Do you think ADHD is real and/or over prescribed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:http://www.amazon.com/Weve-Got-Issues-Children-Medication/dp/B005DI8BKU

Surprised no one has yet mentioned this book. She goes into it with the premise that we're overprescribing everything. Does a 180 and comes out convinced it's all very real.

I am not sure this kind of anecdotes based books mean much. No one, well I guess no one who is serious will deny there are true benefits of medication for some children. But when prevalence jumped 200 percent in a decade, it is something to think about.

See, these are the things I think about long before I conclude "it's all made up," which is what you seem to be inferring.

1) The condition has always been there, largely untreated and undiagnosed. So it's not really an increase in prevalence. The increase in Rx may be related more to the fact that effective, FDA-approved and peer-reviewed medications tested in double-blind laboratory tests came onto the market, rather than the cynical meme of drug pushing. Or:

2) You're right, there IS an increased prevalence. But that's due to environmental factors, most likely the introduction of widespread use of genetic modifications to our crops and other toxins.

Toxins are indeed a major problem, as is absentee parenting.

Straw man. Every child I know who has ADHD is intensely supervised. Usually there is a parent at home. They are extremely involved in trying to manage the condition. There's no absenteeism.

+1000

Sorry to burst your little bubble, but know plenty of nannies left to manage these children. No therapy or counselling, just the drugs. It's the easiest thing: pop a pill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is pretty obvious that it is both overdiagnosed and overmedicated in this country. I am not saying it is a made up condition, there are certainly kids who have it and some may benefit from medication, but not at the rate that we see here. The fact is, Americans like medications - you see that with anti-depressants as well. Europeans have a much more cautious approach to this.

This recent article in the New York Times on the topic was pretty disturbing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/health/the-selling-of-attention-deficit-disorder.html?ref=health&_r=0

Thanks for posting this link. It confirms everything I believe about the ADHD "epidemic." On an overnight school trip recently, I was appalled by the enormous bag of drugs the supervising teacher carried to hand out to half of the kids on the trip each day! How on earth can all these kids need medication to help them get through school?? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

I believe our diets and the toxic chemicals in our homes, automobiles, schools and in the air we breathe and water we drink are part of the reason so many children have trouble concentrating. Our crazy way of life -- too much time spent indoors and far too much focus far too early on academic progress -- also fuels this epidemic of ADHD diagnoses and overmedication.

Of course there are a few children who need these drugs, whose brain chemistry is so out of whack that medication is the only thing that can help them. But not half or even a quarter of our children ought to be on drugs to help them concentrate on school. If drugs are needed so frequently, perhaps there's something wrong with the schools, not the kids.

It saddens me to read how many parents on this board are medicating their children. Changing diets, giving supplements, dealing with allergies and food intolerances, getting rid of toxic chemicals in a child's environment are all very time consuming and difficult, but they work in the long run. Giving pills to children is easier and faster, but the long-term effects of giving these powerful drugs to children cannot be healthy, despite what the pharmaceutical companies claim.

Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. ADHD is just another way for doctors and the pharmaceutical industry to work together to make each other wealthy at the expense of innocent, naive and vulnerable people who need help and trust doctors to provide simple answers to complex problems.

I'm sorry if this is offensive to those of you who have found help through medicating your children. Teachers and doctors have suggested to me that I medicate my children, but I have chosen the slow, difficult approach I described above, and have been very successful using it instead of drugs. Not everyone has the luxury of time or the energy to do this, but the medical profession and pharmaceutical industry are not giving parents any encouragement (in fact they are disparaging any approach besides giving drugs to children) to take chemicals out their children's food, and environment, look into allergies, food intolerances and other environmental factors contributing to ADHD-like symptoms.

