Attention Deficit Disorder -- A Hoax?

For all you skeptics, here is a controversial topic.

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[CN]Chapter 15
[CT]Untamed Hearts
[IP]Every parent wants to provide a nurturing environment so that her child can achieve her potential. Occasionally, despite the best intention and effort, the child falls short of the goal because of other factors. One of the most common reasons why some children underachieve is attention deficit disorder.
Many parents are appalled by the idea that their child is labeled as having a mental illness. Attention deficit disorder doesn?t have to be viewed as such. Furthermore, the thought of putting their child on medication for this condition is even less appealing, but there is a solution to your child?s problem.
[H1]Generation E
[NF]Today?s children seem to functional at a different level than in the past. They are always connected to their friends with their Black Berries, cell phones, instant messengers, etc. The plethora of electronic gadgets and constant media bombardment are continuously clamoring for their attention. More and more advertisement dollars are directed at young consumers, yet the tastes of youngsters are elusive. No wonder we?re diagnosing more children with attention disorders in today?s electronic-saturated world.
Your child has never known a world without computers. In all likelihood, she is probably more adept at using computers than you. For her, computers and the online community is just a natural extension of her social network, and she feels perfectly comfortable immersed in the vast cyberspace. Her style of living and learning is clearly affected by the digital revolution.
[E-Fact]
[SB]The generational differences are starting to blur, as many young parents are perfectly comfortable in relating to their children about the digital experience. More parents are gadget-savvy and are more able to monitor what their children are doing online. If you are such parent, you should have no problem understanding the benefit of multitasking and the potential boost in productivity without sacrificing quality of work.
[ESB]
All modern computers are designed so that you can run multiple programs at the same time. Many adults are still uncomfortable with the idea of running many programs simultaneously on the computer, but your child probably does it routinely. This multitasking ability indeed saves time and is far more efficient than the old fashioned way of running one program at a time. Your child knows it, and he feels perfectly at ease with this style of working and learning.
From a recent survey conducted by the Los Angeles Times, most teens enjoy multitasking in real life as well. They cite boredom as the number one reason for preferring to preoccupy themselves with more than one tasks at a time. Many of them surf multiple websites, chat with their friends via instant messenger, watch television program, and even talk on their cell phone simultaneously without dropping a beat. The way their world is set up, multitasking is not disadvantageous, but necessary for survival.
The biggest question is whether this type of lifestyle encourages the development of attention deficit disorder (ADD). The scientific evidence so far says no. Studies have shown that children who do their homework while watching television or listening to hard rock are still able to concentrate and get stellar grades. Most children have figured out their maximum capacity for handling multiple tasks. Many of them top off at three different tasks before they feel overwhelmed, but some finesse their way through four or more tasks. Today?s children certainly approach their academic responsibilities differently, but different doesn?t necessarily mean inferior.
[H1]Is ADD a Hoax?
[NF]Many parents believe that ADD is a made-up condition so that teachers can have the rowdy students in the class sedated with medication. If you talk to any experienced teachers, they can tell you that the medication for children with ADD are prescribed for the benefit of the student. The fact is that without these medications, some extremely talented and intelligent children will never achieve their full potential because they cannot focus on the lessons in class.
[H2]What is ADD?
ADD is an official diagnosis in the manual of the American Psychiatric Association. It has strict criteria for its diagnosis and objective ways for evaluating it. It cannot be diagnosed willy-nilly by anyone without a professional medical degree. Furthermore, it is not a ?made-up? condition to appease overworked parents and teachers.
[E-ssential]
[SB]You might hear ADD and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) used almost interchangeably in many references. There are some technical differences between children with ADD and ADHD, but for the purpose of our discussion, we?ll focus on ADD. Most of our discussion applies equally well to either condition, and the treatments of ADD and ADHD are identical.
[ESB]
Children with ADD have a hard time controlling their thoughts and actions. They find it difficult to focus their attention on what they are doing, and they are easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli. While most young children have shorter attention span than adults, these children generally have more problem focusing than other children of the same age.
You can argue that it?s just a different way how their brains function and there is nothing wrong with that. This may very well be true, but we live in a world that requires us to concentrate on tasks frequently. Your child cannot afford to be distracted as an adult and drift off into space in the middle of an important meeting. ADD is when their way of thinking and acting fails to conform to the structure of our modern society.
Since you cannot change the way our world functions to accommodate your child?s unique style of working and learning, you have no choice but to modify your child?s behavior to adapt to the rest of the world. One can argue that this is the sole purpose of years of education, so that all of us can better conform to our roles in the society. It?s truly an unfortunate fact that the rest of the world cannot be more flexible, but such is life.
The bottom line is that if your child?s school performance suffers because of the inattentiveness and forgetfulness, you have a problem in hand.
[H2]It?s Common
According to our present medical database, about 8% of children in this country are diagnosed with ADD. That statistic translates into 4.5 million children officially with ADD. Needless to say, it?s extremely common, and even though you may argue that the actual number of children affected by ADD may be higher or lower, you have to admit that there is no way for our country to avoid facing the issue.
The prevalence of ADD is increasing in this country, which is probably due to a wider public awareness of the condition. This increase in number is unlikely indicating that there are actually more children with the condition than before. More vigilant teachers, parents, and doctors are helping more children to be appropriately diagnosed.
[E-Alert]
[SB]With greater awareness but not necessarily more understanding, some children are getting diagnosed with ADD at an extremely young age. Even though young children may show signs of ADD before the age of six, it is virtually impossible to diagnose someone before school age. If a health professional diagnosed your child with ADD before the age of six, you should consider seeking a second opinion.
[ESB]
[H2]Signs to Look For
What do you look for in your child if you suspect that she might have ADD? Children with ADD are often described as if they are driven by a motor. The incessant activities usually do not involve the completion of any one task. Instead, they like to jump from doing one thing to the next, usually before they finish the first task.
In addition, they have a hard time paying attention to instructions. Frequently, they either never heard what you are saying to them or completely forget what you told them. They often appear as forgetful, even though these children may actually have an excellent memory. It?s their disorganization that prevents them from registering information into their mind.
Children with ADD are also impulsive. They often act first without thinking of the consequences, or they might speak out of turn and interrupt others. They might engage in dangerous activities because it looked ?fun? to them without any consideration of threat or negative repercussions.
[E-Alert]
[SB]ADD isn?t necessarily limited to children. Many adults with childhood ADD never grow out of this condition, but most of them have figured out ways to circumvent their deficiencies or even take advantage of their high energy and multitasking ability. Nevertheless, if your work performance seems to be suffering from a lack of concentration, it wouldn?t be a bad idea for you to inquire about an evaluation with your doctor.
[ESB]
Almost all children fit into these descriptions at one time or another, these findings tend to wane with age. By the time most children are ready to enter school, they do not always behave impulsively anymore, and their attention span is long enough for them to digest a short lesson. The most important thing is that children with ADD are the outliers. These traits described above seem to affect them much more often and with more intensity than their peers at the same age.
In a perfect world, school and work environment should accommodate their impulsive creativity and high energy. Alas, the real world is less forgiving about their individual characteristics. The only way they can thrive in the school environment and later in the work force is to learn how to pay attention and work with others.
If you suspect your child might have ADD, bring up the concern with your pediatrician. A formal evaluation by the pediatrician or a pediatric psychiatrist is necessary to diagnose your child with AD

