NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/06/AR2006100601391.html

There has been a staggering jump in the percentage of children diagnosed with a mental illness and treated with psychiatric medications. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that in 2002 almost 20 percent of office visits to pediatricians were for psychosocial problems -- eclipsing both asthma and heart disease. That same year the Food and Drug Administration reported that some 10.8 million prescriptions were dispensed for children -- they are beginning to outpace the elderly in the consumption of pharmaceuticals. And this year the FDA reported that between 1999 and 2003, 19 children died after taking prescription amphetamines -- the medications used to treat ADHD. These are the same drugs for which the number of prescriptions written rose 500 percent from 1991 to 2000.

now, before anyone starts in on me let me make a few things clear

yes, I know ADD/ADHD, Bipolar, Asperger's, and all manner of mental illness are real, and do happen to kids. I also know a lot of lazy parents who get their kids diagnosed with something so that they don't have to deal with them, and in fact I think a lot of the time the kids do have some sort of issue but are misdiagnosed with what "seems easy" rather than finding out the truth.

I know that my own child was accused of having ADD because she was rebellious and hyper, but we found out that she had been suffering from migraine headaches (yep, that's bound to make a 2 year old cranky) due to her (at that time) undiagnosed food intolerance.

I hate to see kids suffer because their parents and doctors don't want to take enough time to figure out what's really going on. If I wouldn't have pushed for more testing the original doctor we were sent to wanted to put my 2 year old on ritalin... how messed up is that?!

Parents and teachers today seem to believe that any boy who wriggles in his seat and willfully defies his teacher's rules has ADHD. Likewise, any child who has a temper tantrum is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After all, an anger outburst is how most parents define a "mood swing." Contributing to this widespread problem of misdiagnosis is the doctor's willingness to accept, without question, the assessment offered by a parent or teacher.

What was once a somber, heart-wrenching decision for a parent and something children often resisted -- medicating a child's mind -- has now become a widely used technique in parenting a belligerent child. As if they were debating parental locks on the home computer or whether to allow a co-ed sleepover, parents now share notes with each other about whose child is taking what pill for which diagnosis.

These days parents cruise the Internet, take self-administered surveys, diagnose their children and choose a medication before they ever set foot in the psychiatrist's office. If the first doctor doesn't prescribe what you want, the next one will.

what do you think?

I do think it's probably over diagnosed (so many parents are incapable of believing that their little angels could do something wrong, so need an excuse). At the same time, I think it's probably better diagnosed, so more kids are being picked up.

As with everything, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

I also think they're overdiagnosed and overmedicated. That's a tragedy because it's clearly the parents who need the meds. I also think kids are overscheduled and "over-activitied".

i don't know. on the one hand i could agree and say that, yes, increasing prescriptions for children without any basis for explaination as to why probably means overprescription and overdiagnosis of mental problems.


however, the part of me wants to argue that perhaps, if you dig a bit deeper, kids are actually suffering more and more from mental illness. or, at least, are becoming less afraid to show it, or talk about it, or perhaps with the increased awareness these days perhaps less extreme cases that previously went undiagnosed are now dealt with appropriately. so does that mean there could be a cause for this rise in mental illness amongst children? could it be society, the way we work and treat each other? things of that nature? meh *shrugs* just wanted to offer an alternative viewpoint

I do think it's probably over diagnosed (so many parents are incapable of believing that their little angels could do something wrong, so need an excuse). At the same time, I think it's probably better diagnosed, so more kids are being picked up.

As with everything, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
/Agrees, especially considering you can get Free Money if you've got a kid with a disorder...

Probably everyone being paranoid and not letting their kids play outside makes a significant difference to their behaviour, too, as well as many being reluctant to apply necessary discipline to their little "darlings".

In my Primary school class (about 1985-92) there was one kid out of thirty who definitely had something like this wrong with him. The primary school my mum works at has 50% "Special Needs" kids, and it's a normal school, not a special one. I don't think you get that kind of increase in less than twenty years due to natural causes.

fuck why couldn't they have done that to me, bellevue is fucking great I hear (see 12 monkey for reference) and all the dope I need! yeah. :D

these conditions are both overdiagnosed, and underdiagnosed at the same time.

