What Ritalin is doing to our children's heads(UK)

The UK Telegraph ^ | June 13, 2011 | Andrew M Brown

[US Navy Vet]

Are we experiencing an explosion of mental illness among young children in Britain? That is what you’d reasonably conclude, looking at the rise in the number of prescriptions issued for psychiatric medicines for them.

One of the commonest of childhood brain disorders is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is in the news again: Darren Hucknall, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, has made a formal complaint to the NHS after his 10‑year-old son, Harry Hucknall, hanged himself. Harry was being treated with fluoxetine (Prozac) – an anti-depressant – and methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin or Equasym, the standard treatment for ADHD.

[silverleaf]

I grew up in a middle class setting in the 1950’s and never ran into kids that needed drugs to behave

me too.

But unlike your experience, I would say that nicotine played a huge role for kids that wanted or needed to self-medicate
maybe we need to bring back smoking in the school bathrooms or behind the gym... and smoking about everywhere else, too
ah, the good old days

[madamemayhem]

ADHD.... when I was a kid in the 1970’s, that disorder was know by four other letters....BRAT. The treatment (and cure)was a big ol’ can of parental whoopass.

[OldMissileer]

This is the result of the leftist, feminist agenda being taught all teachers trying to get a degree in “education.”

Since a vast majority of teachers are female and most have to have that worthless education certificate they do not understand adolescent male behavior. They are taught that any behavior other than that of females is abnormal and requires remediation.

One of the biggest problems is grade schools today is the elimination of Recess, where the boys could go out and get active. When I was in Grade School most boys played tackle football.

[cerberus]

I’ve seen many of these expensive evals and many if not most are relatively useless. I would never do it to distinguish “overactive vs. hyperactive” unless, only possibly, if autism was a concern.

[outinyellowdogcountry]

Discipline has been watered down so much these days that drugs are the answer to make the weak discipline work. Discipline that works would make everyone uncomfortable and it has to be consisitent and unrelenting.

[outinyellowdogcountry]

Discipline has been watered down so much these days that drugs are the answer to make the weak discipline work. Discipline that works would make everyone uncomfortable and it has to be consisitent and unrelenting.

[philman_36]

There are multiple studies of ADHD brain MRI’s compared to non-ADHD brains and the differences.

"Brain imaging is still not ready for use as a diagnostic tool in ADHD," Shaw points out, "Although the delay in cortex development was marked, it could only be detected when a very large number of children with the disorder were included. It is not yet possible to detect such delay from the brain scans of just one individual. The diagnosis of ADHD remains clinical, based on taking a history from the child, the family and teachers."

Been through this before.

[philman_36]

Madigan Army Medical Center
ADHD remains a clinical diagnosis; there are no biological markers or psychological tests which are diagnostically specific.

[philman_36]

Just too many to post...The diagnosis of ADHD remains clinical

[Tex-Con-Man]

My son, from 1st grade until he graduated high school was never a discipline problem. He was always a well-behaved kid. (Unlike his father.)

But when he was in the 4th grade, his teacher and the school counselor decided he needed to be on Ritalin.

I was willing to consider the possibility, but wanted proof that there was in fact a real problem. I did my research on ADD and discovered the symptoms were virtually indistinguishable from being a “boy”.

And then I met his teacher. After ten minutes with her, I realized she was boring the crap out of me.

I had to fight the teacher, the school counselor and my wife, but I refused to allow him to be medicated. She turned out to be the only teacher who ever suggested my son needed medicating. Although my wife at the time was very angry at me for my stance, she later was grateful that I never gave in. As was my son.

Some kids need help...most do not. But parents need to do their own research and decide for themselves. The problem could be a lazy teacher.

[JoyjoyfromNJ]

My long 2 1/2 cents worth :-)
1) There’s a book by Marie Winn, The Plugged-in Drug, which discussed (a) the physical effect on the brainwaves of young children (the “flattening out”) that watching TV even for short periods has and (b) the need for children of alone time, for imaginative play directed by themselves, not parents. This book was from the late 70’s, early 80’s I believe
2) Watching my 18 month old grand-nephew watching Nick Jr cartoons, even those intended for toddlers, is quite disturbing. He’ll be happily playing, but once his dad turns on the big screen babysitter, this little guy zones out like a zombie. He stands perfectly still, eyes rarely blinking, mouth open. He’ll stay like that for almost the entire program. If I block his view of the screen, it takes several seconds for him to react to me; you can see his “normal” mind kick in, starting him to blink, then frown, then focus his eyes on my hand or body that’s blocking the boob tube.
3) Had a pastor say that children were like dogs — you need to let them run for a good bit every day to help them get focused. Cesar Milan the Dog Whisper should appreciate that!
4) A major point that’s been overlooked in the original article is that the 10-year-old was on anti-depressants! There have been many, many warnings that these drugs have never been tested on or intended for anyone younger than a grown-adult, let alone a child. There have been many reports of suicides by children on these drugs.