Go ahead, flame and rage away, all you DCUMers! I know you have seen positive changes in your children after giving them drugs, but have you tried anything else? Have you taken your child to an allergist, for example, had a screening for food intolerances, removed carpeting from your house and gluten from your child's diet? Have you limited screen time, made sure your children get enough sleep and enough exercise? I believe what I have seen in my life and in my own family, and observed in my community. We're a sadly overmedicated society, wanting pills for every problem, with a pharmaceutical industry ready and willing to supply drugs to meet our every need, whether real or not. The trend toward giving children ADHD medications to get them through school is sad, and a tragedy for our children. And I don't see it getting better any time soon.

[Anonymous]

<<Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. >>


Now this thread has really jumped the shark, where people are just saying things with no factual basis behind it -- its like we've become a radio call in show where people just want to spout out there uninformed theories.

By God,PP, how in the world do you know that ''most people become doctors in the US for the money''' and that most come from familiies with little money. I truly think this is one of the most uninformed things i've read in all my time reading dcum...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:<<Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. >>


Now this thread has really jumped the shark, where people are just saying things with no factual basis behind it -- its like we've become a radio call in show where people just want to spout out there uninformed theories.

By God,PP, how in the world do you know that ''most people become doctors in the US for the money''' and that most come from familiies with little money. I truly think this is one of the most uninformed things i've read in all my time reading dcum...

Ok, doc. Sure.

[Anonymous]

<< Anonymous wrote:<<Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. >>


Now this thread has really jumped the shark, where people are just saying things with no factual basis behind it -- its like we've become a radio call in show where people just want to spout out there uninformed theories.

By God,PP, how in the world do you know that ''most people become doctors in the US for the money''' and that most come from familiies with little money. I truly think this is one of the most uninformed things i've read in all my time reading dcum...


Ok, doc. Sure. >>



No, seriously -- what makes you say this?

[Anonymous]

I think it is BOTH real and over medicated. Bear with me for a minute. It is like depression - some people can handle it with cognitive therapy and behavioral changes while some people require hospitalization and medication. I so not want to belittle people who are really suffering and need medication, but that is not my story.

I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until I was 27 - but all the flags were there my whole life. I was always talking in class, acting up in the library, I didn't get a single good behavior star for all of 1st-3rd grade. I was always told I was gifted and just bored. I behaved better as I got older. I also did more and more sports and I got older until I had 3 varsity teams and summer swim team in HS. I grew up with "hippie" parents we would now call crunchy in a liberal college town. I ate locally farmed hormone-free meat, eggs, and dairy. Local organic produce and a lot of spelt, barley, etc. I rarely had refined sugar before school age and was not allowed caffiene. I also went to bed early because of before school sports practice and had a very full, structured schedule. My mom taught me how to make lists and prioritize my tasks. Basically without knowing it, my parents did all of the behavioral modifications you should make for a kid with ADD and I graduated in the top 10 of my class, went to a great school, and have succeeded in life.

My ADD flared up combined with depression my sophomore year in college. My grades slipped to a 2.3 and I almost quit engineering. I lost my merit scholarship and started drinking irresponsibly and smoking. Besides poor eating choices in college, I also injured my knee and had to stop running daily. I was also staying up late and not keeping a regular schedule. I muddled through until my late 20s when I saw a TV commercial for ADD meds and realized what was wrong.

I took Adderal for 4 years, but probably only needed it for 18-24 mo. After that it was addiction and laziness. Now I follow the behaviors I grew up with and am feeling much better - no caffiene, balanced diet of whole foods, daily exercise, regular exercise, and meditation to calm my mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is BOTH real and over medicated. Bear with me for a minute. It is like depression - some people can handle it with cognitive therapy and behavioral changes while some people require hospitalization and medication. I so not want to belittle people who are really suffering and need medication, but that is not my story.