Many children who are not ADD/ADHD/autistic/etc. are on the meds, despite no real need. These are mostly spectrum disorders, and so they are in the grey area

However, there are other children who really do have the disorders, and are not medicated.

when someone has true ADD/ADHD, you can tell. You can see it in their eyes when they aren't on their meds, and their behavior is really out of control. My sister is student teaching. She has a child with ADD whos parents forgot to pick up his meds (this isn't a rare occurance with this child or in the school, but I digress...). He came in, and just looked different from usual. He couldn't sit still all day. He asked my sister if he could go to the bathroom. She said no, not untill after the lesson. So he asked the other teacher in the room. She said no. So he started to ask the other students in the classroom. In math, when my sister and the other teacher were working with other students, and he got stuck, rather than raise his hand, he threw a book at my sister.

There is no question that the disorders exist. There is also no question that some children who don't need the meds are on them. But there are also those who do need their meds, and either aren't on them, or don't get them. And those kids are pretty screwed.

Also, it is interesting. Since the increase in autism and ADD/ADHD began, there has been a significant decrease in children labled retarded. There is a strong body of evidence that shows that "retard" was a blanket term for all disorders, and now we are starting to specialize and treat the appropriate symptoms, rather than locking them away.

Awhile back, I heard a list of symptoms to watch for with ADD. Anyone strictly following that list would rush to drug just about any kid I've ever seen! :eek:

What do you think?
I'm thinking about getting happy pills for myself.

The thing I can't wait 'till is forty years down the line when everyone has heart conditions or other stuff from the nasty side-effects from everything kids drop these days.


On a satirical note, when I was a kid and the ritalin craze swept my middle school, I'd say stuff like "I used to care, but now I take a pill for that."

these conditions are both overdiagnosed, and underdiagnosed at the same time.
<SNIP>
Also, it is interesting. Since the increase in autism and ADD/ADHD began, there has been a significant decrease in children labled retarded. There is a strong body of evidence that shows that "retard" was a blanket term for all disorders, and now we are starting to specialize and treat the appropriate symptoms, rather than locking them away.

I think a lot of time they use medication as a replacement for love and discipline. And because they don't want to deal with children. Kids ARE very active... but they should be. It's unreasonable to expect six year old children to sit through an entire day of school without being able to get up, run around and yell. It's also unreasonable for children to be allowed to "act up" becuase they "can't" sit through an hour lesson, and then call it a disorder and medicate them.

My brother got very... off... in third grade. He ruined every single t-shirt he owned by gnawing on the neckline the entire day at school. He got bad grades, he couldn't concentrate, he yelled a lot, and he figeted. If he were 20 years younger, he'd have been diagnosed with ADD and put on medication. Instead, my mom figured out what the trouble was, and helped him work on it. By the end of the year, he stopped chewing shirts and started doing better. The following year, in a different situation for school, he was entirely different. He stopped figesting, never thought of chewing, got good grades, enjoyed school, concentrated easily and did really well. Most behavior is a response to a situation, not an inherent thing to a kid. Some kids do fine in a group setting without individual attention, but kids are NOT hard-wired to do that in general. They need attention. They need adult interaction. Medication can't replace relationships.

Finally, I think partly there's been a decrease in labelling children retarted because we don't like admitting the kid is just plain stupid. It's easier to drug 'em up, and say he has a "condition" than to say "my kid is stupid".

I think a lot of time they use medication as a replacement for love and discipline. And because they don't want to deal with children. Kids ARE very active... but they should be. It's unreasonable to expect six year old children to sit through an entire day of school without being able to get up, run around and yell. It's also unreasonable for children to be allowed to "act up" becuase they "can't" sit through an hour lesson, and then call it a disorder and medicate them.

My brother got very... off... in third grade. He ruined every single t-shirt he owned by gnawing on the neckline the entire day at school. He got bad grades, he couldn't concentrate, he yelled a lot, and he figeted. If he were 20 years younger, he'd have been diagnosed with ADD and put on medication. Instead, my mom figured out what the trouble was, and helped him work on it. By the end of the year, he stopped chewing shirts and started doing better. The following year, in a different situation for school, he was entirely different. He stopped figesting, never thought of chewing, got good grades, enjoyed school, concentrated easily and did really well. Most behavior is a response to a situation, not an inherent thing to a kid. Some kids do fine in a group setting without individual attention, but kids are NOT hard-wired to do that in general. They need attention. They need adult interaction. Medication can't replace relationships.
I think that a lot of times the things that get kids labeled ADD aren't a disorder at all but are symptoms of a problem.