[FiscalSanity]

I have to chime in here. I have four sons. All three who are in school get good marks in conduct. Sons #1 and #3 do very well academically.

Son #2 has always struggled in school, beginning in kindergarten. At the school’s recommendation we had him evaluated for learning disabilities and vision problems during his first grade year. The result was that he was “borderline” ADD, had some other ancillary issues, all of which could be managed with behavioral and education strategies. Everyone expected him to improve as he got older and became more mature. For a couple of years, everything went reasonably well.

Then in the 4th grade, his grades went in the tank...mostly Ds with some Fs. Homework became a multi-hour ordeal. He would forget things as soon as he heard or read them. He repeated the same mistakes over and over, even after being corrected. I had a conference with his teacher and she said that he was always well-behaved, that he seemed to try hard, but that he was “not there.” She scoffed at the “borderline ADD” diagnosis, saying his concentration was worse than her medicated ADD kids were when they were OFF of their medications! Also, my previously happy son started showing signs of depression because he thought he was “stupid.”

I was puzzled as to why he had deteriorated so much when the “experts” had told me he should be improving as he got older. I didn’t understand why the strategies we had been using to help him no longer worked. Regardless, I knew I had to do something to help him. But the potential side effects of ADD medications scared me. I didn’t want to risk side effects such as suicidal ideation with him already showing signs of depression! I started looking to see if there were any alternatives.

Then an internet search turned up the Feingold program, the basic idea of which is that certain substances in food and in our environment can cause or worsen behavioral and attention problems in **susceptible people.** The most common trigger substances are artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and certain preservatives. I was really skeptical, since I have a science background and I want things proved to me. (I also don’t like the fact that nanny-statist, anti-corporate ideology is common among the “all-natural” crowd.)

Still...I knew wasn’t going to do my family any harm by taking artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners out of our diets, or by switching to unscented personal care and cleaning products. It was a lot of work, though, since I had to re-learn how to shop and I had to cook much more from scratch.

The result? After a few weeks, my son’s grades began to pick up. During his first full grading period after we started the program, he made mostly Bs, a couple of As and only one C. Homework time went to less than an hour. While he is not a straight-A student, and he still has some concentration and academic issues, he can function. His self-esteem went up once he realized that he is not stupid - he just has sensitivities to chemicals.

When you look at the American diet, we are consuming a lot more processed foods than we were even a couple of decades ago. There is a dosage relationship with any substance that has an effect on the body. So it makes sense that if artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives interfere with concentration and cause behavioral problems in some people, eating more of them could be causing more kids to reach the dose that causes symptoms.

I am not suggesting that diet is the only cause of the increase in ADD/ADHD diagnoses. Increased push from schools to test kids for ADD/ADHD, kids spending more time with television and video/computer games, kids getting less exercise, and fewer parents willing to act like parents play roles as well.

For those who choose to medicate their children, I an not knocking you. Dietary changes aren’t enough for every child, and there are some ADD/ADHD children who aren’t helped much by dietary changes. I just think it’s a shame that most parents (and pediatricians!) don’t even know that dietary changes are an option.

[philman_36]

I just think it’s a shame that most parents (and pediatricians!) don’t even know that dietary changes are an option.
Too many believe...we've got a pill to fix everything!

Sometimes nothing more than good parenting is an even more simple fix.
If you allow a child to grow up believing that throwing a tantrum gets them what they want then you're not parenting.

[chris_bdba]

Well DUH! We are also experincing more drug addtion at an earlier age....could it be that feeding kids drugs from 3 or 4yo on is a really bad idea?

[chris_bdba]

I’ve not seen his study but my Dh’s best friend’s father was a neurologist and always told us to never let a child watch children’s programming ever.He said that the attenion span is taught and when someone watched somethign like Sesame Street where there was flashing and 30 second spots of things jumping from subject to subject that you were teaching the child to think like that.He alwyas avocated childrens music over those.Repetition not high speed TV.

[JohnLongIsland]

I was on 20mg Ritlain 2x a day for 5 years(1968-1972) and I have NEVER had “serious substance abuse problems”.

You beat the odds...

[FiscalSanity]

I agree that parenting is often a big problem...bad behavior does sometimes get diagnosed as ADD/ADHD. It’s a lot easier for the teachers if kids who were never taught to behave are medicated into quiescence.

