Overmedication of children for ADHD, etc.

[RTKristine]

Hi! My name is Kristine and I am a television reporter for RTTV, an international news outlet based in Washington DC.
I am looking for moms or dads willing to do a quick on-camera interview (Me ad my crew can come to you!) regarding the topic of
children getting diagnosed for ADD and ADHD, en masse.
Many of these children undoubtedly need the medication to help, but some are
simply hyper and rambunctious (ie. just being kids)
If interested, please email me at [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

RTKristine wrote:Hi! My name is Kristine and I am a television reporter for RTTV, an international news outlet based in Washington DC.
I am looking for moms or dads willing to do a quick on-camera interview (Me ad my crew can come to you!) regarding the topic of
children getting diagnosed for ADD and ADHD, en masse.
Many of these children undoubtedly need the medication to help, but some are
simply hyper and rambunctious (ie. just being kids)
If interested, please email me at [e-mail]

This is really ignorant. It doesn't sound like you've done very much research about the condition. Why don't you educate yourself and do a responsible story.

[Anonymous]

What specifically is ignorant about this?

[Anonymous]

Do you have any statistics or other hard data to show that kids are receiving this diagnosis en masse?

In fact, this issue was discussed years ago and is not news, nor is it really accurate.

[Anonymous]

I agree. Do some research.

I am the parent of two kids with ADD, and one without. My children with ADD would simply be unable to function without their medication. There is plenty of research discussing the ramifications of not properly treating ADD/ADHD, such as school failure, low self esteem, high rates of drug abuse, high divorce rates, the inability to keep a job. And no parent I know just pumps up their kids with meds willy nilly because they are "rambunctious". That is insulting. The parents I know through the ADD community and the GTLD community are caring and thoughtful and have invested a great deal of time, energy and resources to learn about the brain functioning and neurology behind ADD, and approach treatment in a holistic way. That means diet, predictable schedules, sleep habits, accommodations at school and at home -- essentially creating a "prosthetic" environment for your child so that they can function at their highest level.

Your story is a non-starter OP, and very 15 years ago. Seriously, do some research before you assume that children are being medicated en masse.

You are foolish.

[Anonymous]

Didn't 60 minutes do an episode on the overdiagnosis of ADHD and the NYT as well? I'm not trying to say that anyone who has a serious case and is benefiting from medication is wrong but a knee jerk reaction that any questioning of the rise in medication is wrong is an extreme and potentially dangerous view.

[Anonymous]

@13:31

The point is that these things have been looked at already, many times, and there haven't been any stories showing widespread overdiagnosis -- in fact, the opposite is true.

It's a stupid idea for a story: it's already been done, there's no basis for it, and it's just designed to stir people up.

[Anonymous]

Hi, OP. Why don't you read Judith Martin's book for starters and then refine your questions so you don't just do another superficial piece that no one needs to hear?

[Anonymous]

@13:31

The point is that these things have been looked at already, many times, and there haven't been any stories showing widespread overdiagnosis -- in fact, the opposite is true.

It's a stupid idea for a story: it's already been done, there's no basis for it, and it's just designed to stir people up.

This sounds very defensive. The 60 minutes story did raise the question of overmedication. While it doesn't sound like this journalist is doing a huge amount of research I don't think your assertation that there is no basis for a story because you would not want it to be true is a good answer. If some children are being overmedicated, it does not mean that your child is being overmedicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

@13:31

The point is that these things have been looked at already, many times, and there haven't been any stories showing widespread overdiagnosis -- in fact, the opposite is true.

It's a stupid idea for a story: it's already been done, there's no basis for it, and it's just designed to stir people up.

This sounds very defensive. The 60 minutes story did raise the question of overmedication. While it doesn't sound like this journalist is doing a huge amount of research I don't think your assertation that there is no basis for a story because you would not want it to be true is a good answer. If some children are being overmedicated, it does not mean that your child is being overmedicated.

Not the PP you are quoting but there is no basis for the story because there is no basis for the story. The issue has been well studied and there is scientific data to support the conclusion.

Her story idea is that children are being overmedicated, en masse for "just being kids". And she is asking parents whom I presume medicate their children for interviews which to me is offensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't 60 minutes do an episode on the overdiagnosis of ADHD and the NYT as well? I'm not trying to say that anyone who has a serious case and is benefiting from medication is wrong but a knee jerk reaction that any questioning of the rise in medication is wrong is an extreme and potentially dangerous view.

13:28 here. Knee-jerk maybe, but factually far more correct than the OP's assumptions which, as most posters have noted, have been debunked. Thank god my kids have access to adequate and effective treatments and therapies, and aren't being told that they are bad kids, or lazy, or stupid, or underachievers. My DH was dx'd as an adult, and suffered mightily as a kid, feeling like a loser most of the time.

I think a more interesting story would be the improvements in DXing and the therapies, and the positive outcomes for those with ADD. Also, the rapid advances being made right now at NIH on brain functioning and the development of neural pathways.

[Anonymous]

PP here - and I fail to see how this "point of view" is dangerous and extreme.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here - and I fail to see how this "point of view" is dangerous and extreme.

NP here. This point of view is dangerous and extreme because it's been well documented that ADHD is not over-diagnosed and not over-medicated. In fact, it is under-diagnosed and under-medicated. There is significant stigma associated with having an ADHD diagnosis and even more for ADHD medication. This stigma is part of the reason ADHD is under-diagnosed and under-treated. It's also well documented that there are significant cost (individual, familial and societal) for not diagnosing and treating it. Look up the statistics related to incarerated adults and people with substance abuse problems. The research is unambiguous about this. The real story is why do people continue to stigmatize ADHD and the approaches proven to work in treating it.

[Anonymous]

RTKristine wrote:(Me ad my crew can come to you!)

My issue is with a "reporter" who can't use basic English. Oh, and also with doing a story making people
who have had to make the tough decision to medicate their child for any reason feel bad about the careful
decision they have made with the help of their doctors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - and I fail to see how this "point of view" is dangerous and extreme.

NP here. This point of view is dangerous and extreme because it's been well documented that ADHD is not over-diagnosed and not over-medicated. In fact, it is under-diagnosed and under-medicated. There is significant stigma associated with having an ADHD diagnosis and even more for ADHD medication. This stigma is part of the reason ADHD is under-diagnosed and under-treated. It's also well documented that there are significant cost (individual, familial and societal) for not diagnosing and treating it. Look up the statistics related to incarerated adults and people with substance abuse problems. The research is unambiguous about this. The real story is why do people continue to stigmatize ADHD and the approaches proven to work in treating it.

PP again - no, I completely agree with you. I was responding to the poster who called my "knee-jerk" reaction dangerous and extreme.