For example I used to cut, now most people would think that cutting is a problem, it's not, it's a symptom of another problem. Giving me anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds to stop me from cutting worked to stop the cutting but they didn't solve the real problem. It's like if your car has the check engine light on and you put a peice of duct tape over it to keep from having to look at it flashing at you.

Finally, I think partly there's been a decrease in labelling children retarted because we don't like admitting the kid is just plain stupid. It's easier to drug 'em up, and say he has a "condition" than to say "my kid is stupid".

I actually don't think very many kids are stupid.

We are all being drugged up. MY mom keeps trying to get me tested, but I'm quite thankful I haven't been. I would refuse any drugs anyway. I think this is all doctors and pharmaceutical trying to make an extra few bucks...or just plain mass paranoia.

Finally, I think partly there's been a decrease in labelling children retarted because we don't like admitting the kid is just plain stupid. It's easier to drug 'em up, and say he has a "condition" than to say "my kid is stupid".

There are several factors. First, retardation was redefined, I think from DSMIII to DSMIV. It is now two standard deviations below average IQ, rather than one. That still wouldn't account for the total drop we've seen. The other reasoning is that there are now new definitions which are more accurate. Previously, before we had a condition of ADD/ADHD or asperger's or autism, those children would be labled "idiot" or "retard" (depending on nomenclature of the day), and would be treated as you would treat your standard child with retardation. We realize today that you treat a child with autism very differently than a child with retardation, and yet again differently from a child with severe ADHD.

It also depends on how a child is raised with their condition. For example, there can be one child who uses his ADD as an excuse: "I can't do that, I have ADD.". There are other children who learn that, while ADD is a challenge, it is not an excuse.

I think that a lot of times the things that get kids labeled ADD aren't a disorder at all but are symptoms of a problem.

For example I used to cut, now most people would think that cutting is a problem, it's not, it's a symptom of another problem. Giving me anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds to stop me from cutting worked to stop the cutting but they didn't solve the real problem. It's like if your car has the check engine light on and you put a peice of duct tape over it to keep from having to look at it flashing at you.

I agree. That was where I was going with my brother's story, I guess, but never quite got there. They could've given him drugs to mellow him out, but it wouldn't have addressed the actual problems he was having. (He felt the teacher was treating him unfairly - and she probably was, and there were some boys who were picking on him.) Same thing goes for other problems... better to address the root than the symptoms, unless the root will fix itself. (If the Service light on your car comes on because you went through a deep puddle and it got wet, duct tape might not be a bad idea.)

I actually don't think very many kids are stupid.

Well then how do they turn into so remarkably many stupid adults? :D

Well then how do they turn into so remarkably many stupid adults? :D
they choose to be.

I think that children are sometimes misdiagnosed, and that is a problem.

However, I think the problem of overmedication is much more prevalent. Even if a child does have ADD/ADHD, they might not need medication. If it is a severe case, they probably do, but they might simply need a quieter space to do assigments and a more personalized teaching atmosphere. And very, very few children with ADD/ADHD need to be on the meds all the time. My brother's case was bad enough that he did need Ritalin - in order to accomplish tasks that truly needed concentration. So, when he was in school, he would take it. However, he didn't need to be medicated when he was going out to play, etc. So there was no reason to keep him on medication during the summer, during breaks, or on the weekends.

Nothing babysits a kid better than TV and ritilin. A poorly placed sleeping pill also seems to be in the playbook of many parents these days.

I think that children are sometimes misdiagnosed, and that is a problem.

However, I think the problem of overmedication is much more prevalent. Even if a child does have ADD/ADHD, they might not need medication. If it is a severe case, they probably do, but they might simply need a quieter space to do assigments and a more personalized teaching atmosphere. And very, very few children with ADD/ADHD need to be on the meds all the time. My brother's case was bad enough that he did need Ritalin - in order to accomplish tasks that truly needed concentration. So, when he was in school, he would take it. However, he didn't need to be medicated when he was going out to play, etc. So there was no reason to keep him on medication during the summer, during breaks, or on the weekends.

