Attention Deficite Disorder and Learning Disabilitie
Be Careful What You Give Your Children
By Angel Femia
For a few years now there has been an argument going on between The Parents, Holistic Healers and many other supporters against
the Psychiatric and Educational Institutions of The United States regarding using drugs on children whom have been diagnosed
with ADD and ADHD, {Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyper Disorder}.
Personally being a person inflicted with ADHD, I found no drug in the world that could cure this illness or even help control
it in any way. The mind keeps producing thoughts no matter how drugged out we are. The drugs only suppress, distort and weaken
the patient.
There are many testimonials from doctors working with ADD and ADHD patients that say there is no evidence that drugs help
ADD or ADHD, as there are no proven facts that there is any chemical imbalance.
Director February 4, 2000
...What this means, as you, I, and Dr. Castellanos understand with perfect clarity -- even if the public remains confused
and deceived on this point is that not a single one of the 5-6 million children in the US labeled "ADHD" bears objective evidence
of a physical or chemical abnormality establishing that they are diseased—other than normal. And, "No!" it is not O.K.
to drug children because you believe they will be proved at some time in the future to have a disease.
Nothing has changed since 1998! Nothing has changed since 1980; when ADD was invented for inclusion in the American Psychiatric
Association’s DSM-III!
[DSM-III, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 3]
I was given these drugs at the age of twelve and was an addict to these and many other prescribed drugs until I was twenty-six.
{Almost one and one-half decades}. I began to realize, with help from a loyal friend {even after my doctors continually told
me I was not addicted to any of the medicines they were giving me}, that I was an very heavy prescribed drug addict and quite
taking all drugs entirely. It was almost a year before I could truly function again {after coming down I found I was still
thinking in the headspace of a twelve-year old child}. By that I mean feel, eat drink, walk down the street. I was unable
to really communicate with others for many years afterwards. These drugs had reduced my thinking to forms of lifelessness,
suicidal, self-loathing, resentful, and much more negativity.
It has taken a great deal of work to correct even the slightest damage done to my brain due to taking these medicines and
I still had to deal with the proper reason for myself being inflected with ADD or ADHD.
I found as many others that as opposed to taking any drugs to help heal or control ADHD or AD, dealing with our childhood
abuse issues is the honest, natural way to learn to control ADD or ADHD. We need to get this message to all.
Below is the Criteria for ADHD:
DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for ADHD
The following diagnostic criteria for ADHD are specified in the DSM-IV
(American Psychiatric Association, 1994):
1. Six (or more) of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive
and inconsistent with developmental level:
a) often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
b) often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
c) often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
d) often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (not due
to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
e) often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
f) often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or
homework)
g) often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, books or tools)
h) is often easily distracted by extraneous stimuli) is often forgetful in daily activities
2. Six (or more) of the following symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that
is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level: Hyperactivity:
a) often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
b) often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
c) often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited
to subjective feelings of restlessness)
d) often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
e) is often "on the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor"
f) often talks excessively Impulsivity :
g) often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
h) often has difficulty awaiting turn
i) often interrupts or intrudes on others (e.g., butts into conversations or games)
In some of the schools it is many times up to the teachers and school guidance departments to send the child to see to it
that the parents of the child takes the child to their doctor for testing for these illnesses. If the child a is found to
be burdened with either of the illnesses the medical drugs used to control such an illness, are prescribed and if the parents
do not play along and do what is asked the child is not aloud to remain in school and parents are disciplined accordingly.
One of the most prominent is Ritalin. The side effects from these drugs {along with the facts proven that many children whom
have taken Ritalin have become addicted to the substance and remain addicts to some drug for the rest of their lives}, are
dreadfully horrid.
Many are listed below:
REFERENCES FROM:
Can Med Assoc J 1967 Nov 4;97(19):1166-7
And many well-known institutions and Doctors.
Following is a list of side effects from stimulant drugs. This list is from a medical literature search for the years 1966-2000.
At the conclusion is a list of references. Ritalin is a very powerful stimulant drug.
Andrew Prough, Researcher, Austin, Texas.