I wasn't diagnosed with ADD until I was 27 - but all the flags were there my whole life. I was always talking in class, acting up in the library, I didn't get a single good behavior star for all of 1st-3rd grade. I was always told I was gifted and just bored. I behaved better as I got older. I also did more and more sports and I got older until I had 3 varsity teams and summer swim team in HS. I grew up with "hippie" parents we would now call crunchy in a liberal college town. I ate locally farmed hormone-free meat, eggs, and dairy. Local organic produce and a lot of spelt, barley, etc. I rarely had refined sugar before school age and was not allowed caffiene. I also went to bed early because of before school sports practice and had a very full, structured schedule. My mom taught me how to make lists and prioritize my tasks. Basically without knowing it, my parents did all of the behavioral modifications you should make for a kid with ADD and I graduated in the top 10 of my class, went to a great school, and have succeeded in life.

My ADD flared up combined with depression my sophomore year in college. My grades slipped to a 2.3 and I almost quit engineering. I lost my merit scholarship and started drinking irresponsibly and smoking. Besides poor eating choices in college, I also injured my knee and had to stop running daily. I was also staying up late and not keeping a regular schedule. I muddled through until my late 20s when I saw a TV commercial for ADD meds and realized what was wrong.

I took Adderal for 4 years, but probably only needed it for 18-24 mo. After that it was addiction and laziness. Now I follow the behaviors I grew up with and am feeling much better - no caffiene, balanced diet of whole foods, daily exercise, regular exercise, and meditation to calm my mind.

Seems like your Mother worked pretty dilegently with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for posting this link. It confirms everything I believe about the ADHD "epidemic." On an overnight school trip recently, I was appalled by the enormous bag of drugs the supervising teacher carried to hand out to half of the kids on the trip each day! How on earth can all these kids need medication to help them get through school?? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

I believe our diets and the toxic chemicals in our homes, automobiles, schools and in the air we breathe and water we drink are part of the reason so many children have trouble concentrating. Our crazy way of life -- too much time spent indoors and far too much focus far too early on academic progress -- also fuels this epidemic of ADHD diagnoses and overmedication.

Of course there are a few children who need these drugs, whose brain chemistry is so out of whack that medication is the only thing that can help them. But not half or even a quarter of our children ought to be on drugs to help them concentrate on school. If drugs are needed so frequently, perhaps there's something wrong with the schools, not the kids.

It saddens me to read how many parents on this board are medicating their children. Changing diets, giving supplements, dealing with allergies and food intolerances, getting rid of toxic chemicals in a child's environment are all very time consuming and difficult, but they work in the long run.

I do believe you that this worked for your child, and might also work for many other children. And I'm glad that it's working for your kid, and I believe that everyone should try these options. But you should know that this is not universal. It doesn't always work. For some kids, you can do each and every one of these things, forever, and the kid will still have ADHD.

Giving pills to children is easier and faster, but the long-term effects of giving these powerful drugs to children cannot be healthy, despite what the pharmaceutical companies claim.

Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. ADHD is just another way for doctors and the pharmaceutical industry to work together to make each other wealthy at the expense of innocent, naive and vulnerable people who need help and trust doctors to provide simple answers to complex problems.

I'm sorry if this is offensive to those of you who have found help through medicating your children. Teachers and doctors have suggested to me that I medicate my children, but I have chosen the slow, difficult approach I described above, and have been very successful using it instead of drugs. Not everyone has the luxury of time or the energy to do this, but the medical profession and pharmaceutical industry are not giving parents any encouragement (in fact they are disparaging any approach besides giving drugs to children) to take chemicals out their children's food, and environment, look into allergies, food intolerances and other environmental factors contributing to ADHD-like symptoms.

Go ahead, flame and rage away, all you DCUMers! I know you have seen positive changes in your children after giving them drugs, but have you tried anything else?

YES, tried EVERYTHING else first

Have you taken your child to an allergist, for example, had a screening for food intolerances, removed carpeting from your house and gluten from your child's diet?

Yes, tried all of those. Some improvement, but minor.

Have you limited screen time, made sure your children get enough sleep and enough exercise?

