What parents need to know...

by SheilaM 55 Replies latest jw friends

  • dottie
    dottie

    Sara Annie...

    Please. Read the whole thread...I did clearly specify in my 2nd post that I was referring to "some cases"

    My sincerest apologies to those I may have offended my post should have read that "in some cases" (re: the disciplining) but instead I rushed and posted something different.

    It is nice that you have had a positive experience when dealing with medicating children, but some here have obviously had bad experiences, and have merely voiced them. Please. It doesn't make them anymore right or wrong or any more educated or less educated as you implied:

    It never ceases to amaze me how people with absolutely no education or personal experience on any given subject can unilaterally declare their tiny knowledge base on the subject as fact.

    ...they are just merely stating an opinion...after all isn't that the point of a public forum...to state personal opinions?

  • freedom96
    freedom96

    Once again I will say, that yes, some people may want the "easy" way out, but there are definately medical decisions being made as well.

    The fact is that these conditions do in fact exist, in varying degrees.

    Has anyone considered this? That medical science gets better all the time. Years ago kids and adults alike had not been diognosed with this, because years ago it had not been determined to exist. That does not make it any less of a challenge to deal with now.

    Here is an extreme example of how silly the mindset is that this is not real: Imagine someone saying that AIDS is not really all that it is cracked up to be. I mean, after all, 25 years ago no one had it so it must not be real. When we cannot find the cure we just lump everyone into the AIDS catagory because we have no answers.

    As medical science gets better every year, so will diognosis and we will identify more disorders, and we will find ways to fix them. Pure and simple.

    For those who still think it is a dicipline problem every time, I feel sorry for you. Thank God your kid doesn't have this challenge. They would never get the help they need. After all, you know it all, don't you?

  • Sara Annie
    Sara Annie

    Dottie:

    I apologize, I didn't see your second post. I was too busy typing away!

    As to the subject of "opinions", I totally agree that people have the right to their opinion. Absolutely. That does not, however, mean that everyone's opinion is automatically entitled to respect. If someone forms an opinion based on skewed or unreliable facts, that does not lend any credibility to position they've taken. In this specific case, to unilaterally declare that medication is never (or is always) the answer is just plain silly. In a forum such as this you are entitled to your own opinion, to be sure, but you also should be able to defend it logically. That's all I'm saying.

  • Witch Child
    Witch Child

    Hi All,

    you may know that my oldest has been diagnosed as "High Functioning Autistic." You may not know that he has been put on a very low dose of Adderall a stimulant, and an amphetimine. It has made a huge difference in his life. He was unable to have normal conversation before this.

    I was quite reluctant to label and drug my kid. I fought the schools for 3 years. Finally I had to admit that behavior modification, therapy and all the rest were NOT enough. I finally allowed him to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. I was merciless in my interogation of her. I questioned EVERYTHING she said. I made her explain her diagnosis and reccomendations in minute detail. The meds have made a world of difference to this kid. He still has trouble in school but he is so much better at home! He is like a new kid.

    Sure in some cases kids are getting drugs they don't need and that is tragic. It would be equally tragic if a kid like mine didn't have the option of a small dose of medication that changes his whole life for the better.

    ~Witch

  • SheilaM
    SheilaM

    To all no I didn't just research and do a speech on this I had a son that was diagnosed or should I say misdiagnosed with ADD. If you read the book about ADD by Julian Habert who is a reasearcher and peditrician he has the best view of all I found. I'll post the name I don't have it with me.

    We were pushed by school officials to put Anthony on Ritalin, I since found from research he probably had dispargia an inability to put information on paper that your thinking. It has to do with the brain and hand coordination. ANthony DID NOT GROW 1" on Ritalin. He became angry and this is a side effect of the drug. They also link suicide and homicide to these drugs. For children that aren't supposed to be on it it can be a horrible. When Anthony was taken off of it by Thunder and I he grew 4" in a week.

    The point is that pharmecuetical companies aren't testing these drugs for children nor or they made for kids. Any other drug that was used in such an irresponsible manner would be pulled by the FDA.

    My point of my post is that parents need to be educated of all the risks and side effects. They need to know that ADD/ADHD is misdiagnosed every day in our country. There are many, many different disorders that mimic this disorder hearing, peti mal seizures etc. For parents just make sure that you have all the information to decided what is best for your child.

    Even Julian Haberts books says that there is a disorder discovered in 1940's that is ADD/ADHD but that it is not as common as the school and psychiatrist's would have you believe. In one case half of the class at a perochial school was on Ritalin the girl Mary, was supposed to have ADHD. Her father happend to be a doctor he had the pharmacy at his hopital make some placebo's (sugar pills) when Dr. Habert called in 2 weeks her behavior was "much improved" because the teacher "thougth" she was medicated. Needless to say the doctor removed her from that school.