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

I cannot seem to stay online... due to issues with my connection ability so I will read this offline.

If the article doesn't deal with the misdiagnosis problem then you are omitting a major portion of the ADHD crisis.

If you do then I will be quiet henceforth. As I said previously, I have two nephews who I know were misdiagnosed. Their parents were too naive to ask why this or that was happening. Now the kids are nearly grown and have serious addictions to the meds required to keep them civil.

I would like to hurt everyone involved in such a horrible consequence. The doctors should be able to make better diagnosis, and the parents should be more willing to question supposed authority figures where their children are concerned.

ADHD misdiagnosis is worse than no diagnosis at all IMO.

/thoughts

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The best things in life, aren't things.

If this is what you've written in your book, then I compliment you again on it :biggrin:

If it is as well, when referring to the kids, you will sometimes say 'she bla bla bla, she etc.' and then just switch to 'he bla bla bla etc.'

ADD started affecting me significantly this year, more than others, and I got put on meds and my grades steeply increased.

If the article doesn't deal with the misdiagnosis problem then you are omitting a major portion of the ADHD crisis.

I will address that, because it is an important topic.

However, with ADD, the doctor should have regular monthly visit with the child to check on the progress. If the diagnosis were incorrect, the medication would not resolve the symptoms. In fact, meds may make things worse.

Either the doctor was incompetent in the Midwest or the parents failed to report the response to the medication accurately. I can't see how that could happen, unless the physicians were practicing questionable medicine.

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

First Off, let me stress that I am not as stupid as I lead on. Second, if you are indeed going to address the misdiagnosis issue then you believe the crisis exists. Thirdly, if you do NOT believe that my nephews could be victims of a misdiagnosis, then you obviously do not believe in the crisis and will most likely only give it lip service, professional defense being all that between doctors.

If you cannot accept that doctors can and do misdiagnose children then the topic of your book/article is moot. You either acknowledge that the possibility is prevalent, or you do not. There is no middle ground on the subject.

Consider that misdiagnosing is by far worse than diagnosing. Thats a given. However consider that misdiagnosing ruins a child's life, most probably forever and thats 10 times worse than never diagnosing a child at all. If the child is never diagnosed, at least their life is no worse for the confrontation. The drugs involved in ADD are mind altering, at least in the cases I have seen. I do not doubt that the condition of ADD exists. I do however feel that it is a crutch that is abused in favor of a condition that might be resolved in another fashion. The odds that 100% of the children who might have this problem is pretty slim.

I know for a fact that in the two cases of my kinfolk, that the parents were counseled to seek assistance for their children by the teachers they were in class with. They were even pointed toward the doctors they eventually used. IF THIS IS A CONSPIRACY.... so be it. I don't know for certain. I just know that two happy children are, not unhappy now but they are addicted to the drugs that make them appear happy.

I also do not believe for a moment that its a "Mid Western" issue. The probability that west coast doctors making mistakes is just as high as any place else in the States.

Anyway, its unimportant what I believe. What is important is that you postulate an unbiased viewpoint of ALL ASPECTS of ADD/ADHD. If you cannot write in such a way as to illustrate the likelihood of correctly diagnosed children is not 100% then you will only be joining the rest of the doctors who fill the pages of books with crap. (A great example is that horrible Doctor Spock asswipe)

I trust that you will not join those... Less desirable people.

