full-fledged disease and some drug company is going to develop some mind-altering drug that will make these kids compliant and passive. Oh man, are the parents going to love this one. Heres a link on this new fad-disease so you can start getting your excuses ready. http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/9346/odd.html
http://www.4troubledteens.com/odd.html
ADEQUATE DICIPLINE DEFICIENCY
Theres been quite a firestorm of controversy on the show since I started talking about the various experts who are debunking the ADD/ADHD craze. We had Dr. Bob Jackobs, a psychologist, telling a youth conference in Queensland, Australia that there has never been any proof that ADHD exists. Then there was neurologist Dr. Fred Baughman Jr. who, in a 1998 letter to Attorney General Janet Reno called ADHD the single biggest health care fraud in U.S. history. This has all been very unsettling to parents who have decided that drugging is certainly easier than parenting when it comes to controlling the behavior of their children. These parents really know that ADD stands for Adequate Dicipline Deficiency.
But, alas! There are many parents out there who have been unable to find a doctor or a shrink who will write that invaluable Ritalin prescription. Wow! You poor saps have actually had to deal with your children being children!
Well, maybe theres hope. Theres a new disease on the horizon out there. Its called ODD! Oppositional Defiance Disorder? With any luck, your child may have this nifty new disease! As a public service, here is some help diagnosing your very own child to see if they might have ODD! The symptoms are:
Arguing with adults. Losing temper. Angry or resentful of others. Actively defies adults request or rules. Negative attitude Blames others for their own mistakes misbehavior Seems touchy or easily annoyed by others Deliberately annoys others Acts spiteful or vindictive. The psychiatrists are telling us that if your child displays four or more of the above traits you may be a winner! You may have a child with ODD! Now you dont have to feel so left out when the neighborhood moms get together to discuss their childrens afflictions. Looking at that list again, I would suggest that if your child doesnt display at least four of those traits, hes probably in a coma on a respirator.
Now
the really good news! The Psychiatric Alliance of the Blue Ridge is studying an investigational medication that may help children with ODD! So, in the very near future you may not only be able to discuss your childs hideous new disease, you may actually be able to DRUG him!
Until quite recently, I was fervent in my opinion that ADD/ADHD was a sham. I was convinced of it. Living with and watching my son changed my mind. There's something different about him as has been for years (and he's only five). Diet, disclipline and all the other touted "cures" haven't had any effect.
We have found that he needs help sleeping. Again we tried lots of stuff and think we've finally found something that works. It has helped his concentration abilities but certainly has eliminated the whole problem. We'll keep at it, knocking down the obstacles as we can identify them.
My husband also has difficulty with concentration and impulsiveness that recently reared its ugly head when he removed caffein from his diet. He's tried lots of things over the years to help him concentrate with little success. Frankly, I'm done with all the supposed diet cures. I'm not ready to use prescription medications, yet, but I *do* believe they can help.
It must be all the multi-tasking, but I'm afraid I don't get your gist.
My younger son, who has always had to share his attention with his hyperactive older brother shows no sign of trouble focusing. Actually, it was living with him that convinced me something was different about my oldest son.
The kind of society that has given government workers free reign to establish the norms for children, thus insuring their own jobs and an endless supply of monies from the federal, state and local government?
Well said. In fact, some of the most prominent ADHD and drug proponents practically celebrate this in their writings. Russell Barkley (conspicuously quoted by Michael Fumento in his article defending the "science" behind ADHD in post #17) says in one of his books, "there is, in fact, something wrong with these children." [my emphasis] One prominent ADHD advocate has published a book for ADHD kids and tells them their brains are broken! But not to worry she says, their brains can be "fixed" just like a broken car. This book is very well-known and is in the school library of every elementary school here in my large suburban school district in Texas.
To each his own, I guess, but personally I don't see how you can do that to children. ADHD/Ritalin advocates who proclaim themselves to be mental health "experts" don't seem to have a problem with it, though.
Exactly ... it took some years of adult maturity to get over the feeling of no matter what one does or accomplishes ... it is not enough to please Dad. But I have even forgiven him. Of course I havn't talked to him in almost 15 years. Those of you who believe that harsh displine is the answer to ADHD... that's probably going to be your well deserved fate.
Oh and I too believe that doping kids is not the answer ... but it's a whole LOT better than beating them for something they CANNOT control without YEARS of maturity and understanding.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is where the child is quiet, polite, has the attention span of a gnat and daydreams all day.
ADD is quite the opposite of what is called ADHD.
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