Attention
Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric
diagnosis, defined by the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, 4th edition) as a Mental Disorder. The most
common treatment for ADHD is drug therapy. Children as young as three
or four are routinely given major psychiatric drugs, like Ritalin,
Tofranil, Dexedrine, Clonadine, Prozac and other medications.
Many of these drugs are prescribed to children by family doctors or
pediatricians on the strength of subjective and anecdotal reports by
parents and teachers. The
'Connors Scale', a simple check list, is often used to determine
whether a child 'has' ADHD before a prescription for a major
psychiatric drug is written out. Many children on these drugs receive
no other form of treatment and remain on the drugs for many years.
It is a known fact that there are many more children diagnosed with
ADHD today than there were twenty years ago. According to Dr.
Mary Ann Block (reference below), ADHD can in fact be seen as a major
industry, with the main beneficiaries being doctors, pharmaceutical
companies, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. It has also been
suggested that the increase in incidence of ADHD is closely linked with
the sales of Ritalin in the USA.
People who are unhappy with the psychiatric diagnosis of ADHD point out
that the 'symptoms' of the 'disorder' are rather subjective perceptions
of teachers, parents, doctors, etc. Can 'not listening', 'making
careless mistakes', 'failing
to follow through on instructions', etc. be called 'Symptoms' of a
Psychiatric Disorder? Surely the 'diagnosis' of ADHD would depend
on both the personality of the teacher and the 'symptoms' of a
particular child? If so, then ADHD can not strictly speaking be
termed a 'disorder' or a 'disease'. This does not mean, however, that
the symptoms of what is called ADHD are 'all in the mind'!
An alternative viewpoint is that ADHD is not, in fact a 'disorder', but
rather a cluster of symptoms which could be attributed to a variety of
problems, including food intolerance, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar),
allergies, low muscle
tone, perceptual difficulties, nutritional problems, candida,
hyperthyroidism, Tourettes Disorder, brain dysfunction, family and
emotional problems, abuse, poor discipline,
undiagnosed hearing impairment, depression and other conditions. All of
these can produce ADHD-like symptoms in children. Routinely
prescribing psychiatric drugs without proper and thorough assessment to
find the underlying cause of the child's problem is nothing short of
alarming! Interestingly, while the incidence of ADHD in children
is estimated at about 3% of all children, surveys have indicated that
almost 6% of children are on some sort of psychiatric drug for ADHD,
the most commonly prescribed being Ritalin. It is worth noting that
Ritalin is a controlled substance, like morphine. It is similar in
structure to amphetamines and uses the same receptor site in the brain
as does cocaine - and it is routinely prescribed for
children with behavioral problems and difficulties concentrating in
class!
While drug therapy certainly has short term 'results' in about 75 - 80%
of cases, it does nothing to treat the underlying causes. As we have
seen above, there is often no attempt to find the underlying causes,
let alone treat them. Using
Ritalin and other high schedule drugs to treat children with behavioral
and concentration problems is, in my opinion, like treating every
headache with morphine.
Possible short term side effects of Ritalin include loss of appetite,
tics, anxiety, decreased growth, insomnia, visual disturbances,
depression, irritability, stomach ache, increased heart rate, and
psychotic symptoms. Ritalin has not been around for long enough to
document the effects of long term use on the children's hearts,
kidneys, livers or immune systems. Essentially children taking Ritalin
at the moment are guinea pigs! In addition, it is well-known that some
children are abusing prescription drugs in schools and Ritalin is
sometimes sold to peers rather than used medicinally. Children snort
Ritalin like they snort cocaine, or they use it to obtain a high. There
is evidence
that it is addictive although this is not yet conclusive.
Are there alternatives? Psychiatric drugs are only one way of treating
the symptoms of ADHD.
The most important thing is to start with a thorough assessment. In my
practice all assessments begin with a parent interview where a
comprehensive history is taken, including information on development,
diet, allergies, discipline,
family functioning, sleep patterns, behaviour and school performance.
After this, the child undergoes an assessment over a number of days to
determine emotional, scholastic and
intellectual functioning. A comprehensive report is compiled and
recommendations are made.
Many children improve with changes in diet and the introduction of
consistent and effective disciplinary methods. Some need therapy for
emotional problems. Others are taught, by means of games and exercises,
to recognise when they
fidget and become distracted and are helped to focus, plan, organise
and complete their tasks. Some children are sent to their doctors for
further tests, or they are referred to occupational therapists.
Sometimes it is the parents that are taken into treatment to assist
with family problems that are causing trauma for the child.
Whatever treatment plan is devised, the majority of children treated in
my practice improve without psychiatric drugs, so long as parents (and
teachers) are prepared to follow through and persevere with treatment
at home and at school as well. Yes, it is much easier to simply
prescribe a drug, but
is it the best thing for your child?
Many children respond very well to homeopathic remedies, especially if
these are combined with therapy and a change in diet. Instead of
suppressing the symptoms, homeopathic formulas can strengthen the
child's own defense mechanisms to fight against the symptoms of
ADHD. Homeopathic medicines are safe, non-addictive and effective
alternatives to drug therapy, especially in the case of children!
So if you suspect (or have been told) that your child has ADHD, it is
my suggestion that your first port of call should be a psychologist who
has a reputation of working with children without the use of
psychiatric drugs.
For those who would like to do some further research, here is a list of
recommended reading.
Book Reviews:
No More Ritalin :
Treating Adhd Without Drugs
by Dr Mary Ann Block. A Mother's Journey. A Physician's Approach.
The A.D.D. Book :
New Understandings, New Approaches to Parenting Your
Child by William Sears & Lynda Thompson.
Learning to Slow
Down and Pay Attention: A Book for Kids About ADD
by Kathleen G Nadeau, Ellen B. Dixon, John Rose.
"How to Manage Your
ADHD Child"
by Michele Carelse, Clinical Psychologist.
To view go to www.feelgoodcounseling.com/ebooklets4u.htm . The
e-booklet
contains useful and clear guidelines on diet, discipline and exercises
to improve concentration and memory.
FEELGOOD TIP!
If your child has difficulty sitting still and cannot concentrate in
class, see what happens if you cut out sweets, caffeine, soda pops and
cola drinks from his diet. Also try to eliminate foods with
artificial flavors, preservatives and colouring like Tartrazine and MSG.
Take care and be well!
Michele Carelse is
a
Registered Clinical Psychologist with more than 12
years experience. She runs a private practice as well as an Online
Counseling and Resource Centre at www.feelgoodcounseling.com.
Michele has also developed Feelgood Health - a range of natural
remedies for adults and children, especially formulated for emotional
and psychological health. For more information, go to
www.feelgoodhealth.co.za/natural_remedies.htm.
This article
courtesy of http://www.health-dir.com.
