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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous] The studies of long term use report mixed results [/quote]

Are there any that show affirmative harm/worse outcomes as compared to a group of children with ADHD who are unmedicated their entire lives? I feel like so often we get people here who point to the fact that ADHD medication doesn't "cure" ADHD as proof that medication doesn't work, as opposed to realizing that if you can take medication you're entire life and have that relieve the symptoms, that's a success compared to the alternative. ADHD meds don't cure ADHD anymore than insulin cures Type I diabetes, but I don't think anyone would say insulin is a failure as a treatment for it. [/quote]

I tried to research this recently.  What I found is that drug companies and the researchers they funded engage in scare tactics to tell parents that failing to medicate will lead to greater rates of drug addition, criminality, etc.  Those studies and ads are problematic enough that the FDA has censured every company selling ADHD drugs for it.  As far as I can tell, the problems with the studies are that 1) they were funded by drug companies/researchers had been paid by drug companies, in may cases 2) they included cigarette smoking as one of their "substance abuse" outcomes, suggesting they are not really measuring something truly dysfunctional; and 3) as far as I can tell, there is no study comparing kids who got good non-drug ADHD treatment and drug treatment.  The studies compare drug treatment and no treatment.  As you might imagine, kids who get no treatment at all might differ in many ways from kids with parents who at least try something. [/quote]

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