why are so many against meds for ADHD

[Anonymous]

I think kids are overmedicated. Far too many kids are on medication. No one is looking at WHY? When I was a child, I don't remember a single child who had ADHD. Not one. No autism, almost no one with allergies, no one with autism.

Now there are hundreds, thousands, millions? of kids on medications for all these problems. Surely there's an underlying cause(es) that must be dealt with.

There's a huge upsurge in diabetes -- doesn't it make sense that the American diet is causing this? That one is obvious. ADHD probably has a similar cause, but no one is looking for it because we have these easy-peazy meds to give to our kids.

Medicine is for emergencies, that's my policy. Long-term problems demand that the underlying cause be identified and addressed. Medicine for ADHD is a band-aid. Address the root cause, and you'll find a solution.

[Anonymous]

<<<< Sometimes it IS just an issue of maturing, but we don't have a system that can accomodate differences anymore. >>

But the system is what the system is. If child is suffering and struggling in the system, why can't meds be used for a period?


Because medications have side effects, and there may be other ways to learn to cope or change the environment.>>

And what if you have tried to help your child learn to cope or change the environment, or ability to change environment is limited, and they still need help -- whats so wrong with trying the meds and seeing if the side effects are there in your child's case? Sometimes these meds help. Sometimes the side effects aren't worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks so much for all the feedback. Keep it coming.

We are facing this decision for a first grader. I am past the denial phase and moved into the realization that he has some kind of problem. Yes he is an active boy as PP mentioned but every single teacher notes that his behavior is out of the norm. In a smaller class or with one on one he would be fine. In a class with 20 kids and many distractions no so much.

He knows he is not doing well at school with his behavior and I am sure he is not learning as much as he could. But he is doing OK which would be fine with me except that he wants to do better and cannot. Its hard to watch. He is seeing a psychologist but there is only so much talking you can do with a 6 year old that has much impact.

Please, Please have your child properly evaluated by a team, see a Psychiatrist, who is the only person to prescribe the RX for ADD and to make the diagnosis.
My son is in college now and is still struggling with this you don't outgrow the ADD or need for the medication. The sooner that you as a family and your son comes together and faces the situation the happier you all will be. My son spent too many unhappy years in grade school because of this.


he wants to do better and cannot. Its hard to watch Been there done that, <3

If I were you, don't ask for or listen to those who are against meds for ADD or don't have experience with a kid with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am "against" them for my own kids because I believe they are the equivalent of steroids for school. People give them to their children so their children will pay better attention and get good grades in school. To me it is exactly the same as steroids for sports: we give them this drug, and it enhances their athletic performance. I'm not going to drug my children for grades. In all of human history somehow children managed to grow up without taking speed. I don't think this is the first generation of children who need it to get through the day. Blame your school environment instead for trying to stick a round peg in a square hole.

You must not have a kid with ADHD, because medication or not, it's a difficult decision either way when your child is suffering. And no one I know whose child actually has ADHD medicates them for grades. Everyone I have spoken with does it for the emotional side effects of being the kid who has no idea what's going on ever.

This 1000 percent
and guess what, to see the shrink for an Ritalin RX is not cheap and NFW are they writing it for that, it is a controlled RX

[Anonymous]

<<Address the root cause, and you'll find a solution.>>

And what if you can't find the solution and you just want to help your kid? Its very hard to try everything and still have your child struggle mightily

[Anonymous]

With ADHD getting diagnosed at younger and younger ages, no parent wants to put their growing child on medication if they can help it. For the parents I know with ADHD kids, popping a pill might help with focus at school, if they are lucky, but do you know what kind of lives they lead when they are not at school? Depending on the medication, the kids can "crash" later in the day and have terrible meltdowns, the children's sleep is affected, many of the kids have no urge to eat because the medication diminishes their appetite. One parent told me that there was a decent amount of renewed focus at school, but their home life became a nightmare. As for the kids still growing, you do realize that growth spurts often mean having to adjust the dose? It's an almost constant back-and-forth adjustment schedule all the time. If parents have an option of trying other things before meds, I think they need to do whatever works best for them.

[Anonymous]

<<a Psychiatrist, who is the only person to prescribe the RX for ADD and to make the diagnosis. >>

Actually, a pediatrician can rx and diagnose

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think kids are overmedicated. Far too many kids are on medication. No one is looking at WHY? When I was a child, I don't remember a single child who had ADHD. Not one. No autism, almost no one with allergies, no one with autism.

Now there are hundreds, thousands, millions? of kids on medications for all these problems. Surely there's an underlying cause(es) that must be dealt with.

There's a huge upsurge in diabetes -- doesn't it make sense that the American diet is causing this? That one is obvious. ADHD probably has a similar cause, but no one is looking for it because we have these easy-peazy meds to give to our kids.

Medicine is for emergencies, that's my policy. Long-term problems demand that the underlying cause be identified and addressed. Medicine for ADHD is a band-aid. Address the root cause, and you'll find a solution.

I posted a few comments earlier,

and want to address a few things here, when we were kids in school (70's) there were the kids who acted up in class, the troublemakers etc, but they were just labeled as such, there were no Child study Teams to assist parents then. Maybe some of the bad kids did have undiagnosed ADD or other learning issues and were acting up because they were bored and sick of being in the classroom. Today at at least in the state I live in there is intervention.