Yes, we do this each and every day. Definitely makes a noticeable impact, but we are STILL left with very significant ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for posting this link. It confirms everything I believe about the ADHD "epidemic." On an overnight school trip recently, I was appalled by the enormous bag of drugs the supervising teacher carried to hand out to half of the kids on the trip each day! How on earth can all these kids need medication to help them get through school?? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

I believe our diets and the toxic chemicals in our homes, automobiles, schools and in the air we breathe and water we drink are part of the reason so many children have trouble concentrating. Our crazy way of life -- too much time spent indoors and far too much focus far too early on academic progress -- also fuels this epidemic of ADHD diagnoses and overmedication.

Of course there are a few children who need these drugs, whose brain chemistry is so out of whack that medication is the only thing that can help them. But not half or even a quarter of our children ought to be on drugs to help them concentrate on school. If drugs are needed so frequently, perhaps there's something wrong with the schools, not the kids.

It saddens me to read how many parents on this board are medicating their children. Changing diets, giving supplements, dealing with allergies and food intolerances, getting rid of toxic chemicals in a child's environment are all very time consuming and difficult, but they work in the long run.

I do believe you that this worked for your child, and might also work for many other children. And I'm glad that it's working for your kid, and I believe that everyone should try these options. But you should know that this is not universal. It doesn't always work. For some kids, you can do each and every one of these things, forever, and the kid will still have ADHD.

Giving pills to children is easier and faster, but the long-term effects of giving these powerful drugs to children cannot be healthy, despite what the pharmaceutical companies claim.

Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. ADHD is just another way for doctors and the pharmaceutical industry to work together to make each other wealthy at the expense of innocent, naive and vulnerable people who need help and trust doctors to provide simple answers to complex problems.

I'm sorry if this is offensive to those of you who have found help through medicating your children. Teachers and doctors have suggested to me that I medicate my children, but I have chosen the slow, difficult approach I described above, and have been very successful using it instead of drugs. Not everyone has the luxury of time or the energy to do this, but the medical profession and pharmaceutical industry are not giving parents any encouragement (in fact they are disparaging any approach besides giving drugs to children) to take chemicals out their children's food, and environment, look into allergies, food intolerances and other environmental factors contributing to ADHD-like symptoms.

Go ahead, flame and rage away, all you DCUMers! I know you have seen positive changes in your children after giving them drugs, but have you tried anything else?

YES, tried EVERYTHING else first

Have you taken your child to an allergist, for example, had a screening for food intolerances, removed carpeting from your house and gluten from your child's diet?

Yes, tried all of those. Some improvement, but minor.

Have you limited screen time, made sure your children get enough sleep and enough exercise?

Yes, we do this each and every day. Definitely makes a noticeable impact, but we are STILL left with very significant ADHD.

How old is your child? What does his/her daily routine look like? What sort of diet do you do? How many hours of sleep every night?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for posting this link. It confirms everything I believe about the ADHD "epidemic." On an overnight school trip recently, I was appalled by the enormous bag of drugs the supervising teacher carried to hand out to half of the kids on the trip each day! How on earth can all these kids need medication to help them get through school?? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

I believe our diets and the toxic chemicals in our homes, automobiles, schools and in the air we breathe and water we drink are part of the reason so many children have trouble concentrating. Our crazy way of life -- too much time spent indoors and far too much focus far too early on academic progress -- also fuels this epidemic of ADHD diagnoses and overmedication.

Of course there are a few children who need these drugs, whose brain chemistry is so out of whack that medication is the only thing that can help them. But not half or even a quarter of our children ought to be on drugs to help them concentrate on school. If drugs are needed so frequently, perhaps there's something wrong with the schools, not the kids.

It saddens me to read how many parents on this board are medicating their children. Changing diets, giving supplements, dealing with allergies and food intolerances, getting rid of toxic chemicals in a child's environment are all very time consuming and difficult, but they work in the long run.