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The best things in life, aren't things.

This is what I have so far. . .

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[NF]Some parents worry that if their child takes stimulants chronically, they might become addicted to the medication. Furthermore, if the initial diagnosis of ADD is incorrect, some fear that the stimulant prescribed might transform otherwise normal children into drug addicts. These scenarios are highly unlikely, because the process of diagnosis and management for ADD is rigorous, and regular follow up office visits ensure that any problem caused by the medication can be promptly detected and remedied.
[H2]Fear of Misdiagnosis
Since ADD cannot be diagnosed via blood tests or brain scans, many parents are uncomfortable with the diagnosis and question the validity of the diagnosis. This is a perfectly valid concern. You wouldn?t want your child to take a medication that alters the function of the brain for the wrong reason.
To dissuade these concerns, let?s compare the way asthma is diagnosed with the diagnostic process for ADD.

[H2]Substance Abuse and ADD
Children with ADD are more prone to develop substance abuse problems, especially if they are not diagnosed or under-treated. Many factors contribute to this end result.
For one thing,

So if there are people with ADD who are addicted to stimulants or other illicit drugs, they are probably addicted because their condition was diagnosed too late and they have already suffered the consequences of a missed diagnosis. The prescribed stimulant does not play any role in the addiction process.

<div class="abouttext">Message submitted 5 minutes after original post:</b></div>
I don't doubt that your nephews were misdiagnosed. There are two possibilities why that happened:

1. incompetent doctor
2. incompetent parents

I do not believe that misdiagnosis is common. Otherwise, it's tautamount of saying the vast majority of doctors do not know what they are doing, or the vast majority of parents are clueless.

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

Let me make this clear. I blame the parents of my nephews most. The doctors may or may not have knowingly caused harm but ultimately I blame the parents.

I trust that if they had sought further advice, or questioned the outcomes more clearly that the children would have grown up differently.

They could have known better, but were content that their semi-violent children were pacifists while on their meds.

My apologies for sounding harsh, but I am passionate about this condition. A misdiagnosis is many, many times worse.

I have also witnessed many of the drooling children who are on the ADD meds. I find it very difficult to accept thats a preferable condition.

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The best things in life, aren't things.

What did the parents say when the doctor asked them about the behavior on return visit upon return visit? Did their grades drastically improve, like French Toast's testimonial? If they are too sedated, why didn't the parents tell the doctor?

Like I said, it's either the parents or the doctor are to blame for a misdiagnosis and continued mistreatments.

Do keep in mind, however, that people with under-treated ADD are more likely going to become drug addicts. A delayed diagnosis can also lead to addiction.

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

I'm personally in the mindset that for the most part, ADHD is a)
boredom on the childs part b) bad discipline on the parents part.

There may be legit cases, but most of the time it can be solved either
with a program better suited to modern kids, or giving a parent a clip
round the ear and a "raising your kids 101" lesson. Anything is better
than labelling a child and sticking him/her on drugs for their school
years.

Adults who grew up with undiagnosed ADD are more likely to become drug addicts because they often have low self-esteem and have underachieved through most of their lives. In addition, it is a way of self-medication when they do not have the benefit of proper treatment.

With proper supervision by a competent doctor, the risk of addiction to stimulants is extremely low indeed.

a) boredom on the childs part b) bad discipline on the parents part

How do you explain the fact that most parents with a child affected by ADD have several other children in the same household who do not have the condition? Certainly, the parenting is approximately the same.

How do you explain the fact that children with ADD have dramatic improvement on their academic achievement once they are on the proper dose of medication? If they are just bored, the medication would certainly not have made any difference.

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

Well, I personally don't know the medical facts behind it - but, going
through second hand experience where my 3 sisters and my mother teach
3-7 year olds and see that on a inexplicably large number of occasions
(eg - 5 in a class of 30? 1 in 6?) the tag is applied. I don't disagree
that there is a problem, I just feel it is overhyped and easily used as
a reason for bad behaviour - this is the United Kingdom, too, where,
i'm pretty sure that "brattiness" has exceeded the United States now.

Like I say, there is a condition, but, it seems an easy escape for bad
parenting - much like blaming autism/aspergers syndrome on the MMR jab.
More often than not a withdrawn child in the aformentioneds educational
care has transpired to be an abused or negllected child.

As for the facts you quote - they can mostly be declared null without
cross referencing of diet, attention, routine etc etc. Statistics lose
worth when they are void of context - and are for a large proportion of
the time, wrong.

edit - I note also, we call it "ADHD" (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder) and you call it ADD. I think this correlates well with my
assessment of British/American values, the former of the two being far
far worse and far easier to tag.

