Ritalin Debate: Some Experts Doubt Existence of ADHD

Cybercast News Service (CNSNews.com) ^ | April 18, 2003 | Patrick Goodenough

[FreeRadical]

Putting this up asap to avoid double post, back in 10 with crosslinks to related material.....

[thoughtomator]

Count me in among the concerned. Kids being force-fed something an adult could spend years in jail for unlawfully possessing... there is something wrong with this picture, and it's not a healthy sign.

[Chad Fairbanks]

Well, I was a 'hyperactive' kid, inattentive, unruly, non-compliant, etc... and I never had to take any pharmaceuticals to change my behavior - and yet, now I am a responsible, well-adjusted adult... ;0)

[HEY4QDEMS]

I like Red Foremans cure for ADHD "A foot up your ass!!!"

[FreeRadical]

Here's a little more info:
CNSNews Commentary: Drugging our Children to Death
CNSNews Reporting: Federal Gov Sets up National Center on ADHD

FreeRepublic, related article from Australia:
ADHD just 'bad behaviour': US expert (drug company fraud?)
FreeRepublic, related article from Washington Times, Feb. 2003:
Research Questions Ritalin Use

[Zipporah]

I work with kids at 45 different school locations and I can tell you .. the number of kids that are medicated is astounding.. mainly boys. There are so many children that have a terrible time controlling behavior.. When we address behavioral issues with some of the parents .. they tend to say in the presence of their children, that they can't help it.. that either they are on new meds.. they forgot their meds or we should excuse their poor behavior because they are ADHD and that it's part of their 'diagnosis'.. kids are given a pass..

One additional thing, if these kids are diagnosed as ADHD ..they are classified as special needs.. the schools received additional funding for special needs kids and it is in the best interest of the schools to have special needs kids identified.

[Humidston]

Sometimes where parents made changes in the way they were doing things, the symptoms would go away.

DUH! Parents today are just weenies - trying to "befriend" their darlings and afraid to be parents!

My son was hyper growing up. He was dealt with consistantly and evenly. When he got "wound up" I made sure he did a few laps up and down our street to burn off his excess energy and it always worked.

He also learned the value of discipline. He's a fine adult today and a great parent.

[bvw]

What percentage of the drugged kids are from single-parent homes?

[Lazamataz]

I have ADD. I know it exists.

[Lazamataz]

What were we talking about?

[Lil'freeper]

According to Baughman, 500,000 children were diagnosed ADHD in 1985 and between 5 and 7 million were today.

That many diagnoses in one day? Good grief!

[Zipporah]

I would say that the majority of medicated kids are from single parent homes. Also, from families that are at-risk.. either being low income or single parent.

[Judith Anne]

Yes it does exist.

While I'm sure that the drugs are overused as behavioral restraints, there is an actual neurological problem that is ADHD, that is very painful for the sufferers.

The few instances where it is appropriate and useful should not be disparaged.

[Lazamataz]

One clue ADD does exist is this: To those who do not suffer from ADD, ritalin acts like a recreational stimulant, somewhat like methamphetamines.

However, to a person such as myself, I get NO recreational drug effect from ritalin. All that happens is I can concentrate better.

[HEY4QDEMS]

I'm curious to know how many cases of ADD/ADHD are diagnosed at a Military School. hmmmm?

[Lazamataz]

HEY4QDEMS

Everybody's got a cool screen name but me. :o(

[US admirer]

How does your belief that you have some condition or another provide proof that it exists?

[Noahs Rook]

My stepson has been diagnosed with ADHD. One interesting bit of info: Once something has his attention, he only focuses on that one thing...everything else is blocked-out completely.
I watched as he walked home from the bus stop after school, and saw that a fly captured his attention...he followed it out into oncoming traffic trying to swat at it. That's just one danger of this "disorder". This helped us decide, with the advice of his doctor, that medications pose the lesser risk.
Now, I'm not an advocate for medicating kids to make life easier on teachers or parents. But in my boy's (Bughunter)case, medications are working--for him.

rook

[r9etb]

The few instances where it is appropriate and useful should not be disparaged.

The problem is that for some folks (such as will soon be crowding this thread), ADD is primarily an ideological issue. As such, its reality must be denied or minimized. We see above, and will see below, all sorts of calls for punishment and discipline instead of medication. For whatever reason, these same folks tend to end up on the public education-bashing threads -- there's a link of some sort.

The fact is, I know several kids who are on medication because they need it. It helps them to function.

[Lazamataz]

How does your belief that you have some condition or another provide proof that it exists?

It is anecdotal evidence of an effect observed by independant researchers performing double-blind experiments.