1 Tics and Compulsive Symptoms1
2 Stroke2
3 Death3
4 Psychosis4
5 Tachycardia5
6 16% of Students with Ritalin asked to Sell for Abuse (strictly speaking not a side effect but a problem nonetheless)6
7 Severe Nausea, Vomiting and Dehydration with Anesthetic agents7
21 Motor Tics and Severe Social Withdrawal Among Mentally Retarded21
22 Decreased Appetite, Insomnia, Stomachache, Headache, Staring, Sadness and Anxiety22
23 Tics and Perseveration in 76%23
24 Significant Increase in Diastolic Blood Pressure24
25 Suppression of Height and Weight25
26 Information Processing Dysfunction26
27 Tics27
28 Increased Resting Heart Rate28
29 Mania29
30 Severe Cognitive and Severe Mood Deterioration30
31 Cerebral Atrophy31
32 Tics32
33 Akinesia and Mutism33
34 Dyskinesia34
35 Hallucination35
36 Anorexia, Insomnia, Stomach Pains, Growth Suppression and Weight Loss36
37 Height Suppression and Weight Suppression37
38 Tourette’s Syndrome38
39 Anorexia, Insomnia, Stomach Pains and Weight Loss39
40 Perseveration40
41 Toxic Hallucinosis41
42 Chorea42
43 Exacerbation of Tourette Syndrome43
44 Dystonia and Dyskinesia44
45 Tourette Syndrome45
46 Somnambulism46
47 Choreoathetosis47
48 Weight Loss48
49 Flaking Skin49
50 Ventricular Tachycardia
Before you allow any doctor to put your child or anyone you love on medicines of any kind for emotional illness please know
the facts. You could be sending you’re loved on to a life of pure hell without meaning to.
Treatment as Opposed To Meds:
I have had many responses from the essay published last week regarding ADD {attention deficit disorder}, ADHD {attention deficit
hyper disorder} and the use of prescribed suppressants, especially Ritalin on children. It seems to be a trend to give kids
drugs as opposed to working to care for them and their problems properly. The last generation is to this day suffering for
this very mistake of being drugged and drugging ourselves for many years.
As I had mentioned in my last essay, I have ADHD, my kids have it and most of our family has lived with this problem for as
far back as I could search. When I was twelve they began to medicate me due to this hyper ness and uncontrollability. I was
lost in a fog of chemicals until I was twenty-six and began to look for better answers.
A friend of mine had a child that was in the same mess as myself and one thing I was interested in is that my friend did not
medicate her daughter. Instead she treated her child with more love and affection, proper diet, vitamins, exercise, meditation
and Spiritual discipline and guidance. This child's entire attitude changed in just a few weeks so I tried to follow my friend's
instructions to her daughter.
When I realized how great these simple changes to my life made I did the same to my sons and found similar results. To this
day none of us take prescribed drugs. This is not a cure, just a natural way to deal with a life long problem.
LOVE AND AFFECTION:
Any child or adult with ADD or ADHD needs more attention and affection then a normal person. All people need mounds of love
and affection but people with learning disorder need more. They seem to lack self-esteem and confidence, therefore tough love
is suggested with lots of affection.
PROPER DIET:
Take as much food coloring, preservatives, sweeteners, sugars, from the person's diet.
Chemicals found in our foods today are very harmful for a strong, healthy mind. To a child or adult with ADD or ADHD these
chemicals and food colorings heighten the illness and the reactions are what cause many of the behavioral problems. As well
these chemicals change the person's thought patterns. The person's thinking becomes very negative.
Due to the facts that our bodies fight chemicals that we ingest, when we eat these chemicals our thinking becomes altered.
This alteration happens because our nature is fighting the chemicals we have put into our natural bodies. While our body is
at war with these chemicals our thinking becomes very negative without us truly noticing it unless we watch ourselves very
closely.
EXPERAMENT:
Try it:
One day eat food with chemicals and watch your thinking patterns. The next day eat food without chemicals and watch. See if
you can see the difference. Due to our eating chemicals for such a long time within our lives you may have to do two or three
days with and two or three days without to really see the difference.
2. VITAMINES:
Vitamins are something that we all need in our world today. Much of the food we eat just does not have the nutrients or vitamins
our bodies need. Natural vitamins are needed to keep our bodies balanced in many areas. Without the proper feeding of needs
our body balance is thrown off kilter and our mind tries to take up the slack throwing us into hyper activity, which could
be tamed with proper feeding of vitamins and nutrients.
EXERSISE:
Making sure our bodies do not hold stress or tension helps a great deal. As well exercise helps us to use up the extra energies
created by the Hyper Disorder. Working-out daily also help our learning capacities and helps us to learn focus and concentration.
There is no exercise system that works better then another as long as it is taught with proper instructions and universal
teaching that come with the exercise.
Most exercise systems have a philosophy or belief that comes with it. These teaching help exercise our minds and souls. They
are very important.
Exercise Classes that help:
Martial Arts, Dance, Yoga, Ti Chi, and exacta.
Swimming, walking and jogging in conjunction with one of the daily classes is also great.
MEDITATION:
Meditation is very personal so whatever form you wish as long as it clears the mind, body and soul is great. Meditation with
relaxation and breathing exercises are the most effective to calm down the body and give it balance.
SPIRITUAL DICIPLINE AND GUIDANCE:
A person's guidance and discipline that I am referring to whatever your belief is in your life. We all go to different spiritual
or faith leaders and dogma is different within each belief system so the one you have or find one you like to work with.