I think the primary cause of misdiagnosis is lazy adults. It shouldn't be classified as ADD/ADHD when it's merely the kid not wanting to pay attention. If they can sit around for an hour and watch a TV show, they should be able to sit around for an hour and do school. Or if they can play video games for hours on end, there's no reason they CAN'T concentrate - it's that they WON'T concentrate. Most kids I've met who were on ritilin (I was working at a camp while I was in college where probably half the boys had to make daily trips to the nurse to dispense their medications to them) talked about playing video games for five hours straight, and how their mothers couldn't get their attention because they were too busy playing... but they couldn't sit still for ten minutes the moment their (boring) teacher started talking. Mmhm. ADD. Really. Also known, in most of those cases, as good oldfashioned boredom and/or lack of discipline.

And if they really need it (and more attention doesn't help) I think the approach of not medicating other times is an excellent idea. It helps train the person, while still attaining the necessary results.

I was diagnosed with ADD when i was in 5th grade. the medicine they gave basically took away that year. I lost 6 pounds I was 64 pounds, extremely underweight. There were days where I never smiled and I had a sick feeling all the time. I concentrated really well, but at what price? It really did screw up my life, I still have friends on it who are effective zombies.

I was diagnosed with ADD when i was in 5th grade. the medicine they gave basically took away that year. I lost 6 pounds I was 64 pounds, extremely underweight. There were days where I never smiled and I had a sick feeling all the time. I concentrated really well, but at what price? It really did screw up my life, I still have friends on it who are effective zombies.

That's horrible! Didn't they realise that, and at least try to adjust the medication? Or did they like it that you were "mellowed" and that was the goal being met?

Out of curiosity, why were you diagnosed? Could you pay attention to things you were interested in (tv, movie, game, etc) or not anything? (Before being medicated, that is.)

I think the primary cause of misdiagnosis is lazy adults. It shouldn't be classified as ADD/ADHD when it's merely the kid not wanting to pay attention. If they can sit around for an hour and watch a TV show, they should be able to sit around for an hour and do school.

Not necessarily. Watching a TV show doesn't require the level of concentration that watching a lecture and taking notes does. You don't need to concentrate on it. Most of the time, you don't even have to think about it. And, if something else distracts you, there's no reason to worry about it. If you miss a few minutes of a show, no problem.

Or if they can play video games for hours on end, there's no reason they CAN'T concentrate - it's that they WON'T concentrate.

Again, video games often don't require much concentration. Things are constantly changing, moving, etc. (If not, it's probably a boring video game).

Don't confuse doing something or "paying attention" with actually concentrating. There are many activities that don't require concentration.

Meanwhile, in some people with ADD (and certain activities), they can have the opposite response. While they will generally be inattentive and find it difficult to focus on one thing, they will sometimes hyperfocus on something. I've known programmers with ADD who can't drive a car without getting in a wreck, but will program for 6 hours straight without getting up for anything, not realizing how much time has passed.


Edit: In fact, I think you may be confusing hyperactivity with ADD. A hyperactive child will have trouble sitting still. A person with ADD probably doesn't. It tends to be concentration that is the problem. A child with ADD may be trying very hard to concentrate on what his teacher is saying, but will get distracted by the child next to him swinging her pencil or tapping her shoe as she listens. He'll get distracted by the ticking of the clock or the noise of the cars going by or any other number of things. Most of us can zone these things out, but a person with ADD is overly sensitive to them. That's why I brought up the fact that students with more mild cases are often helped by being allowed to do assignments in a quieter space - generally in a room by themselves

That's horrible! Didn't they realise that, and at least try to adjust the medication? Or did they like it that you were "mellowed" and that was the goal being met?

Out of curiosity, why were you diagnosed? Could you pay attention to things you were interested in (tv, movie, game, etc) or not anything? (Before being medicated, that is.)

After a while they notice and took me to another medication, which still curbed my appetite, but didn't help with concentration at all. i was on Concerta, and they switched me to Ritalin.

They switched me because Iwasn't able to pay attention in school, but i could definately concentrate on things i was interested in.