I do believe you that this worked for your child, and might also work for many other children. And I'm glad that it's working for your kid, and I believe that everyone should try these options. But you should know that this is not universal. It doesn't always work. For some kids, you can do each and every one of these things, forever, and the kid will still have ADHD.

Giving pills to children is easier and faster, but the long-term effects of giving these powerful drugs to children cannot be healthy, despite what the pharmaceutical companies claim.

Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. ADHD is just another way for doctors and the pharmaceutical industry to work together to make each other wealthy at the expense of innocent, naive and vulnerable people who need help and trust doctors to provide simple answers to complex problems.

I'm sorry if this is offensive to those of you who have found help through medicating your children. Teachers and doctors have suggested to me that I medicate my children, but I have chosen the slow, difficult approach I described above, and have been very successful using it instead of drugs. Not everyone has the luxury of time or the energy to do this, but the medical profession and pharmaceutical industry are not giving parents any encouragement (in fact they are disparaging any approach besides giving drugs to children) to take chemicals out their children's food, and environment, look into allergies, food intolerances and other environmental factors contributing to ADHD-like symptoms.

Go ahead, flame and rage away, all you DCUMers! I know you have seen positive changes in your children after giving them drugs, but have you tried anything else?

YES, tried EVERYTHING else first

Have you taken your child to an allergist, for example, had a screening for food intolerances, removed carpeting from your house and gluten from your child's diet?

Yes, tried all of those. Some improvement, but minor.

Have you limited screen time, made sure your children get enough sleep and enough exercise?

Yes, we do this each and every day. Definitely makes a noticeable impact, but we are STILL left with very significant ADHD.

How old is your child? What does his/her daily routine look like? What sort of diet do you do? How many hours of sleep every night?

Are you a doctor? What is your professional certification?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:<<Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. >>


Now this thread has really jumped the shark, where people are just saying things with no factual basis behind it -- its like we've become a radio call in show where people just want to spout out there uninformed theories.

By God,PP, how in the world do you know that ''most people become doctors in the US for the money''' and that most come from familiies with little money. I truly think this is one of the most uninformed things i've read in all my time reading dcum...

Ya, I knew that would rile y'all up. Every single doctor I know except one comes from no money. Not impoverished families, but just normal middle or lower-middle class families who came up in the world in both prestige and money by becoming doctors. My wealthy friend (who went to Georgetown) told me not a single person he knew at medical school came from a wealthy background. Of course not all doctors are in it solely for the money, but really, how many really talented people would become doctors if it paid as poorly as social work does? I do not claim to know every doctor in the universe, but in my fairly large circle, which includes many doctors, nearly all came from backgrounds where becoming a doctor was a step up in prestige and money.

The reason I mentioned this is directly related to the OPs question about ADHD drugs being over prescribed. Of course it is, and money is the root of that problem, which is fed by the marriage of big pharma and big medicine. Read the NYT article. Doctors are paid by big pharma to promote drugs including ADHD drugs to other doctors, who prescribe these drugs to children. It's not in doctors' best interests to band together and challenge big pharma, so they don't. Big pharma pays for lots of things doctors like, such as research and those nice conferences in the winter in warm places, where doctors are fed all the big pharma p.r. Don't just take my word for it. Investigate for yourself.

BTW, my doctor friend from a wealthy background selectively vaccinates his children, for example, and is very concerned about environmental toxins and interested in nutrition and alternative medicine as treatments for ADHD. He does not buy into the pharmaceutical industry p.r., nor does he need to take any money from big pharma. He has a traditional medical education (what could be more mainstream that Georgetown?), yet because he was financially independent before attending medical school was easily able to avoid the gimmes from Big Pharma.

So, prove me wrong, please. Show me the vast numbers of doctors who come from wealthy backgrounds, please. I bet you don't know a single one. Money is influence, surely you know that if you live in DC. And big pharma has big influence and big money, and for the doctors who want easy money, it's there for the taking. The price is the health of the citizenry and our children in particular.