The discipline is to attain self-control of our emotions and lives. We are here to live not control all around us. If we learn
to control ourselves we will have all the control we truly need.
These are life changes but dealing with Emotional illnesses naturally as opposed to using meds will make the difference we
all need in our lives
Click Here
Mayo Clinic Web Site!
The information below was borrowed from the
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
Web Site Address:
MayoClinic.com
Mayo Clinic Mission Statement:
Our mission is to empower people to manage their health. We accomplish this by providing useful and up-to-date information
and tools that reflect the expertise and standard of excellence of Mayo Clinic.
A team of Web-publishing professionals works side-by-side practicing medical experts to produce this site. Through this unique
collaboration, we give you access to the experience and knowledge of the more than 2,000 physicians and scientists of Mayo
Clinic.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
By Mayo Clinic staff
Overview
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a group of chronic disorders that begin in childhood and sometimes last
into adult life. In general, children and adults with ADHD have a hard time paying attention and concentrating (inattention),
sitting still (hyperactivity) and controlling impulsive behavior (impulsivity). These problems can affect nearly every aspect
of life. Children and adults with ADHD often struggle with low self-esteem, troubled personal relationships and poor performance
in school or at work.
At various times, ADHD has been called attention-deficit disorder (ADD), hyperactivity, and even minimal brain dysfunction.
But today ADHD is the preferred term because it more accurately describes all aspects of the condition. Yet changing the name
hasn't made ADHD less controversial.
For some time, experts disagreed on how ADHD should be diagnosed — and even on whether it was a real disorder. But in
1998, the National Institute of Mental Health agreed that ADHD is a legitimate condition. In addition, most doctors believe
that a child shouldn't receive a diagnosis of ADHD unless the core symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention
have created significant problems at home and at school for at least 6 months. Even so, it often can be hard to distinguish
the behavior of a child with ADHD from that of normal, active children. And children who are either slow learners or bright,
quick learners and children with adjustment problems share many symptoms with ADHD children.
Just what constitutes the best treatment for ADHD is also a matter of debate. Currently, psychostimulant drugs such as methylphenidate
(Ritalin, Concerta) ordextroamphetamine (Dexedrine) are the most common treatment. But the use of these drugs is under scrutiny.
Psychostimulant medications can relieve many symptoms of ADHD, but they don't cure the disorder. It's also clear that counseling,
special accommodations in the classroom, and family and community support are just as, if not more, important in solving the
problems affecting a child's life.
Experts agree that without any treatment some children with ADHD will likely continue to have poor learning skills and low
self-esteem. They may also have social difficulties that last into adulthood. The good news is that when children receive
appropriate treatment for ADHD, their confidence, social skills and even academic performance may improve dramatically.
Signs and symptoms
The symptoms of ADHD fall into two broad categories: inattention and hyperactivity-impulsive behavior. In general, children
are said to have ADHD if they show six or more symptoms from each category for at least 6 months. These symptoms must affect
a child's ability to function to a large degree in at least two social settings — typically at home and at school. This
helps ensure that the problem isn't with a particular teacher or only with parents. Children who have problems in school but
get along well at home are not considered to have ADHD. In most children, symptoms appear between 4 and 6 years of age, although
they sometimes may occur earlier.
The signs and symptoms of ADHD include the following:
Inattention
Often fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or other activities
Often has trouble sustaining attention during tasks or play
Often doesn't seem to listen when spoken to directly
Often doesn't follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores or other tasks
Often has difficulty organizing tasks or activities
Often avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort, such as schoolwork or homework
Often loses things needed for tasks or activities, such as books, pencils, toys or tools
Is often easily distracted
Is often forgetful
Hyperactivity-impulsive behavior
Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat.
Often leaves seat in the classroom or in other situations where remaining seated is expected.
Often runs or climbs excessively when it's not appropriate. Adolescents might not run or climb but may constantly feel restless.
Often has difficulty playing quietly.
Is often "on the go" or acts as if "driven by a motor."
Often talks excessively.
Often blurts out the answers before questions have been completely asked.
Often has difficulty waiting his or her turn.
Often interrupts or intrudes on others by butting into conversations or games.
Most healthy children exhibit many of these behaviors at one time or another. For instance, parents may worry that a 3-year-old
who can't listen to a story from beginning to end or finish a drawing may have ADHD. But preschoolers normally have a short
attention span and aren't able to stick with one activity for long. This doesn't mean they're inattentive — it simply
means they're normal preschoolers.
Even in older children and adolescents, attention span often depends on the level of interest in a particular activity. Most
teenagers can listen to music or talk to their friends for hours but may be a lot less focused about homework.
The same is true of hyperactivity. Young children are naturally energetic — they often wear their parents out long before
they're worn out themselves. And they may become even more active when they're tired, hungry, anxious or in a new environment.