I was diagnosed with ADD when i was in 5th grade. the medicine they gave basically took away that year. I lost 6 pounds I was 64 pounds, extremely underweight. There were days where I never smiled and I had a sick feeling all the time. I concentrated really well, but at what price? It really did screw up my life, I still have friends on it who are effective zombies.


this happens alot, even with 5 year olds. but putting aside the issue of 5 year olds lets talk about you. A 5th grader, 11 or 12 years old, having to take pills and essentially lose a year of his life in excusable. Alot of kids at that age are just dreamers, thinking about the fantastic. They only have a few years left of real childhood, why should that be taken away from them?

I remember I was suspected of having ADD, but I resisted any treatment. I heard stories about those pills and how they can change a person's personality by effecting the chemical reactions and wiring of the brain. To me it seemed like a form of suicide and it scared the hell out of me.

Now I certainly had and still have concentration issues, but I also have a vivid imagination which i wouldn't trade for all the concentration and "A" grades in the world.

Yeah...I think the most interesting way of putting this is with Alzheimers. Some people like to call it "Smart People Syndrome"-If you look at the symptoms, it sounds much like what many geeky people have: Socially Awkward, Greater Intelligence and creativity, obsessive personality...etc, etc.

Another great one was back when the Onion did "More and more U.S. children being diagnosed with Youthful Tendency Disorder."

Here...let's see if I can find a link...

Here we go...

linky/28223 (http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28223)

Yeah...I think the most interesting way of putting this is with Alzheimers. Some people like to call it "Smart People Syndrome"-If you look at the symptoms, it sounds much like what many geeky people have: Socially Awkward, Greater Intelligence and creativity, obsessive personality...etc, etc.

I think you mean Asperger's. =)

I think you mean Asperger's. =)

Stop being so right all the time!!!


Anyway...So THAT'S why you're so thin, Arrkendommer. That explains quite a bit...

Oh my god, I knew a guy who supposedly had ADD. He could display emotions...but it was weird. You probably could have showed him a picture of something HORRIFYING and he would be completely unfazed. He would just sit their, saying "okay".

Not necessarily. Watching a TV show doesn't require the level of concentration that watching a lecture and taking notes does. You don't need to concentrate on it. Most of the time, you don't even have to think about it. And, if something else distracts you, there's no reason to worry about it. If you miss a few minutes of a show, no problem.

I pay about equal attention to watching TV and taking notes in a lecture. Granted, if it's a boring lecture, delivered with periodic snorts in which is is more entertaining to count the occurrences of "um", "uh", "er", "and... and... and..." and "As I was saying"s, it can take a good deal of effort to concentrate on it. But that's not a disease, that's normal. ("Um" won out for the semester, with a number in the thousands, according to my tally.) And my question wasn't "is it easier to pay attention to something designed to hold your attention than something which you find boring."

Again, video games often don't require much concentration. Things are constantly changing, moving, etc. (If not, it's probably a boring video game).

You clearly don't play video games very much. That, or you're bad at it. Yes, things are moving and changing, but much of the game is fairly boring repetition, when it comes down to it, unless you're paying the same sort of attention to it that you have to pay in school.

"Don't confuse doing something or "paying attention" with actually concentrating. There are many activities that don't require concentration."

I'm not saying that being entertained is the same as paying attention, but it requires the same ability. I know people who cannot follow the plot line of a CSI unless they have medication. They are the same people who cannot follow the "plot line" of their history class without medication. But it's the same skill set required. It's a matter of willingness to put the effort out without being entertained.

Meanwhile, in some people with ADD (and certain activities), they can have the opposite response. While they will generally be inattentive and find it difficult to focus on one thing, they will sometimes hyperfocus on something. I've known programmers with ADD who can't drive a car without getting in a wreck, but will program for 6 hours straight without getting up for anything, not realizing how much time has passed.

At this point you're expanding ADD into any attention issue at all. It's absurd to lump everyone together under the same heading... be it "retarded" OR "ADD"... or "Geek" for that matter. Not being able to concentrate on anything is a DIFFERENT problem than not being able to concentrate on boring things is DIFFERENT from not being willing to concentrate on boring things is DIFFERENT from being able to concentrate highly on certain things and not at all on others is DIFFERENT from being plain old stupid. Putting them all in the same ADD category is just as unhelpful as labelling them all "retarded".