[NF]Some parents worry that if their child takes stimulants chronically, they might become addicted to the medication. Furthermore, if the initial diagnosis of ADD is incorrect, some fear that the stimulant prescribed might transform otherwise normal children into drug addicts. These scenarios are highly unlikely, because the process of diagnosis and management for ADD is rigorous, and regular follow up office visits ensure that any problem caused by the medication can be promptly detected and remedied.
[H2]Fear of Misdiagnosis
Since ADD cannot be diagnosed via blood tests or brain scans, many parents are uncomfortable with the diagnosis and question the validity of the diagnosis. This is a perfectly valid concern. You wouldn?t want your child to take a medication that alters the function of the brain for the wrong reason.
To dissuade these concerns, let?s compare the way asthma is diagnosed with the diagnostic process for ADD.
Similar to ADD, the diagnosis of asthma is based on a collection of symptoms instead of laboratory tests. In the case of asthma, the diagnosis is suspected if the child has nighttime coughing, breathing problem during exercise, or wheezing. For ADD, the criteria include inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and compulsiveness.
It is possible that some children who do not really have asthma are diagnosed as such, but upon close follow up, the physician would make the correct diagnosis because the treatment prescribed would not alleviate the symptoms. Similarly, some children who do not have ADD are probably placed on a trial of medication. However, the children who do not have ADD would not benefit from stimulant medications.
Since all children diagnosed and treated for ADD require close monitoring and regular follow up visits, the physician would notice the lack of efficacy with these medications. Any reasonable health professional would then proceed to investigate other possible causes of poor school performance. At the same time, it is important to remember that many children with ADD have other learning disabilities at the same time. Dyslexia and tic disorder are common conditions that can co-exist with ADD. Additional therapy may be necessary for these children with multiple diagnosis.
[H2]Substance Abuse and ADD
Children with ADD are more prone to develop substance abuse problems, especially if they are not diagnosed or under-treated. Many factors contribute to this end result.
Adults who grew up with undiagnosed ADD are more likely to become drug addicts because they often have low self-esteem and have underachieved through most of their lives. In addition, it is a way of self-medication when they do not have the benefit of proper treatment. With proper supervision by a competent doctor, the risk of addiction to stimulants is extremely low indeed.
If there are people with ADD who are addicted to stimulants or other illicit drugs, they are probably addicted because their condition was diagnosed too late and they have already suffered the consequences of a missed diagnosis. The prescribed stimulant does not play any role in the addiction process.

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

If ADD affects 8% of kids, then it is time to change the education system to accomodate them instead of changing their minds to accomodate the schools.

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http://maze5.net

Children with ADD have a hard time controlling their thoughts and actions. They find it difficult to focus their attention on what they are doing, and they are easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli. While most young children have shorter attention span than adults, these children generally have more problem focusing than other children of the same age.

You can argue that it?s just a different way how their brains function and there is nothing wrong with that. This may very well be true, but we live in a world that requires us to concentrate on tasks frequently. Your child cannot afford to be distracted as an adult and drift off into space in the middle of an important meeting. ADD is when their way of thinking and acting fails to conform to the structure of our modern society.

Since you cannot change the way our world functions to accommodate your child?s unique style of working and learning, you have no choice but to modify your child?s behavior to adapt to the rest of the world. One can argue that this is the sole purpose of years of education, so that all of us can better conform to our roles in the society. It?s truly an unfortunate fact that the rest of the world cannot be more flexible, but such is life.

Changing the school isn't enough, because the school system is designed to prepare them for the real world.

We have to change the entire world--the way we work, the way we make a living, the way wages are paid, the way workers are compensated.

Everything should be based on creativity and energy instead of productivity. The hardest worker may be paid the least because payment should not be based on talent or work load. Instead, whether someone is creative (based on some random person's judgment) should determine the pay scale.

Everyone needs to change to accomodate the people afflicted with ADD.

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

The difference between ADD and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is rather minor. In children with ADD, they lack the outwardly hyperactivity aspect of the disorder, even though their mind is racing. Frequently, these children are diagnosed later because they are not disruptive in class and they do not call attention to their lack of focus. These are the students who sit in class and daydream. They fall behind on their academic endeavors. Without an astute teacher or parent, these children would not be noticed for many years while they suffer in their own world.

Many girls with ADD fall into this category, even though boys can certainly have this type of ADD also. The bottom line for parents is that if your child is not doing well in school, do everything in your power to investigate the reason. It could be a simple problem of not understanding a particular subject matter, or a specific learning disorder could be present (such as dyslexia). Of course ADD should be in the back of your mind. No one, however, should jump to conclusion and automatically diagnose a child with ADD with a cursory understanding of the child's behavior. Remember, ADD is a medical condition that can only be diagnosed by a medical professional. A teacher, babysitter, or a parent do not have the proper training and experience to pin the diagnosis on any child.

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

ADD doesn't seem to be very common diagnosis in Europe. It's weird that even a doctor says it's not a sickness in a traditional sense but more a lack of adjustment to modern society. It's like taking downers to endure an unnaturally high level of stress in work.

Sorry, not much to say about your book again, except for it being an intersting view into American child psychology.

Yeah, I think my views are a bit unorthodox, but I believe it's not unreasonable.

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

satchmo said:
What did the parents say when the doctor asked them about the behavior on return visit upon return visit?

I am only the Uncle. I have but slightly more influence with them than I do convincing you that there is a major crisis concerning "Misdiagnosing ADHD"

However consider this. If my nephews had parents that were dumb enough to not question the doctor, do you think for a second that they would admit to me that they made a mistake?

Satchmo, I fear that you will only give the crisis a cursory paragraph or two and carry on with your belief that.. How did you word it exactly??? Oh yeah, "Its tantamount to saying parents haven't a clue"

I hate to break this to you but, very few parents have ever had many clues that could be put down on paper and confirmed. :rolleyes:

I wish I lived in your world but sadly, I am forced to live in a real one. That one has children in it with poorly handled medical encounters with children and ADHD.

