Wednesday, September 3, 2014

About ADHD.... Let's.Pay Attention

ADHD
"Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is said to be characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development," reports the Shire US website which sells drugs to combat the disease.  They also report, based on the 2011-12 National Survey of Children’s Health, (in which parents were asked if a health care practitioner had ever told them their child had ADD or ADHD,) that ,"an estimated 11% (that equates to 6.4 million,) of US school-aged children have been diagnosed with ADHD in their lifetime."  We have to ask, "Why?"


(Shire US....by they way, is a biopharmacutical company, interested in selling their product.... drugs.)

Shire has a website dedicated to informing people about ADHD. They tell us that in diagnosing ADHA, there is no simple test.  There is however a "standardized way that ADHD is diagnosed."

They say that, to be diagnosed with ADHD, a person must have all of the following:
-Have at least 6 inattentive and/or 6 hyperactive/impulsive symptoms for at least 6 months to a degree that is inconsistent with developmental level and that negatively impacts directly on social and academic/occupational activities (for people ages 17 and older, only 5 symptoms must be present)
-Have had several symptoms before age 12
-Have several symptoms in at least 2 settings (such as home, school, or work)
-Have symptoms that clearly interfere with or reduce the quality of social, academic, or occupational functioning
-Have symptoms that are not be better explained by another cause


Inattention
Hyperactivity
Impulsivity


Have you ever known a child under the age of 12 to display such symptoms?

 (Just wondering....)

And, Parent's magazine reports (June 19, 2014,) that  your "toddler" might have ADHD if they:
1.  ...interrupt and talk loudly.... if other toddlers don't like your kid
2. ...struggle to get to the place he or she is excited to go to
3. ...doesn't watch T.V.
4. ...has the ability to pay close attention to the things he enjoys
5. ...tantrums excessively
6. ...puts small parts in mouth and chokes frequently while eating
7.  ...loves to swing on the swings
No test for this to show any physical deficit.... but these are the symptoms parents are being advised to worry about in relation to their toddler.... so that if ythey suspect ADHD... toddlers can be taken to the psychiatrist for help.  Note too that ADHD is considered treatable but unfortunately, uncurable... (according to the Center for Disease Control.)

Click this next link for a "guide", published by an ADHD "support group," supposed to help you determine what is and what is not ADHD...(keep in mind that there is no "test" to identify this "disease" or "mental illness."   And, before your child takes the medication, you need to be informed that there could be side effects ....common ones listed at the Internet Drug Index  are "nervousness, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, palpitations, headache, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and psychosis."

Psychosis?  This is a "common" side effect?

If you are thinking any of those sound scary, you are not alone.  There's also  "less common side effects" listed there on the site, but you can read those on your own.

And if you read from the "experts" about how to manage these "common" side effects, (here..) you can expect the child to skip, or miss-out on eating lunch.... due to lack of appetite.  Then being medicated again in the afternoon, they will need to have structured activity but likely be unable to do homework.....and then they will be hungry about eight.  You can boost their nutrition in their growing bodies .....while they are appetite suppressed becauseof the drugs, by giving them Pediasure or Ensure.
(How much does this cost?)  If they suffer from insomnia, (can you imagine?) the suggested "cure" is to give the child "an extra dose" nightly... to help them sleep.  And never fear.. if one drug isn't working the way you like it, just try another..... till you get it right.

This is weird and scary... and hardly scientific.

Let's remember, there is no "test" to determine ADHD.  You merely have "ADHD" if  people think you do.

Of course, you must meet "diagnostic criteria" outlined in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the DSM-5) - a manual now used around the world to classify "mental illnesses," (that, by the way, is changed periodically based on how people "vote" "mental diseases into existence.)

Voted.  (There is no "science!")

So.....
Mom and Dad, before jumping on the ADHD bandwagon, before runnning off to the local psychiatrist and medicating your children, do some research.   Don't be afraid to ask questions and find honest answers.  Take your time in determining if your child is just behaving like a kid and needs to be a kid or needs some loving discipline, or has a "psychiatric disorder."   requiring them to be medicated.  Do some homework on the issue and pray.  Spent some time playing with your child and take in a little Vitamin "N."

Here are some websites to get you started thinking about ADHD:

Magazines
TIME 2001   The Age Of Ritalin By Nancy Gibbs
TIME 2006 Getting Hyper About Ritalin By Claudia Wallis Friday, 
TIME 2010 ADHD: A Global Epidemic or Just a Bunch of Fidgety Kids? by John Cloud

Esquire Magazine 2014 The Drugging of the American Boy

Blog Articles
 Are There Really More ADHD Kids or Just More Intolerant Education Systems?

The Ritilin Conspiracy

Snopes .... Did Dr. Leon Eisenberg a prominent figure in the field of child psychiatry who during the 1950s and 60s conducted medical studies of children with developmental problems, including some of the first rigorous studies of autism and attention deficit disorder really say that "ADHD is a prime example of a fictitious disease"?

News Media
New York Times 2013, How Drig Companies Sell ADHD
National Public Radio Medicating Kids
Today Show (2012)

Videos
National Public Radio Video Medicaing Kids
Video by Naphtali 1981 (not just about ADHD, but where to put your trust in diffidult times.)
"The Evils Of Psychiatry: Truth About Bipolar,Depression, Abuse, DSM, and My Testimony"
Rover Radio... Interview with Richard Saul, nuerologist.
ADHD Advertising  NY Times




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