Geez, the way our schools and government thinks, they would have you believe that the whole populace was a bunch of drolling, blithering, out of control, idiots unable to help themselves. When in fact it's them!!
Posted on 08/27/2004 11:41:39 AM PDT by Joe Republc
So you have to make a serious decision about your life and your son's health and you go to a political web site to make your decision? Good choice.
I was perscribed Ritalin at about that age, and I feel that it was a mistake. Sure, I have always had a little more trouble focusing my attention on what someone wants from me (i.e. a teacher, etc), but my ADD also came with a great benefit in that I can focus intently for long periods of time on things that are important to me. My recommendation would be to work with your son to work on techniques that allow him to get by without the medication (structured study times, copious notes, an appointment/schedule/homework book, whatever it takes).
Using Ritalin made it so that I functioned un-naturally and as a result it wasn't until I was about 20 that I finally learned to control myself.
There are some extreme cases where Ritalin is necessary, but I think it is one of the most over-perscribed drugs on the market. People have been growing up learning to live with ADD for thousands of years without Ritalin and I see no need to change that.
Teachers of course are big fans of the stuff, since it makes your child more easily controlled, but is that what you really want?
I've found ADD to be a great benefit, and I've seen that most of the highly successful people that I've worked with have ADD and have simply learned how to properly utilize it. Out of the top three troubleshooters at my last tech job (QA Engineer & Level 3 Tech Support, all three of us had moderate to severe ADD.
Not only do I view it as an advantage, but I don't view it as a disorder at all. With the number of people being "diagnosed" with this disorder, it would seem to me that it is just a way of learning and a part of your mental makeup. The problem is that the schools just don't want to take the time/effort to learn how to teach kids with ADD, they just want to drug them into normalacy.
In the end it is a decision for you and your wife to make, but I would suggest a lot of study on the situation before you decide to resort to chemical means to change the thought-patterns and behavior of your child. Hope this helps in some way.
My hyper 4 y/o grandson acts like a monkey. He just started a Christian private kindergarten. Two times sitting in the room with the teacher while everyone else went outside to play checked his act.
I don't know your circumstances but a second opinion is your right and some kids require medication but little boys (even at 10) are not made to sit at a desk all day quietly when they have the whole world to explore. :')
What are the long-term benefits of drug therapy? None demonstrated, I believe.
What side effects are there with long-term use? Short stature and low self-confidence, I believe.
What dosages have been shown to improve alertness, and what dosages are associated instead with sedative effects?
What other treatments have been shown to be effective? Consistent training and close supervision, I believe.
In order to develop self-control, an ADD child needs more instruction from teachers and parents,but when they are given drugs to control the condition they actually tend to get less instruction than other children.
The literature available from the doctor's office is just drug company advertising. Research is often funded by drug companies. You can easily find something on the internet to back up any opinion pro or con on the matter.
Tin foil hat firmly attached here: Suppose current Ritalin use precludes future firearms ownership. Would you put it past the AMA (or Psychiatric Council or whatever it is) and politicians? Long term dis-armament plan?
This has got to be the most logical solution EVER!!!
Great post!
It is very important to find a DR. who knows how to works with kids who really do have this problem. A trial of medication can often be the real test of the presence of ADHD. There is a book that is helpful also, "over coming underachieving" it has some real helps with kids are struggling.
Take it from a former ADHD kid and Ritalin user, the only thing Ritalin does is make him lazy so he doesnt interfere with the class. It's only there for the teacher, who probably isn't teaching a class interesting enough for your child anyway.
Homeschool your child if possible, or see if you have a curriculum completion based private school. I used to study hard so I could finish the day's work and then read the rest of the time. Your child is possibly too fast of a learner for the other kids in his class, I know I was.
My oldest of 4 daughters is ADHD and Bi-polar. We went through a long period deciding to use the ritalin after seeking alternatives, ie, the Feingold diet.
THANK GOD we started her on it, as her life has dramatically improved.
I strongly suggest you go to someone who is trained to give a proper diagnosis through a series of tests and multiple visits.
Clearly it is overprescribed in the U.S. , but if your child can improve school and social wise, it will be well worth it to him and your relationship as a family.
Just say NO!
For all those who say not to medicate, do you have a child with ADD/ADHD? Because unless you have, you are in not much of a position to shun these drugs unless you have LIVED with a ADD child.
Karate and football helped my 10 year old nephew greatly. he has done a complete 180 over the past year.
I've heard food dyes and sugard affects some kids too. I personally notice a change in my 5 year old daughter when she has red food dye (as in Kool-aid).
So you would not give an inhaler to a kid with asthma? In properly diagnoszed cases, it corrects an imbalance that is not affected by diet.
Geez, the way our schools and government thinks, they would have you believe that the whole populace was a bunch of drolling, blithering, out of control, idiots unable to help themselves. When in fact it's them!!
First...make sure of the diagnosis; try diet, etc.
My daughter was on Ritalin for her elementary school years but I decided to take off when she reached 6th grade...it did help her concentrate (Two weeks on Ritalin and she was out of remedial reading)
As she reached middle school, she "switched classes" every 45 minutes and could maintain her concentration. She is now 18, graduated as a honor student, doesn't do drugs or drink, and is generally a great kid. Though she still has symptoms (disorganized, etc) the medicine helped her to "make up" the gaps in her learning early on.
It's certainly not the FIRST choice;
I've heard that there are some foods that promote "dopamine" production which is what ADD kids lack..you might want to look into that.
What in the world would a dentist know about Ritalin? Why would you accept his opinion on the matter?
WRONG. When properly diagnosed, ritalin can be a lifesaver. To categorically deny medications without facts if pure foolishness. I do not, however, suggest a parent make the choice blindly.
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