Doc, you had several occasions within this thread to either show your concern over these kids misdiagnosis, or your grief that many Doctors are doing it and yet... In each instance you only made excuses to cover up for them. I am left with only one conclusion. You must be one of these Doctors too.
No one can deny that the misdiagnosis of ADHD is a problem that needs a solution and yet, either through self absorption or professional courtesy for your peers you have avoided commenting at all on the ever growing problem. In fact, I am still confused as to why and quite frankly am left with the question "Are the Doctors the cause of this, or merely a symptom of a bigger issue???"
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But as parents, they have two options. They can either believe the myth and refuse to do anything about their kids' condition, and just have them failing through life and have low self-esteem, or they can allow their kids to reach their true potential by helping them to focus better with these medications.
Wrong, there is a third option. They can seek out another opinion, then afterward shell out the necessary dollars to find a qualified professional who specializes in this condition. Putting the child on the wrong medication through trial and error is never the ideal course of action. Taking the word of only one Doctor and/or an unqualified non-specialist is NEVER the only option.
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Before we had these medications, the ones with ADHD either ended up in jail or addicted to illegal drugs. They usually fail in school and end up as criminals.
So, since we now have proper techniques the prison population has diminished or been restructured to only have "real" criminals now? Personally, in the last decade or so, I have noticed no decline in the prisons populations at all. In fact, these children who used to be happy and energetic are now violent because they are permanently addicted to very expensive drugs. It seems to me that this would be a driving force to become a criminal. How else will the support the habit?
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That's how you know you've got the wrong diagnosis.
Yup, sure thing. All the children I have ever seen are nearly catatonic from the drugs. Sure they do better in school. They have no choice since sitting and drooling is more favorable to learning than bouncing around like they are on speed.
There has simply got to be some middle ground. Children do not need chemical lobotomies to be taught in school. NO MATTER what the teachers may intimate otherwise!!!
In the end, I am simply a concerned parent who has noted a problem that seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. If you cannot motivate yourself to address this serious issue within your book, I see no reason for you to write about anything else either as it would show an excessive unconcerned attitude to "real" myths.
Misdiagnosis of ADHD is real. Do your part in preventing it. Avoiding the problem within this thread... Frankly its losing you points not gaining them. 