As for ADD, if there was an easy fix or way to fix the root cause as a parent , don't you think we all would do that, there is not one, is it brain based,

,


Medicine is not always for emergency situations, it is also used to maintain health or to prevent a condition from worsening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:<<a Psychiatrist, who is the only person to prescribe the RX for ADD and to make the diagnosis. >>

Actually, a pediatrician can rx and diagnose

not sure that a Pediatrician is going to take an hour to sit and interact with the kid to make DX,
However I am just speaking from my experience and how we approached it.

[Anonymous]

Because we don't know what the long-term effects on very young brains (4 year olds!) is. We are essentially using these children as lab rats.

Because it is much easier for a pediatrician to give a drug rx to a parent who is exhausted and overwhelmed than to tell the parent that s/he needs to take parenting classes.

Because education in the US is not age appropriate, and we don't allow children to get enough outdoor free play.

Because the rates of ADHD in other highly developed nations are much lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think kids are overmedicated. Far too many kids are on medication. No one is looking at WHY? When I was a child, I don't remember a single child who had ADHD. Not one. No autism, almost no one with allergies, no one with autism.

Now there are hundreds, thousands, millions? of kids on medications for all these problems. Surely there's an underlying cause(es) that must be dealt with.

There's a huge upsurge in diabetes -- doesn't it make sense that the American diet is causing this? That one is obvious. ADHD probably has a similar cause, but no one is looking for it because we have these easy-peazy meds to give to our kids.

Medicine is for emergencies, that's my policy. Long-term problems demand that the underlying cause be identified and addressed. Medicine for ADHD is a band-aid. Address the root cause, and you'll find a solution.

I posted a few comments earlier,

and want to address a few things here, when we were kids in school (70's) there were the kids who acted up in class, the troublemakers etc, but they were just labeled as such, there were no Child study Teams to assist parents then. Maybe some of the bad kids did have undiagnosed ADD or other learning issues and were acting up because they were bored and sick of being in the classroom. Today at at least in the state I live in there is intervention.

As for ADD, if there was an easy fix or way to fix the root cause as a parent , don't you think we all would do that, there is not one, is it brain based,

,


Medicine is not always for emergency situations, it is also used to maintain health or to prevent a condition from worsening.

Plus a million. I can think of so many kids that I know understand had ADD and autism, high functioning some of them, who were sent constantly to the principal, suspended, and eventually left school. Many were from low SES families, which probably compounded the problem. We just thought they were "bad" kids. They would have benefited hugely and perhaps have remained in school if they had access to medication and intervention. Isn't this way better?

Also, there is a spectrum of ADHD. My child cannot still his limbs for even one second. I do not know if you can imagine what that is like, but they are constantly, constantly moving. Its exhausting for him and everyone around him. Not medicating him when there is something that can actually help him somewhat engage with the world would just be cruel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because we don't know what the long-term effects on very young brains (4 year olds!) is. We are essentially using these children as lab rats.

Because it is much easier for a pediatrician to give a drug rx to a parent who is exhausted and overwhelmed than to tell the parent that s/he needs to take parenting classes.

Because education in the US is not age appropriate, and we don't allow children to get enough outdoor free play.

Because the rates of ADHD in other highly developed nations are much lower.

I have never heard of a dev ped that would medicate a 4 year old before suggesting behavioral modification. I am sure it happens but it is not the norm, and if that does happen, you are not seeing a reputable quality doctor, so go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we don't know what the long-term effects on very young brains (4 year olds!) is. We are essentially using these children as lab rats.

Because it is much easier for a pediatrician to give a drug rx to a parent who is exhausted and overwhelmed than to tell the parent that s/he needs to take parenting classes.

Because education in the US is not age appropriate, and we don't allow children to get enough outdoor free play.

Because the rates of ADHD in other highly developed nations are much lower.

I have never heard of a dev ped that would medicate a 4 year old before suggesting behavioral modification. I am sure it happens but it is not the norm, and if that does happen, you are not seeing a reputable quality doctor, so go elsewhere.

Most peds are not dev peds, and they are willing to have a parent try a med if the parent comes in after a few weeks of "behavioral modification" and doesn't see dramatic change.
You'd be surprised by the number of kids in PK who are medicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because we don't know what the long-term effects on very young brains (4 year olds!) is. We are essentially using these children as lab rats.

Because it is much easier for a pediatrician to give a drug rx to a parent who is exhausted and overwhelmed than to tell the parent that s/he needs to take parenting classes.

Because education in the US is not age appropriate, and we don't allow children to get enough outdoor free play.

Because the rates of ADHD in other highly developed nations are much lower.

I have never heard of a dev ped that would medicate a 4 year old before suggesting behavioral modification. I am sure it happens but it is not the norm, and if that does happen, you are not seeing a reputable quality doctor, so go elsewhere.

Most peds are not dev peds, and they are willing to have a parent try a med if the parent comes in after a few weeks of "behavioral modification" and doesn't see dramatic change.
You'd be surprised by the number of kids in PK who are medicated.

Well, it is hard to get into a dev ped - but I personally would not medicate unless I had done a full evaluation by one then done behavioral modification and been asked to evaluate by the school.

[Anonymous]

<<Because it is much easier for a pediatrician to give a drug rx to a parent who is exhausted and overwhelmed than to tell the parent that s/he needs to take parenting classes. >>

Is there evidence that parenting classes work?

Separately, I'm wondering if the posters talking about peds just giving away med rxes bc its easier than talking to tired parents -- do you have direct experience with this or is that just your perception? This has not been my experience...