How Psychiatry Makes "Patients" of Normal Children

I looked at his website years ago. I read what he had to say, ran it through my experiences and knowledge, and decided that I did not choose to believe what he reports as truth.

Two reasonably intelligent people can look at information and come to two different conclusions. That doesn't mean either one is crazy or stupid - it means that we made different equally valid choices.

The last time I checked there was no requirement that every conservative reach the identical conclusion on every topic. The rest of your rant, I choose to ignore - talk about red herrings?

We disagree - it's a fact - good thing I am responsible for me and mine and you are responsible for you and yours.

I wish you happiness and safety - sincerely, no bull or sarcasm intended. I've read enough of your posts to know you are one of the good guys, even though we disagree on some points.

From the time my son was three until he was nine, he did have problems. Even I had to admit that there was something really *off* with the boy's brain. My relatives insisted that he had ADD and I didn't buy it. Several doctors insisted he had ADD. (I got new doctors.) His teachers wanted him on meds. (I began to homeschool.)

I just knew, in my gut, that this was a symptom of a problem, not the problem itself.

At age 9 he began to have symptoms of autism and we ended up at a neurologist. Turns out that the kid is a Celiac and can't eat gluten-containing foods.

He's almost 14 now, 4 years gluten-free, and he's a normal, healthy kid.

Now that's ONE. One kid with a stubborn mom who wouldn't quit until we found the problem. How many other parents are railroaded into the ADD diagnosis when there's another, serious problem out there? I'd bet my life (and I do mean that) that most of the kids diagnosed with ADD are normal kids who aren't doing well in a sick society and that a large portion of the rest of those diagnosed actually have other issues that effect behavior just like my son did.

A kid who's always felt like crap doesn't know that he can feel any other way. They have no way to articulate their discomfort.

As a chronic pain sufferer, I can tell you that one side effect of consistent, low-level pain is little bursts of adrenaline. You're body is uncomfortable and it send out little "zings" of the hormone, telling you to move. (flight or fight) This causes anxiety. If the discomfort is low enough, you will have no idea where the feelings are coming from. Now tell someone who's feeling like that to sit still in a chair for 8 hours without making a fuss. Heck, I can't do it. You end up with very ADD-like symptoms.

But the ADD diagnosis is so easy

It's the equivalent of giving a housewife Valium. Drug 'em enough and they'll shut up and everyone's life will be easier.

Many times illness can look just like ADD in kids. And it can be something serious or something small like being nearsighted or having a low-level ringing of one ear. Many kids will react to food issues (there's more food problems than just allergies), general allergies, sleeping disorders, pinworms, a pinched nerve in the neck, GERD, etc with ADD behavior.

When someone's *uncomfortable* (and I'm not talking pain here, I'm talking about a constant discomfort) their body instinctively tells them to move to get away from the thing that's bothering them. When it's inside, they can't. After awhile, the body will ramp up the motivation to move with little bursts of adrealine. This causes a constant low-level anxiety. Kids can get irritable or hyper. If they've felt like this their whole lives, they don't even know enough to complain. They have no way to recognize a problem because they thing everyone feels this way.

It took us years to figure out that my son's a Celiac and years longer to find out that my daughter had huge bone spurs in her feet that made walking feel like she was barefoot on broken glass. (She just came out of the second surgery with no problems. Turns out she wasn't lazy after all.)

These problems aren't obvious. They aren't easy to pinpoint. It can take years to figure out.

Discipline is important and I'm glad I disciplined my son even though I know he had reasons for acting out the way he did. Once the problem was solved, he had a clear understanding of how he was supposed to behave and it was very easy for him to get into the swing of a normal life once the pain went away. He's also learned that Celiac disease is NOT an excuse to be an out of control jerk. He'll get exposed to gluten at some point in life and he'll be expected, as an adult, to control himself in those situations. (Heck, I can't use the PMS excuse to burn my house to the ground in frustration.)

Several years ago one of my kids had a young, inexperienced teacher who was doing more harm than good. I called the school to ask them what I had to do to get the kid switched. The lady over the phone went into a snotty speech about I'd have to fill out some forms and make a formal request to the school board. I asked when I could have the paperwork ready for me at the front desk to be picked up. She told me (with much attitude) that the board had never granted such a request, then asked me if I still wanted the paperwork to be ready.

I growled, "Yes. Have the disenrollment paperwork ready for me to pick up in 20 minutes. I'll be homeschooling from now on."

Good for you; I did much the same. Why beat your head against a brick wall when you can just walk around it ? Mine graduated homeschool this year and is a most delightful, poised and self-assured person, all which she would not have been if I’d allowed the labeling and drugs without looking deeper.

You might enjoy reading Mary Ann Block; she says much the same as Baughman but from an osteopath’s perspective. Her personal experience with the mainstream medical community led her into exactly what you say. Long before any psychiatric diagnosis is rendered, all likely physical tests should be explored for any underlying physical illness that is contributing to discomfort in any situation. And, since so many of the ADHD behaviors are also common to highly intelligent individuals, a good and engaging curriculum is a must :)

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