In addition, some children just naturally have a higher activity level than others.
When children have ADHD, however, they tend to be especially sensitive to stimuli such as sights, sounds and touch. When overstimulated,
they can quickly get out of control, becoming giddy and sometimes aggressive or even physically or verbally abusive. Children
with the inattentive form of ADHD may seem to drift away into their own thoughts or lose track of what's going on around them.
Most children with ADHD don't have all the signs and symptoms of the disorder. Furthermore, symptoms may be different in boys
and girls. Boys are more likely to be hyperactive, and girls tend to be inattentive. In addition, girls who have trouble paying
attention often daydream, but inattentive boys are more likely to play or fiddle aimlessly. Boys also tend to be less compliant
with teachers and other adults, so their behavior is often more conspicuous.
Sensory integration disorder
Symptoms of ADHD in adults
ADHD always begins in childhood, but it may last into adult life. The core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive
behavior are the same for adults as for children. Most adults have just one or two of the symptoms, not all three.
Adults who have problems with inattention may daydream during lectures or presentations at work and have trouble finishing
tasks. Hyperactive adults aren't likely to be as physically active as hyperactive children, but they may find it hard to sit
through movies or concerts or frequently shift positions or tap their fingers or feet. Impulsive adults often have trouble
waiting in line and driving in heavy traffic, and they may be tempted to take unnecessary risks. Adults with ADHD also may
have mood swings, a quick temper, a low tolerance for stress and problems with relationships.
Causes
Although the exact cause of ADHD isn't well understood, researchers have identified several factors that may play a role in
the disorder:
Altered brain function. The parts of the brain that regulate attention, planning and motor control seem to be less active
in children with ADHD. In addition, adults and children with ADHD appear to have low levels of dopamine — a brain chemical
with a number of important functions. Among other things, dopamine sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement,
helps regulate attention and affects motivation. Some adults with ADHD have very low levels of the enzyme that produces dopamine
(dopa decarboxylase). Other people with ADHD seem to have too many dopamine transporters, which remove dopamine after it is
produced.
Heredity. ADHD tends to run in families. Most children with ADHD have at least one relative with the disorder, and approximately
one-third of men with a history of ADHD have children who also have ADHD. Furthermore, when one identical twin has ADHD, the
other twin almost always has the disorder as well.
Maternal smoking, drug use and exposure to toxins. Pregnant women who smoke are at increased risk of having children with
ADHD. And alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy may reduce activity of the nerve cells (neurons) that produce dopamine. In
addition, pregnant women who are exposed to environmental poisons such as dioxins and PCBs are more likely to have children
with ADHD.
When to seek medical advice
In the 1990s, diagnosed cases of ADHD in the United States increased dramatically. The number of children with a diagnosis
of the disorder climbed from 950,000 in 1990 to more than 2.4 million in 1996, and the number of adults with a diagnosis of
ADHD more than tripled between 1992 and 1997. Some experts believe this increase is due, at least in part, to the intense
media coverage ADHD has received and to greater public awareness of the disorder.
The strong interest in ADHD likely means that more children with the disorder are receiving needed treatment. It may also
mean, however, that children who don't have ADHD or who have other problems such as depression, anxiety, learning disabilities
or sleep disorders are being diagnosed and treated incorrectly.
In general, if your child has trouble concentrating, sitting still or controlling his or her behavior, and these problems
are creating significant difficulties at home and at school, see your pediatrician or family physician. Your doctor may later
refer you to a specialist, such as a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, psychologist, psychiatrist or pediatric neurologist,
but it's important to have a medical evaluation first to rule out other causes of your child's symptoms.
Although symptoms of ADHD can sometimes appear in preschoolers, diagnosing the disorder in very young children is extremely
difficult. Often, developmental problems such as language delays and adjustment difficulties can be mistaken for ADHD. For
that reason, preschoolers suspected of having ADHD are more likely to need evaluation by a subspecialist.
Children being treated with medication should see their doctor regularly — typically every 6 months. Your doctor may
also recommend retesting every few years, depending on your child's grade level, age and diagnosis.
Call your physician if your child is taking medication for ADHD and experiences side effects, such as loss of appetite, trouble
sleeping or increased irritability. Over time some children taking stimulant medications may also lose weight. This is another
reason why follow-up visits are important.
Screening and diagnosis
No single test for ADHD exists, making the disorder difficult to diagnose. But a variety of exams can differentiate ADHD from
learning disabilities and mood disorders. For this reason, make sure that the physician performing the evaluation is well
trained and takes time to get background information from you and your child's teachers. Your physician should also make use
of appropriate local resources for needed testing. The process usually requires at least two office visits.
The following chart from the National Institute of Mental Health lists the types of doctors who are qualified to diagnose
and supervise treatment for ADHD
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