Edit: In fact, I think you may be confusing hyperactivity with ADD. A hyperactive child will have trouble sitting still. A person with ADD probably doesn't. It tends to be concentration that is the problem. A child with ADD may be trying very hard to concentrate on what his teacher is saying, but will get distracted by the child next to him swinging her pencil or tapping her shoe as she listens. He'll get distracted by the ticking of the clock or the noise of the cars going by or any other number of things. Most of us can zone these things out, but a person with ADD is overly sensitive to them. That's why I brought up the fact that students with more mild cases are often helped by being allowed to do assignments in a quieter space - generally in a room by themselves

Hyperactivity is not part of ADD, but IS part of ADHD (as per the names.) And lack of audio-filtering has a different diagnosis than ADD, generally. ADD diagnosis generally require other distractions, and/or just wandering thoughts.

I pay about equal attention to watching TV and taking notes in a lecture.

Either you pay much more attention to TV than most people, or you don't pay enough attention in class.

You clearly don't play video games very much.

Actually, I do. And I'm not bad at it. I don't need to concentrate on it in the same way that I concentrate on school work or reading a journal article. In fact, I tend to play better if I basically turn my brain off.

I'm not saying that being entertained is the same as paying attention, but it requires the same ability.

No, it doesn't.

At this point you're expanding ADD into any attention issue at all.

No, I'm not. I am discussing people who have ADD and all the symptoms therein.

Anyway...So THAT'S why you're so thin, Arrkendommer. That explains quite a bit...


Thanks alot big Pharma!

I was a Ritalin-Kiddie, and I probably did "need" it (I was the sort of kid to throw books at the teacher, get into fights and write elaborate plans to torture everyone around me), but I still resent my parents for putting me on that stuff.
It takes away your soul and is designed to reduce people to passive-aggressive cattle, and it took me at least two years after being taken off it to finally start getting better.

As for what to do instead of Ritalin, try "education." If a kid wants to fight, you shouldn't try to stop him, but should teach him where and when to fight.

they choose to be.
Which indicates a significant measure of underlying stupidity.

well, i think this story kinda shows how things can get out of hand, like those diet pills that you see. sure it will help you burn fat and all, but guess what? to keep the weight off, you need to stay on those pills. and thats exactly what those drug companies want. like, if you have an infection, sure the doctor gives you a pill, but its actually to kill the bacteria thats making you sick. stuff like painkillers and stuff is just there to cure the symptoms, and as long as your problems still exists, you still need the painkillers.

what doctors should be doing is trying to solve the problem that is causing the behavior before writing out a prescription giving em a pill to cure the symptoms.

what doctors should be doing is trying to solve the problem that is causing the behavior before writing out a prescription giving em a pill to cure the symptoms.There is no permanent "cure" for the conditions in question. It boils down to the wiring of the brain, and that cannot be changed. Except, possibly, by all-encompassing experimental brain surgery, at the cost of turning the person into a vegetable long before any "progress" was made.

EDIT: That is, in the authentic cases. And I agree that massive subscription of such medicine solves little in the end. The best solution would be to only subscribe it when there is a real problem that can safetely be circumvented, and all other viable measures have been tried and failed; there is no disease involved, and the conditions being concidered disabilities is highly questionable in many cases.

I'm only going to repeat what has probably already been said. Yes ADD/ADHD is a problem. But its being overdiagnosed and appears to be a easy fix to pump your child full of drugs these days..

Personally I prefer alternatives to drugs... (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ucQLYSC9Lho)

what doctors should be doing is trying to solve the problem that is causing the behavior before writing out a prescription giving em a pill to cure the symptoms.

yes, even if it is ADD (or whatever) there are ways for some people to learn to cope without meds, and that should always be what you try first (or try, you know... I don't know about first, but def try it)

In a word: yes.

And I say this as somebody who has been medicated for depression for a number of years. I say this as somebody who has a younger brother with severe ADHD (as well as a few other learning disabilities).

A whole lot of kids are being over-medicated, and a lot of them for very stupid reasons.

For instance, little boys are taught to be aggressive, rebelious, and hyper, but then when they act this way in school they are diagnosed as "ADD" and medicated to settle them down. Nobody seems to consider that perhaps their parents should stop teaching them that "boys will be boys." Perhaps their parents should start teaching them self-control and respectful behavior if they want their sons to show self-control and respectful behavior.

