New and Have ?

Hi,
I'm new here. My child was just dx'd with adhd on Wednesday and I have a bunch of questions. First off, I'm considering medicating my child. I've read a lot online about the possible side effects, but there is never any mention of LONG term side effects....like what's going to happen 10-20 years from now. Does anyone know?

Also, in all of the evaluations that were done in the past few weeks it shows that my child has weak oral language and academic knowledge--which is being attributed now to the fact that she has adhd. All her other tests were average to above average. Is there something I can work on at home with her to fill in those gaps?

thanks for listening to me ramble on.
oh btw she's almost 8years old and in the 2nd grade

Thanks

1. Medicine is not good for children it was not designed to be used on children.

2. It was only supposed to be used in exceptional cases. (today 90% of the world's ritalin supply is used in the USA and even the UN has issued statements against the practice. as the rest of the world combined uses the other 10% that remains.)

3. The standard medicine is Ritalin and it is involved in nearly every school shooting in the history of America. Also known to cause heart problems death and in some cases delusions. It shrinks the brain and has the *SAME* effect on children with ADHD as it does to kids without. That would be, an identical effect to cocaine, only stronger...

4. There is no such thing as ADHD. If there is, i want to read the studies proving it. I want to evaluate the evidence myself, as a scientist. But in over 25 years, no organic evidence that meets scientific methodological standards has ever been produced. All that has been offered is opinion and theory none of which have from what empirical data there is, proven ADHD is a disorder or that it even exists. If you are going to label someone as different and somehow defunct then there must be an organic test. Otherwise, it is solely based on subjective opinion. 2 experts can watch the same interview and the same interviews with teachers and parents and come to totally different conclusions. ADHD is terribly over medicated and diagnosed even according to the doctor that named it back in 1980. Before that it had many names including "broken brain disorder."

To date no conclusive scientific organic evidence has yet been provided which is why the big book of mental health symptoms lists it as a disorder rather than a disease. However, though it is over diagnosed, and over medicated and though i question it's existance, in some cases there are kids who truly do live up to the label, something is definately going on with those kids. They need help though i don't know about medicine.....

5. Long term effects of these drugs are unknown as all money for research goes to trying to find out where the differences lie between the 'normal' brain and the ADHD brain and the differences in the functioning. Once again, empiracle data would actually support the opposite of what the experts are claiming. They suggest, there is no organic difference in ADHD 'sufferers.' (I never suffered having ADHD, just from the testing and the dehumanizing cruelty and bogus system, testing pretty much includes nothing scientific or conclusive and they do all but tattoo a number on your arm.) No child that gets tested comes out not labeled. Many doctors receive money from the drug companies for every prescription they write. Much as i hate the republicans there is one that is actually doing the right thing trying to have this information published for all to see.

Before you medicate, please read 2 books and atleast do some net research and ask some questions of those that choose *not* to medicate. In the end you have to make a choice. If you wish to medicate fine. But seriously these drugs can cause very real damage. To families as well as to children. This choice is a very serious matter. Please get the data from *all* sides of the argument. In case you have not noticed i am anti medicine in children especially when it is forced on them. Unless ofcourse they are a danger to themselves or others. As an adult i have made my own personal choices which do include a small amount of medicine. But i would never medicate my child unless he was hurting himself or others. The brain is not fully developed till the mid 20s.

I think, until they have some science based evidence rather than *only* the spectral variety that they recycled from the old witch trials in salem they should not be taken seriously nor should they be diagnosing disorders that are solely based on subjective opinion.

Please read, Talking back to Ritalin and The Wildest Colts Make The Best Horses. There is even some doctor here in Canada that is using some weird computer program thing.... And apparently having alot of success i have heard. But go find the boards of anti medicine groups and ask them some question and get all opinions and all the information that is out there before you make this choice.

http://www.ablechild.org/

They are both rational and reasonable and against medicine. I would point you to them and i would just say.... Please consider the opinions held there because they don't come from out of the pockets of the drug companies unlike those of nearly every expert.

Best of luck!

Everyone's child is different. I dunno about over diagnosis or not. I personally tend to think it is over diagnosed severely. But again, i have no credentials that is only a personal opinion.

As for medicating one's child. every situation is different. I only know of a small number of which i would go so far as to call medicating a crime. All i am trying to say, is there are many treatments. Some more effective than others depending on the child and that all avenues need to be explored and jumping straight to medicine might not be a good idea.... But there *Are* cases wheen whatever it is that is wrong, is so debilitating medicine truly *is* the best way to go due to how debilitating whatever it is actually is for the individual child living with it.

I do think however it is very prudent to ask all the questions get *all* the info from *all* sides before one makes such a drastic and occasionally very necesary choice to medicate.

I was not critiscising anyone who made such a choice. I am sure it was both the easiest and hardest choice you ever had to make.