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The best things in life, aren't things.

Why don't you publish a book with your urgent message that ADHD is misdiagnosed most of the times?

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

If anyone else wants to comment, please read through the entire chapter before posting. Thank you.

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[CN]Chapter 15
[CT]Untamed Hearts
[IP]Every parent wants to provide a nurturing environment so that her child can achieve her potential. Occasionally, despite the best intention and effort, the child falls short of the goal because of other factors. One of the most common reasons why some children underachieve is attention deficit disorder.
Many parents are appalled by the idea that their child is labeled as having a mental illness. Attention deficit disorder doesn?t have to be viewed as such. Furthermore, the thought of putting their child on medication for this condition is even less appealing, but there is a solution to your child?s problem.
[H1]Generation E
[NF]Today?s children seem to functional at a different level than in the past. They are always connected to their friends with their Black Berries, cell phones, instant messengers, etc. The plethora of electronic gadgets and constant media bombardment are continuously clamoring for their attention. More and more advertisement dollars are directed at young consumers, yet the tastes of youngsters are elusive. No wonder we?re diagnosing more children with attention disorders in today?s electronic-saturated world.
Your child has never known a world without computers. In all likelihood, she is probably more adept at using computers than you. For her, computers and the online community is just a natural extension of her social network, and she feels perfectly comfortable immersed in the vast cyberspace. Her style of living and learning is clearly affected by the digital revolution.
[E-Fact]
[SB]The generational differences are starting to blur, as many young parents are perfectly comfortable in relating to their children about the digital experience. More parents are gadget-savvy and are more able to monitor what their children are doing online. If you are such parent, you should have no problem understanding the benefit of multitasking and the potential boost in productivity without sacrificing quality of work.
[ESB]
All modern computers are designed so that you can run multiple programs at the same time. Many adults are still uncomfortable with the idea of running many programs simultaneously on the computer, but your child probably does it routinely. This multitasking ability indeed saves time and is far more efficient than the old fashioned way of running one program at a time. Your child knows it, and he feels perfectly at ease with this style of working and learning.
From a recent survey conducted by the Los Angeles Times, most teens enjoy multitasking in real life as well. They cite boredom as the number one reason for preferring to preoccupy themselves with more than one tasks at a time. Many of them surf multiple websites, chat with their friends via instant messenger, watch television program, and even talk on their cell phone simultaneously without dropping a beat. The way their world is set up, multitasking is not disadvantageous, but necessary for survival.
The biggest question is whether this type of lifestyle encourages the development of attention deficit disorder (ADD). The scientific evidence so far says no. Studies have shown that children who do their homework while watching television or listening to hard rock are still able to concentrate and get stellar grades. Most children have figured out their maximum capacity for handling multiple tasks. Many of them top off at three different tasks before they feel overwhelmed, but some finesse their way through four or more tasks. Today?s children certainly approach their academic responsibilities differently, but different doesn?t necessarily mean inferior.
[H1]Is ADD a Hoax?
[NF]Many parents believe that ADD is a made-up condition so that teachers can have the rowdy students in the class sedated with medication. If you talk to any experienced teachers, they can tell you that the medication for children with ADD are prescribed for the benefit of the student. The fact is that without these medications, some extremely talented and intelligent children will never achieve their full potential because they cannot focus on the lessons in class.
[H2]What is ADD?
ADD is an official diagnosis in the manual of the American Psychiatric Association. It has strict criteria for its diagnosis and objective ways for evaluating it. It cannot be diagnosed willy-nilly by anyone without a professional medical degree. Furthermore, it is not a ?made-up? condition to appease overworked parents and teachers.
You might hear ADD and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) used almost interchangeably in many references. There are some technical differences between children with ADD and ADHD, but for the purpose of our discussion, we?ll focus on ADD. Most of our discussion applies equally well to either condition, and the treatments of ADD and ADHD are identical.
The difference between ADD and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is rather minor. In children with ADD, they lack the outwardly hyperactivity aspect of the disorder, even though their mind is racing. Frequently, these children are diagnosed later because they are not disruptive in class and they do not call attention to their lack of focus. These are the students who sit in class and daydream. They fall behind on their academic endeavors. Without an astute teacher or parent, these children would not be noticed for many years while they suffer in their own world.
[E-ssential]
[SB]Girls are more likely going to have ADD instead of ADHD, even though boys can certainly have ADD. The bottom line for parents is that if your child is not doing well in school, do everything in your power to investigate the reason. It could be a simple problem of not understanding a particular subject matter, or a specific learning disorder could be present (such as dyslexia).
[ESB]
If your child is performing poorly in school, ADD should be in the back of your mind. No one, however, should jump to conclusion and automatically diagnose a child with ADD with a cursory understanding of the child's behavior. Remember, ADD is a medical condition that can only be diagnosed by a medical professional. A teacher, babysitter, or a parent do not have the proper training and experience to pin the diagnosis on any child.
Children with ADD have a hard time controlling their thoughts and actions. They find it difficult to focus their attention on what they are doing, and they are easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli. While most young children have shorter attention span than adults, these children generally have more problem focusing than other children of the same age.
You can argue that it?s just a different way how their brains function and there is nothing wrong with that. This may very well be true, but we live in a world that requires us to concentrate on tasks frequently. Your child cannot afford to be distracted as an adult and drift off into space in the middle of an important meeting. ADD is when their way of thinking and acting fails to conform to the structure of our modern society.
Since you cannot change the way our world functions to accommodate your child?s unique style of working and learning, you have no choice but to modify your child?s behavior to adapt to the rest of the world. One can argue that this is the sole purpose of years of education, so that all of us can better conform to our roles in the society. It?s truly an unfortunate fact that the rest of the world cannot be more flexible, but such is life.
The bottom line is that if your child?s school performance suffers because of the inattentiveness and forgetfulness, you have a problem in hand.
[H2]It?s Common
According to our present medical database, about 8% of children in this country are diagnosed with ADD. That statistic translates into 4.5 million children officially with ADD. Needless to say, it?s extremely common, and even though you may argue that the actual number of children affected by ADD may be higher or lower, you have to admit that there is no way for our country to avoid facing the issue.
The prevalence of ADD is increasing in this country, which is probably due to a wider public awareness of the condition. This increase in number is unlikely indicating that there are actually more children with the condition than before. More vigilant teachers, parents, and doctors are helping more children to be appropriately diagnosed.
[E-Alert]
[SB]With greater awareness but not necessarily more understanding, some children are getting diagnosed with ADD at an extremely young age. Even though young children may show signs of ADD before the age of six, it is virtually impossible to diagnose someone before school age. If a health professional diagnosed your child with ADD before the age of six, you should consider seeking a second opinion.
[ESB]
[H2]Signs to Look For
What do you look for in your child if you suspect that she might have ADD? Children with ADD are often described as if they are driven by a motor. The incessant activities usually do not involve the completion of any one task. Instead, they like to jump from doing one thing to the next, usually before they finish the first task.
In addition, they have a hard time paying attention to instructions. Frequently, they either never heard what you are saying to them or completely forget what you told them. They often appear as forgetful, even though these children may actually have an excellent memory. It?s their disorganization that prevents them from registering information into their mind.
Children with ADD are also impulsive. They often act first without thinking of the consequences, or they might speak out of turn and interrupt others. They might engage in dangerous activities because it looked ?fun? to them without any consideration of threat or negative repercussions.
[E-Alert]