Here's another NYT article on how big pharma sold the vaccine for cervical cancer, costing some healthy children their lives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/health/policy/20vaccine.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I could go on, as the bonds between the medical community and the riches of big pharma (including much research money) are tight and reach back many years. Remain ignorant if you wish, but that won't change the sad reality that Big Pharma in collusion with many doctors is using "science" to push powerful ADHD drugs on vulnerable children. Big pharma makes no money pushing a healthy diet or a toxin-free environment as a cure for ADHD. Doctors don't either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for posting this link. It confirms everything I believe about the ADHD "epidemic." On an overnight school trip recently, I was appalled by the enormous bag of drugs the supervising teacher carried to hand out to half of the kids on the trip each day! How on earth can all these kids need medication to help them get through school?? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

I believe our diets and the toxic chemicals in our homes, automobiles, schools and in the air we breathe and water we drink are part of the reason so many children have trouble concentrating. Our crazy way of life -- too much time spent indoors and far too much focus far too early on academic progress -- also fuels this epidemic of ADHD diagnoses and overmedication.

Of course there are a few children who need these drugs, whose brain chemistry is so out of whack that medication is the only thing that can help them. But not half or even a quarter of our children ought to be on drugs to help them concentrate on school. If drugs are needed so frequently, perhaps there's something wrong with the schools, not the kids.

It saddens me to read how many parents on this board are medicating their children. Changing diets, giving supplements, dealing with allergies and food intolerances, getting rid of toxic chemicals in a child's environment are all very time consuming and difficult, but they work in the long run.

I do believe you that this worked for your child, and might also work for many other children. And I'm glad that it's working for your kid, and I believe that everyone should try these options. But you should know that this is not universal. It doesn't always work. For some kids, you can do each and every one of these things, forever, and the kid will still have ADHD.

Giving pills to children is easier and faster, but the long-term effects of giving these powerful drugs to children cannot be healthy, despite what the pharmaceutical companies claim.

Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. ADHD is just another way for doctors and the pharmaceutical industry to work together to make each other wealthy at the expense of innocent, naive and vulnerable people who need help and trust doctors to provide simple answers to complex problems.

I'm sorry if this is offensive to those of you who have found help through medicating your children. Teachers and doctors have suggested to me that I medicate my children, but I have chosen the slow, difficult approach I described above, and have been very successful using it instead of drugs. Not everyone has the luxury of time or the energy to do this, but the medical profession and pharmaceutical industry are not giving parents any encouragement (in fact they are disparaging any approach besides giving drugs to children) to take chemicals out their children's food, and environment, look into allergies, food intolerances and other environmental factors contributing to ADHD-like symptoms.

Go ahead, flame and rage away, all you DCUMers! I know you have seen positive changes in your children after giving them drugs, but have you tried anything else?

YES, tried EVERYTHING else first

Have you taken your child to an allergist, for example, had a screening for food intolerances, removed carpeting from your house and gluten from your child's diet?

Yes, tried all of those. Some improvement, but minor.

Have you limited screen time, made sure your children get enough sleep and enough exercise?

Yes, we do this each and every day. Definitely makes a noticeable impact, but we are STILL left with very significant ADHD.

You sound like a very diligent parent. If you have tried all of these things, and have kept at them for at last six months, to no avail, then probably your child is a candidate for medication and behavioral therapy combined. There is no magic bullet, PP, for a complicated condition, but a combination of therapies may help. But do give the alternatives lots of time. Drugs act quickly, which is why we love them, but there's a price to be paid for that rapid progress, which is why we should use them sparingly and in combination with other, safer therapies.

[Anonymous]

PP -- I'm the poster who balked at your claim about the financial background of doctors...

Your follow up is more well reasoned, though i do take exception to you making a judgement about the vest network of doctors in the US based on the large circle of people you know. That strikes me as rather uneducated.