On the flip side, a lot of girls are prematurely medicated for things like depression or moodiness. There are plenty of totally sound reasons for young girls to feel sad or angry these days, so it seems wonky to stick them on drugs for showing totally appropriate emotional responses.

I get really angry on this subject. I have a son who has ADHD and a pervasive developmental disorder within the Autistic spectrum. It makes me mad that SO many people think that medication is an easy way out. Do people think that I was wanting to give my 5 year old boy class A drugs?!?

I know that it is different in the US. I understand that there are people who do get misdiagnosed. I know that to many people looking from the outside that ADD and ADHD seem like an excuse for bad behaviour and poor parenting. I am not stupid enough to not realise that it is used by some people for just that. I also know that I am a good parent, I love my children and it took me a great deal to give my son drugs. I only do it for him, he needs to be able to learn, to be able to concentrate for long enough to absorb information, he needs to be able to function normally within his peer group and that is why he takes medication. He does not take it at weekends, or during school holidays. I don't need him to sit still, to concentrate or not fidget to be my son. But HE needs to be helped to do that if he is to stand a chance in today's world. I want him to achieve what he is capable of, he is doing so well. I was told that he would not attend mainstream school, he does. I was told that he would get worse as he got older, he hasn't. I was told that he would not be able to take part in organised activity and sport, he is part of a talented and gifted pupil scheme in a sporting academy, plays football, cricket and rugby for his school, county and has run for the region and was invited to run in the London Marathon for Children. I am hugely HUGELY proud of him and although he has given me sleepless nights, was more hard work as a toddler than I can ever explain here, is a lovely young man and I love him dearly.

Not all parents who medicate their children are bad parents. Please don't tar us all with the same brush.

Yeah, uh, kids. My kids aren't gonna be medicated with anything stronger or weirder than tylenol.

"It'll make em smarter!"

No.

"It'll settle them down!"

Fuck you.

"It'll make it easier for you to get away and have the babysitter take care of them when you want!"

Fuck you in the ass.

"I'm sorry sir, but your child has ADD - he draws constantly and doesn't care about what we say."

God damn I'm proud.


Now, I'm no straight-edge kid (sXe olawl) - far from it. I'll take medicine if I feel sick. But I know kids shouldn't be all relaxed and complacent and just fucking FINE with everything. That shit would worry me.

I think the primary cause of misdiagnosis is lazy adults. It shouldn't be classified as ADD/ADHD when it's merely the kid not wanting to pay attention. If they can sit around for an hour and watch a TV show, they should be able to sit around for an hour and do school. Or if they can play video games for hours on end, there's no reason they CAN'T concentrate - it's that they WON'T concentrate. Most kids I've met who were on ritilin (I was working at a camp while I was in college where probably half the boys had to make daily trips to the nurse to dispense their medications to them) talked about playing video games for five hours straight, and how their mothers couldn't get their attention because they were too busy playing... but they couldn't sit still for ten minutes the moment their (boring) teacher started talking. Mmhm. ADD. Really. Also known, in most of those cases, as good oldfashioned boredom and/or lack of discipline.

You greatly misunderstand the nature of ADD.

ADD is more of a problem of being unable to direct focus, rather then to focus. One of the more common traits is becoming so focused on things that they lose track of everything else going on, great if it's your homework, except math is boring but reading through your textbook isn't. And then three hours have passed and you haven't accomplished shit.

I was diagnosed as having ADD or one of those weird disorders...

I never got the meds because my parents refused to.

My ADD was really a low-tolerance for being force-fed crap I didn't want to learn in primary school. I was the student who read a book while the teacher blah-blah-blahed about some boring ass shit.

I was diagnosed as having ADD or one of those weird disorders...

I never got the meds because my parents refused to.

My ADD was really a low-tolerance for being force-fed crap I didn't want to learn in primary school. I was the student who read a book while the teacher blah-blah-blahed about some boring ass shit.

Same here. I did really well in high school junior history class, because my teacher was fucking awesome. He didn't take the textbook seriously and would often tell us the 'real' story of what happened, as opposed to what they said had happened. If he knew it would be really boring, he would break it down and give us the gist of it so we knew what they wanted us to know for the tests, and then he'd tell us a few jokes about the subject at hand.