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"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return." -- Toulouse-Lautre, Moulin Rouge

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>・quoting Orpheus</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>I wish I lived in your world but sadly, I am forced to live in a real one..</DIV></DIV>

That seems a little rough/unfair don't you think? I'm sure satchmo lives in the "real" world, and specifically the one which involves him going to work everyday as a pediatrician, which also includes looking at his PHD and the university diplomas on the wall behind his desk. :smile:

Personally, I can't really say much about ADD and ADHD, because all I know comes from observing the people around me, and that's in no way an accurate assesment of the problem as a whole.

Addicted to Morphine said:
<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>・quoting Orpheus</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>I wish I lived in your world but sadly, I am forced to live in a real one..

That seems a little rough/unfair don't you think? I'm sure satchmo lives in the "real" world, and specifically the one which involves him going to work everyday as a pediatrician, which also includes looking at his PHD and the university diplomas on the wall behind his desk. :smile:

</div></div>

Now dammit, stoppit! I fairly fight this machine to get it to log on and I am greeted once more with a slap on the wrist?

He has blown me off every time as well, tit-for-tat!

Look. Parents do not go around advertising that their children have ADHD. Consequently, NO ONE KNOWS which are the successfully diagnosed cases because the children are acting normally. They are not forced to wear signs around their god damned necks!

HOWEVER, the misdiagnosed ones do not need a f**king sign around their necks because the drool on their chests spells it out fairly clearly.

Stop getting your collective panties in a knot and just read the replies. If you guys spent half as much time comprehending, as you do defending a sentence that you thought "UNFAIR" there wouldn't be as much strife around this site!!!

I see children...At least once a week who's parents claim that their children are diagnosed ADD. These kids fairly drool on themselves.

Perhaps Doc Satchmo should venture outside his pristine f**king city and look eastward before he accuses me of some over reactionary attitude.

Doctors make mistakes all the time. This case, the case in this thread could very well be no different!

I've said my piece. I know what I see. Do not try to convince me that so many children need drugs to make them pacifists!
I am done with this discussion. If I cannot post my observations with exactly the same level of ... forget it.. Just forget it. Let some crackpot Doc fill your kids with drugs. See if it effects my life one bit. BUT you.. You're gonna know. :rolleyes:

From where I'm standing, it doesn't make much sense to argue with a doctor about medicine, especially if the only basis for your argument is the personal experience of two people you know.

The incessant activities usually do not involve the completion of any one task. Instead, they like to jump from doing one thing to the next, usually before they finish the first task.
In addition, they have a hard time paying attention to instructions. Frequently, they either never heard what you are saying to them or completely forget what you told them. They often appear as forgetful, even though these children may actually have an excellent memory. It?s their disorganization that prevents them from registering information into their mind.
Children with ADD are also impulsive. They often act first without thinking of the consequences, or they might speak out of turn and interrupt others. They might engage in dangerous activities because it looked ?fun? to them without any consideration of threat or negative repercussions.

Now, reading this a second time... Isn't this just the way children act because they're... children? Not thinking of consequences, being impulsive, being disorganized, having a hard time paying attention to instructions. I can't think of any children not being affected by this. I mean they're children not little stock brokers.