But if you’re implying that bad parenting or lack of parenting is the *only* reason for ADD/ADHD, you’re wrong. Just because doctors haven’t yet figured out how to diagnose ADD/ADHD with a blood test or some other physiological test doesn’t mean it’s not real. Actually, some researchers suspect ADD/ADHD may be related to problems with absorption and/or metabolism, since ADD/ADHD kids seem more prone to nutrient deficiencies and gastrointestinal problems. But a lot more research is needed to confirm the correlation and find the underlying cause. Someday there may be a physiological test for at least some cases of ADD/ADHD.

More on point to your second post, sparing the rod is not the issue with my son. He has never been a behavior problem. He doesn’t disrupt class or throw tantrums. He just stays in a “brain fog.” He *wants* to do well, but before we changed his diet, he just couldn’t. Punishing him for his inability to concentrate would have been just as effective as punishing him for his height or eye color, and just as demoralizing.

[philman_36]

But if you’re implying that bad parenting or lack of parenting is the *only* reason for ADD/ADHD, you’re wrong.
How do you make such an illogical jump and make such an assumption from my reply? See sometimes above! (completely rhetorical so don't bother answering)

More on point to your second post, sparing the rod is not the issue with my son.
WOW! I never had to spank my kids to stop their tantrums. And once they learned it didn't work they stopped trying it. Your reaction is telling. You automatically, and reflexively, assumed I meant corporal punishment was the solution.

And don't lecture me on ADD/ADHD. I've been battling people for years on this topic. I know a nurse who is completely rational on every medical topic except ADD/ADHD. She was so informed >spit< that she didn't even know that amphetamines/stimulants were what were being given to children. She simply swallowed wholesale what she was being fed.
And I've seen "the wounded bird gambit" played out more times than I can count. Ooooh...ooooh, I've got a son/daughter/cousin/friend's child who has ADD/ADHD and I can assure you blah, blah, blah.
Your responses, especially your last, look to fit that category. I don't know you or your background, but you wouldn't be the first to spin a yarn to "prove" your point.

[momtothree]

I fully understand the book you mentioned. I am paraphrasing what I read but essentially the cartoons and video games of today are super fast. That speed of viewing changes the child’s brain. Learning is a slow process. The teacher speaks at a relatively slow rate and the material is slow compared to the super fast cartoons and video games. Thus, the child “tunes” out because his or her brain is ramped for something more fast. I have wondered something else as well. I made my three kids take naps when they were babies and toddler. Heck, it was only in the past few months that my five year old stopped taking a nap. If children are tired (not enough sleep) they will act out. Many parents that I know with small kids no longer enforce the nap rule. I truly wonder if that doesn’t affect behavior as well. It is a complex issue but I think your points are very valid!

[FiscalSanity]

It’s a free forum. I can respond if I choose, and ignore you if I choose. You have the same choice.

I made the jump I did because your first post (#14) said:

“I wouldn’t have a problem with diagnosing kids with ADD/ADHD if the tests were physiological instead of psychological.
One is objective while the other is subjective.”

Combined with your subsequent posts correctly pointing out that ADHD diagnosis is clinical (and therefore inherently subjective), I took you to be an “ADHD skeptic” who believes that most/many/all cases of ADHD are just bad behavior.

**Please accept my apologies if I read too much into what you said.**

As to this “wounded bird” trying to “prove” something, I am trying to say only this:

1. ADD/ADHD is real for some kids. I agree that it is overdiagnosed, as I said in my previous post. But for some children it is real. I am not “spinning a yarn.” I have told the forum honestly about my own experience with my son. I had hoped that it might help some other parents who are struggling with a potential diagnosis or with treatment options following a diagnosis. It was not my intent to start a flame war with you. However, I don’t appreciate that you all but called me a liar for sharing part of my life.

2. Drugs are not the only treatment that works. I am well aware that amphetamines/stimulants (as well as antidepressants and other drugs) are used to treat ADD/ADHD. Those are powerful drugs with nasty potential side effects. That’s exactly why I wanted to try other things first, and use drugs only as a last resort. In my case, diet modification is working, and I have not had to use any medications so far. And remember that I only changed our diet after ruling out learning disabilities, vision problems, and trying educational and behavioral strategies for years.

By the way, I used the phrase “sparing the rod” as a figure of speech for discipline in any form. That was a very poor choice of phrase on my part, given the visceral reaction you had to it. I never spanked for tantrums, either, because just riding it out and not giving in IS the best strategy. I have used corporal punishment, but rarely, since time out (for younger kids) and taking away privileges (for older ones) work better.

Again, it is your right to disagree and debate facts with me. But I respectfully ask that you don’t call me illogical or imply that I am lying while doing so.