Six Misconceptions About ADD/ADHD
Everyone Should Know
Dr. Scott Whitemarsh D.C.
Like many of the patients I see, you are probably frustrated with the answers we have been getting for years regarding Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). They are vague; they are general; and worst of all, they answer very little. It would be easy to blame medications, health care professionals, teachers and other school officials, parents, or even the child. But with all the information and research that has been done on this subject one thing is very clear; all of these aforementioned people want to help. They want answers and they are all searching. Of all the feelings and emotions a family can experience when a loved one has been diagnosed with these conditions, alone and forgotten should be the last.
I never need to inform people that ADHD, and all conditions related to it, are overly diagnosed in the U.S. Conservative estimates claim that anywhere from 3%-7% of school-aged children have been given such a diagnosis. In some U.S. cities the number reaches as high as 15%. The criteria healthcare professionals use to diagnose are not always clear or adhered to.
Why does this matter? Because when a child is diagnosed with an attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder he/she is given a label that will follow them like a shadow, even into adulthood. They are often put into special classes at school, away from the peers and environment they have come to trust. They are put on medications that can dull their senses and hinder the expression of who they are and what they could become. They are made to feel that they are trouble, a nuisance to those around them.
These hindrances stem from roots of misconceptions regarding what ADHD is and how to treat it. Let’s review a few of those and see if we cannot overcome them and get on a path to wellness.
1. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders will go away with time.
It seems that more and more healthcare professionals, parents, and children think that ADHD is just a phase of childhood, a “boys will be boys” (or girls will be girls) stage that will end as the child matures. Perhaps this misconception is more of a hope than a reality. While it is not extremely rare to meet an adult who “grew out” of such disorders, research is now showing us that more children diagnosed with ADHD are carrying it and the effects into their adult lives. As many as 30%-70% of diagnosed children will experience symptoms as an adult.
For anyone who has experienced the severity of symptoms, this fact can be a haunting one. Even as an adult they will experience uncontrollable anxiety. They will take on stress that will not only affect them emotionally, but will attack them physically as well. This can often lead to depression. What follows is a never ending string of medications and therapies that will envelop their lives, making everyday tasks a struggle. This correlates with research showing that adults who were diagnosed with ADHD as children are more likely to undergo psychological treatment, take anti-depressant drugs, and have suicidal tendencies than those without the childhood diagnosis.
2. There is little research concerning attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders.
Not only is research not lacking in this area, it is abundant. Researchers are continually studying the etiologies (how they start), treatments, and prevention of these disorders.
This research is providing answers. Some healthcare professionals are listening, many are not. Parents should know that while there is extreme pressure to medicate and psychoanalyze every child that experiences symptoms, it is ultimately up to each family to hear what we are learning concerning less dangerous and less invasive forms of treatment.
Either way, the subject is at the forefront of both healthcare and political arenas. While there is more that can be done, the research we have now is giving us great insights as to what is happening in these young children and, more important, how to address it.
3. Attention deficit/hyperactivity is a psychological problem.
As many as 30%-50% of the referrals made to mental health providers are or children. That is a lot of kids being told their brain has issues. While there may be many cases of ADHD that are mental health issues, it is unfair to classify the disorder as a psychological one. Think of how it must make a child feel to be brought into an office and be asked the types of questions that some mental health practitioners tend to ask. It would be easy for the child to feel the blame is theirs, and that they are not normal.
The good news is that there has been plenty of research to show that ADHD symptoms have greatly improved without this type of care or the psychosomatic drugs that accompany it. It should be pointed out that there is a time and place for every type of health care. There are children with real psychological issues who receive great care at the hands of mental health providers. It is just becoming more apparent that ADHD is not necessarily one of those issues.
4. Ritalin has proven to be safe and effective.
Most families who have been faced with attention deficit/hyperactivity issues have had an encounter with Ritalin or similar medications. What many people find is that Ritalin works. For many, the initial effects of Ritalin are that it calms their child and reduces symptoms of ADHD; but at what cost?
There are millions of children on Ritalin in the US. Ritalin is a schedule II controlled drug. This means it has a higher potential for abuse than many other prescription medications. This may explain why Ritalin is now becoming a popular street drug. Like many drugs of this nature, Ritalin’s effectiveness decreases over time, requiring greater dosages for the same result.
Then there are the side effects. Ritalin has consistently been shown to cause stunted growth, decreased appetite, decreased sleep, headaches, hair loss, and increased heart rate. There have also been cases of anemia and nervous tics, as well as a number of other psychological problems. Many patients are finding that all of these side effects can last into adulthood.
Perhaps the most unflattering evidence against Ritalin is how the children feel when they are taking the drug. Children often report a dulling of their senses. They feel they are not themselves and cannot express themselves to their friends. This may be why many continued Ritalin prescriptions are written at the request of a parent but with the scorn of the child.
5. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders are a result of bad parenting or upbringing.
No parent who is seeking help for their child should ever feel blamed for any results incurred by the treatment. This goes for medication, psychological work, or natural care. A parent looking for answers is a parent doing the best they can, the best they know how.
The health care community is starting to reveal more research as to what effects lifestyle has on these types of disorders. The overwhelming fact is that the seriousness of the symptoms correlates to family life and home lifestyle. It is important that all of these things be addressed and changes made for the benefit of the entire family. Not only will changes be seen in attention deficit/hyperactivity, but overall health will improve.
6. There is nothing more parents can do to help their child with attention deficit/hyperactivity.
There have been several successes in this field in recent years. They have come through diet, supplementation, organization, proper nervous system function, and in other various approaches. It’s time to bring all of these things that have worked well individually and put them together into an entire, drug-free program.
You have already made the first step towards wellness and an answer. You have sought out help. A desire to change things is the first step toward actually changing things. What changes can we make? We can give children their lives back. We can make school a place of learning again as opposed to a place of frustration. We can give children the opportunity to pursue whatever path they want, without the blocks and obstacles they may fear. We can restore a more tranquil home life where harmony exists between parents and child, child and siblings, and growth can continue unhindered. We can erase the discouragement of a lifetime of medication or mental therapy. We can replace fear with hope, sickness with health, and darkness with light.
To find out more about Dr. Whitemarsh’s Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Program
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