I too know a lot of doctors -- my DS has a very significant medical condition and we see doctors all the time -- lots of different ones. The doctors I know are very hard working and it seems like there are much, much easier ways to get rich. They have also believed in my child and have worked to help him medially and have not given up on him, so i like doctors.

But i have veered off the ADHD question - I'm referring to a child with significant medial issues.

Your argument about big pharma is better than your argument about doctors, particularly since you back it up with nytimes stories etc...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You sound like a very diligent parent. If you have tried all of these things, and have kept at them for at last six months, to no avail, then probably your child is a candidate for medication and behavioral therapy combined. There is no magic bullet, PP, for a complicated condition, but a combination of therapies may help. But do give the alternatives lots of time. Drugs act quickly, which is why we love them, but there's a price to be paid for that rapid progress, which is why we should use them sparingly and in combination with other, safer therapies.

17:56 here. Does 5 years of alternative therapy, diet modification, conventional therapy, including intensive behavioral therapy, qualify as enough time in your book?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for posting this link. It confirms everything I believe about the ADHD "epidemic." On an overnight school trip recently, I was appalled by the enormous bag of drugs the supervising teacher carried to hand out to half of the kids on the trip each day! How on earth can all these kids need medication to help them get through school?? Something is definitely wrong with this picture.

I believe our diets and the toxic chemicals in our homes, automobiles, schools and in the air we breathe and water we drink are part of the reason so many children have trouble concentrating. Our crazy way of life -- too much time spent indoors and far too much focus far too early on academic progress -- also fuels this epidemic of ADHD diagnoses and overmedication.

Of course there are a few children who need these drugs, whose brain chemistry is so out of whack that medication is the only thing that can help them. But not half or even a quarter of our children ought to be on drugs to help them concentrate on school. If drugs are needed so frequently, perhaps there's something wrong with the schools, not the kids.

It saddens me to read how many parents on this board are medicating their children. Changing diets, giving supplements, dealing with allergies and food intolerances, getting rid of toxic chemicals in a child's environment are all very time consuming and difficult, but they work in the long run.

I do believe you that this worked for your child, and might also work for many other children. And I'm glad that it's working for your kid, and I believe that everyone should try these options. But you should know that this is not universal. It doesn't always work. For some kids, you can do each and every one of these things, forever, and the kid will still have ADHD.

Giving pills to children is easier and faster, but the long-term effects of giving these powerful drugs to children cannot be healthy, despite what the pharmaceutical companies claim.

Most people who become doctors in the US do it for the money. Few of them come from families with a lot of money, so many see medicine as a path to riches. Not all of course, but many. ADHD is just another way for doctors and the pharmaceutical industry to work together to make each other wealthy at the expense of innocent, naive and vulnerable people who need help and trust doctors to provide simple answers to complex problems.

I'm sorry if this is offensive to those of you who have found help through medicating your children. Teachers and doctors have suggested to me that I medicate my children, but I have chosen the slow, difficult approach I described above, and have been very successful using it instead of drugs. Not everyone has the luxury of time or the energy to do this, but the medical profession and pharmaceutical industry are not giving parents any encouragement (in fact they are disparaging any approach besides giving drugs to children) to take chemicals out their children's food, and environment, look into allergies, food intolerances and other environmental factors contributing to ADHD-like symptoms.

Go ahead, flame and rage away, all you DCUMers! I know you have seen positive changes in your children after giving them drugs, but have you tried anything else?

YES, tried EVERYTHING else first

Have you taken your child to an allergist, for example, had a screening for food intolerances, removed carpeting from your house and gluten from your child's diet?

Yes, tried all of those. Some improvement, but minor.

Have you limited screen time, made sure your children get enough sleep and enough exercise?

Yes, we do this each and every day. Definitely makes a noticeable impact, but we are STILL left with very significant ADHD.

How old is your child? What does his/her daily routine look like? What sort of diet do you do? How many hours of sleep every night?

Zip.