    Yes, Autism seems to respond to this drug and yes there is a brain chemistry problem for those with ADD/ADHD but for someone without that problem it is playing with fire.
    Also again why is all the pharmecutical information saying DO NOT PRESCRIBE FOR CHILDREN scary huh? For children that have attention problems Ritalin doesn't help them learn unless the school changes how they start teaching all ADD/ADHD not only are on the drug but also they have what is called a 501 plan that modifies the way in which a teacher teaches and interacts with the child. Anthony still is on one even though he is not medicated.

    Also I do not understand why this can't be discussed without the anger, many of you "ASSUMED" that I didn't know what I was talking about because I was on my way to school and made my post short without explaining about my son. TSK TSK This is supposed to be a discussion group if you doubted my information all you have to do is do a search on ADD/ADHD and you will find that it states what I have said.

  • lauralisa
    lauralisa

    Wow....

    Sheila, I started to post a reply first this this morning - no other replies had yet appeared... but I could not compose a decent post in the short time I had available.

    I have ADHD... and so does my son, who is now 16. Lyin eyes, our situations are so similar that it is scary. However, it was not until we put our son on ritalin that he was even able to remain in pre-school. I was told by "experts" in the school system (Fairfax county, VA - they are NOT lacking funds there...) that he would probably not be able to attend "mainstream classrooms." At this point in time however he is an honor student.

    I went thru hell trying to manage his behavior and protect him from himself. I was an active witness then. My god, I had to endure studying the "family" book with some elder's MOTHER because they all thought I was a freak. I remember just rolling my eyes a lot. I finally relented and agreed to a course of ritalin on the advise of a good nurse practitioner, and the difference was such that I could never possibly describe it... it was the last resort, and I wish I had not waited so long (he was FOUR years old.)

    Is ADHD over-diagnosed? YES
    Is ritalin/Adderal/etc. over-prescribed? YES

    If a bunch of over-burdened doctors fail to do their job correctly and make it impossible for people who genuinely benefit from these medications to obtain them..... many people will suffer in ways that can not be calculated. I started taking adderal when I was in my thirties, and I was finally able to hold on to a job for more than a few months for the first time in my life.

    Yes, the abuse potential is staggering, and that is why it is a controlled substance. However.... people with ADD do NOT get "high" when they take amphetamines. A good no-brainer litmus "test" for me was that I never understood why people spent all that money on meth, coke, speed, etc.... never got ME high !!! Of course, peeps raised in the borg would probably not have such experiences...

    Six, SIX, SIX OF NINE, I've missed ya, and here you are, being the voice of calm and reason once again. Thank you for posting to this topic. Did I say I've missed you?

    The practice of medicine in this country is in the toilet, imo, and people like "Montel Williams" do not help matters by competing with Jerry Springer.

    Respectfully, lauralisa

  • freedom96
    freedom96

    I would never guide my life by what was told to me on a daytime talk show.

  • Mystery
    Mystery

    RN -

    I can not reply to your PM.
    My direct email is [email protected]

    The answer to your question is yes, in the county.

    Deborah

  • SheilaM
    SheilaM

    Freedom: NEITHER WOULD I if you BOTHERED to read my post you would have known that GEESH

    people with ADD do NOT get "high"

    Laura: They are not saying that Ritalin gets you HIGH if you have ADHD what the research is finding is tha children that do not have ADHD are effected adversely and also that teaching children to "medicate" to control behavior leads to many that choose that with alcohol drugs and some studies say they lean more to the class II cocaine etc. IT has nothing to do with doctors being overburdened it has to do with school officials demanding testing of children and in many cases demanding that children be medicated to attend school.

    Also since literacy in this country is on the decline I think it is VERY responsible of Montel to do a show about a subject most are ignorant of. The drugs for weightloss were pulled because of heart damage etc. Well, research on the drugs for hyperactive disorder are showing many different side effects that are detrimental to out children. Just because a drug seems to work doesn't mean it won't bite you in the ass later on. Also for people to want a drug to be on the market that has not been properly tested is ludicrous.

    I wish to God I had never given it to Anthony, his anger was out of control and he was "focused" because he was a zombie. I wish I had done the proper research and that is why I made the post so that people would look into the pro's and con's of the drug not to get into a "pissing contest" of what someone feels works or doesn't.

    It amazes me that some of you have to be so damned snotty instead of citing you story and your information. As I said this is supposed to be a discussion board.

    Also BTW talks shows arent' always bad just as they aren't always good, the point of them is to put across information and when someone is on there because they lost their daughter because she OD on a script by a doctor. To equate that to Jerry Springer is just plain ignorant.

  • SheilaM
    SheilaM
    It never ceases to amaze me how people with absolutely no education or personal experience on any given subject can unilaterally declare their tiny knowledge base on the subject as fact.

    It amazes me that someone can jump to conclusions on someone's education and personal experience and be so damned self-righteous

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