If I had a child diagnosed as having ADD (I don't think anything close to AAD actually happened in my family but if) I would be concerned about what these medications actually do. I'd consider a child being impulsive and a little unreasonable a normal condition. So, if I pump it up with "stimulants" to make it better adjust in an obviously unnatural learning environment then for me this does sounds like drugging. Like drugging my child. This has to be unhealthy in a way. Probably something that isn't discovered yet. That would be my major concern.

I know enough people from school some of which must have been affected by a form of ADD and although their marks were low and they hardly passed school they are happy with their life today and achieved many (more unusual) things that are probably symptoms of ADD and having their brain somewhere else during classes. I don't know but this all sounds so weird to me. Like the BYS "being young syndrome".

Addicted to Morphine said:
From where I'm standing, it doesn't make much sense to argue with a doctor about medicine, especially if the only basis for your argument is the personal experience of two people you know.

Two people I care deeply for made me passionate. I am much more concrned with what satch is NOT saying than all that crap he is.

As for personal experience, I was a horribly hyperactive youngun.

I also stated quite learly tht I have seen MANY instances of chemical babysitting. :rolleyes:

Yeah, but he's studied what he's talking about. I'm sure he's read many cases and no matter how many instances of chemical babysitting you think you've seen, I'm sure he's seen more. It's part of his everyday job.

Honestly, do you realize how silly it is to call a doctor's opinion (that's a professional opinion mind you) about medicine "crap" because it differs from your own? How egocentric are you, really? I mean that as a serious question.

reaper47 said:
So, if I pump it up with "stimulants" to make it better adjust in an obviously unnatural learning environment then for me this does sounds like drugging. Like drugging my child.
...
I know enough people from school some of which must have been affected by a form of ADD and although their marks were low and they hardly passed school they are happy with their life today and achieved many (more unusual) things that are probably symptoms of ADD and having their brain somewhere else during classes.

Quoted for truth. No amount of medicine can touch this argument because its philosophical not medical.

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http://maze5.net

I reserve the right to argue with a doctor about medicine as much as I do to argue literature with an english teacher.

When the gender of the entity in question is unknown, refer to it in the masculine sense: he, him, his, etc.

QFT, damnit!

I have also seen examples of chemical babysitting, and would've been a victim of it if my mother weren't the sensical human being she is (as a baby, she described me as "wiggly").

If ADD is truly an epidemic, where did it come from?
(TV is an acceptable answer, but don't say it.)

---

Also change the texture of the dock. Docks are rarely tile. -Facepunch
As I Lay Dying

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>・quoting Stadric</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>I reserve the right to argue with a doctor about medicine as much as I do to argue literature with an english teacher.</DIV></DIV>

As I see it, arguing with a doctor and arguing with an English teacher isn't the same.

Literature in general is nebulous thing, with lots of room for personal interpretation. If you wanted to argue with an English teacher that Moby Dick was really about the Republic of Ireland (who else knows what I'm referencing here?) it would be valid as long as you had passages that could be interpreted in a way to support your claim.

All in all, from what I've gathered literature deals with metaphors, symbolism, and interpretation. Its highly subjective.

The medical field deals with science and truths. It's objective.

You could hold your ground against an English teacher in a discussion, but I think it would be much harder to do so against an equally intelligent and well educated doctor.

Still, it doesn't make doctors infallible or above the law, but I would seriously think twice before attempting to have a battle of medical knowledge with a doctor.

ADD is a tricky subject, no doubt. I don't care about the squabbles going on here, and I have no footing nor the knowledge to state a case for or against the medical validity, misdiagnosis, etc. Instead, I'll just share my particular experience with it.

I was diagonsed with ADHD at 15, after one particularly terrible year in highschool. Yes, I have always been a daydreamer. Yes, I have always rebelled against structured learning and only really payed attention to the things which I was interested in. I was, in a sense, a textbook ADHD child (note the H, I wasn't particularly hyper, more of a space cadet). Anyway, I rebelled against the idea that I was 'broken', and being diagnosed compelled me to prove that I had the ability and power to perform at the level 'normal' people did if I wanted to. My parents complied with my wishes and did not try to force medication upon me, although I did take ritalin for a few months. Taking drugs did makes me focus more - they obviously changed my perspective, which bothered me. That was not me.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I have proven everything that I ever wanted to, without medication . I still struggle with having the mind of an ADD adult, but have learned enough about my own mind to function just fine.

No doctor in this world could have perscribed exactly what I needed to be a successful and productive person. It was up to me to figure out how to change and perform in this world. It was up to my doctor to try his best to help me. It was up to my parents to use their wisdom in guiding me. It was up to me, to transcend the 'label' of ADD. You can have ignorant doctors. You can have ignorant parents. You can have ignorant patients. There are no perfect treatments, infallible constructs of parenthood or medical knowledge, or absolutes when dealing with matters of the psyche, brain, and body.

If you're going to say anything in this book of wisdom, Satchmo, it must revolve around the wisdom of the people who are inclined to read it, and their investement in healthy, critical, insight to heal whatever ills them or their loved ones - Psychological or physical.

Morph, I think it's not really about medical knowledge but indeed a philosophical view. Although I hate the word philosophical. Common sense psychology is probably more true. For me ADD were always 3 letters I knew from American movies, documentaries and forum posts. This text gave me a clearer view of what it really means and I find it rather scary. It's so subjective.

Yeah. After rereading the thread and especially yours and Finger's posts I've had to take another look at what I was arguing.

My whole "arguing with a doctor" posts are pretty worthless and could probably be thrown out.

In the end, the large numbers of kids on meds these days really scares me. What it says about our society and how we deal with people not classified as "normal" is definitely troublesome. I'm still not entirely sure what I think exactly, and I need to think more and read more.

Addicted to Morphine said:
My whole "arguing with a doctor" posts are pretty worthless and could probably be thrown out.

You know, there are many directions I could go with this situation. I could continue the track you chose and make this thread an even more heated debate. I could ignore your earlier words in favor of thinking you nothing more than an impulsive child. I could just shut up and continue to give my views as an EXPERIENCED person who has had to deal with this topic first hand.

Anyway, this is my example of why its always best to question Doctors opinions. Most especially with the more major decisions that could seriously effect your lives forever more. I am not asking you to question things like anti-biotics and flu shots but with major things like Cancer,Abortions an Psychological disorders, its ALWAYS best to seek out second and/or third opinions. Sometimes you cannot undo a decision.

I have posted this before, so some of you will just need to overlook it in favor of the ones yet to read it.

I do not have actual experience with misdiagnosing. My experience with that is basically from, or through my nephews. My experience stems from getting enough opinions to finally resolve whether or not my youngest son did in fact have ADD as the teacher,nurse and school doctor said.

My son was diagnosed ADD. Remember now that I already had 2 nephews who I know for a fact didn't yet are now on the meds for this. I sought out a second opinion. One that had nothing to do with the schools choices of medical opinions. The second doctor said that it resembled ADD in symptoms but he couldn't say yes or no. He advised us to seek out a specialist because the signs my son was showing were not textbook examples of ADD.

My son showed agitation, and a seemingly inability to concentrate on his school work. He was always in trouble for this or that and hardly ever got his work in completed. This specialist examined him and stated emphatically that he did NOT have ADD.

To make a long story short, he sent us to yet another doctor, this one who knew a bit about dyslexia. It turned out that the basic reason for all his outbursts and whatnot that the teacher was sure was ADD turned out to be his inability to read complete sentences.

The moral of all this, and the reason I stress it so much is that, if I had taken the word of the first set of "Experts" my son would probably be on ADD medication to this day. Since he is not on them now, I cannot say emphatically that this is so. NOR can I say emphatically that some future doctor would have caught the mistake and corrected it.

I am however positive that I did the correct thing in seeking out another opinion.

NOW, why am I giving DOC SATCHMO such a hard time? Because he mostly dismisses the notion that children are misdiagnosed. I want to see it posted VERY CLEARLY that he does know it happens on occation... AND that he advises parents to seek specialized doctors in this malady.

Until I read that he at least gives it that much credit, I will continue to argue with him!

Look at it from my angle. There were 2 misdiagnosis and one nearly so in my immediate family tree. THREE CHILDREN!!!

This is but one family. How many other families do you think might there be with similar children???

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

Orpheus said:
NOW, why am I giving DOC SATCHMO such a hard time? Because he mostly dismisses the notion that children are misdiagnosed. I want to see it posted VERY CLEARLY that he does know it happens on occation... AND that he advises parents to seek specialized doctors in this malady.

It's a little late unfortunately. I have a feeling satchmo won't be back.

<DIV class=quote>
<DIV class=quotetitle>? quoting Addicted to Morphine</DIV>
<DIV class=quotetext>

It's a little late unfortunately. I have a feeling satchmo won't be back.

</DIV></DIV>

He is a classic case of a narcissistic individual. He will be back. If someone as insignificant as myself can cause him enough trouble to leave, good riddance. My main issues with him is on several occasions he tried to apply his weird California viewpoint in such a way as to either trump the rest of the States views, or to pose them as if they were the norm and the whole group of us (the USA) all think in such a way. California works in California. Their views are hardly the norm and most definitely not a shared viewpoint on how things are. I visit the State sometimes and am quit cognizant of the area while I am there. I assure you, the whole nation doesn't view life the same in each State.

His comment about the misdiagnosing is a perfect example. It has got to be a Mid-Western issue because surely its not a nationwide one. :rolleyes:

I look at it this way: "Misdiagnosing happens. If its one case in a million, or one case in a thousand it still happens. YOU cannot deny that. What varies between US AT SNARKPIT is where each of us draws the line on how we define it as a crisis. To me it has reached critical mass. To Doc Satchmo, many more children need to be harmed before he will view it as a calamity."

Thats my defining moment. I have a much lower setting where children's safety is concerned.

As I said previously, I blame the parents most. Doctors make determinations based on parents input but if parents would keep in better contact with the doctors perhaps this wouldn't be such an issue.
To be honest, I think some parents like the peace and quiet of the children who are misdiagnosed. The catatonia is probably preferable to the violence.

---

The best things in life, aren't things.

The easiest way to help ADD is by Diet change.

A lot of the groupings with add are false , but some things are true.

Sedatives and stimulants will affect you differently , Difficulty accessing needed nutrients , take Cod fishliver oil , it has helpful Fatty acids obviously the diagnosis in the title. Try to compensate for your problems instead of trying to use medicine for aiding every problem under the sun.

Medicine can be very helpful .. but only reserved for the extreme.

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.else /me ~kill you
www.arclan.net