16th November 2007
Hello, I'm 36 years old and I just was diagnosed with ADHD. Looking back at my grade school, high school and college years, I can see how I was effected by this condition by my grades. My older brother was getting A's and didn't study nearly as much as I did, but I was getting C's and an occasional D. Not really "failing" anything, thankfully.
I was not put on any medication at the time bc it was either not out(?) or my parents just didn't know about it. However, after taking these same meds now that children are taking, I am VERY glad that my parents did not put me on these meds. I have nieces and nephews who many years ago were on Ritalin and my brother-in-law is also on these meds right now (he's 10). So please, please understand that I'm not putting down anyone, I'm just trying to put this thought out there and see what you think.
Again, I can't stress enough that I am NOT trying to rip on anyone about this!! However, I am worried about the number of children taking these types of medicine, especially since I know first hand the effects and I would like for parents considering these meds for their children to do LOTS of research on the effects and exactly what they do to the brain. Then see if you can find books or resources on how to cope without medicine and keep them active in some kind of extracuricular activities.
I always remember reading "Einstein only made C's". So what's wrong with that!?? Wy does your kid have to be "an honor student"? Failing is one thing, but is it really bc they have ADHD or is it bc the kid doesn't want to be in school - like the majority of kids out there? Perhaps the teachers need to be better equiped with ways to deal with it, rather than medicine? Perhaps parents need to consider extra tutoring on the side or talk to the child and ask what's going on, if they like the subject or not?
I have a 100k paying job right now, I manage a group of tech support reps in addition to a successful career of systems engineering. I have children of my own. Again, I didn't take any meds for my problems while I was younger.
I see posts about "grades failing now passing", etc and I have to wonder if the medicine is being used just to "get the grades" the parents want to see and I also wonder what the children do at home in their free time.
I'm sure some kids have it bad enough where it does effect them, but do you know how I combated the issue and at least kept from failing? I studied my butt off. What's wrong with that? What else do you have to do when you're a kid but get into trouble? I also was involved heavily in sports, from 5th grade through Sr yr in HS. This helped A LOT. Of course we also didn't have Nintendo, playstation, and it was less common for both parents to be working back then.
In a professional career, if projects are not being completed, customers are suffering, work performance is suffereing, etc. that's a big deal and I'm all for medicating for something like that... especially since the person is an adult and should be able to handle these meds better.
But why put a young child on the same med that is used for adults?? What we do not know are the long term effects of these medications. Yet teachers say, "they are disrupting the whole class".
I'll tell you another BIG difference between my grade school - if I did something wrong or acted up too bad, there was ALWAYS that threat of getting spanked in school. That was very effective and it's something that is lost today... what a shame.
I know that every parent reading this just wants the best for their child, which is great. I want the same for mine. However, my wife and I have decided that we are not going to put our children on these medications, even if someone says they need it bc we know the effects and I've read plenty of posts about kids today that were on it when they were younger and wish they weren't. That's my decision, this is my opinion, so I realize that. Naturally, you'll do what you want. I'm just asking that you take a step back and look at ALL of the possible causes and ALL of the possible ways to help your child besides "the quick fix".
Ok, so what do you think? Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I see a real problem starting after seeing how psych's prescribe medicine to children, the marketing advertisements towards children, and articles in the news about how we're seeing more overmedication issues, side effect issues, etc.
I also read that when the definition of "ADD" was broadened, the number of children diagnosed went up 4x. Very scary.
I was not put on any medication at the time bc it was either not out(?) or my parents just didn't know about it. However, after taking these same meds now that children are taking, I am VERY glad that my parents did not put me on these meds. I have nieces and nephews who many years ago were on Ritalin and my brother-in-law is also on these meds right now (he's 10). So please, please understand that I'm not putting down anyone, I'm just trying to put this thought out there and see what you think.
Again, I can't stress enough that I am NOT trying to rip on anyone about this!! However, I am worried about the number of children taking these types of medicine, especially since I know first hand the effects and I would like for parents considering these meds for their children to do LOTS of research on the effects and exactly what they do to the brain. Then see if you can find books or resources on how to cope without medicine and keep them active in some kind of extracuricular activities.
I always remember reading "Einstein only made C's". So what's wrong with that!?? Wy does your kid have to be "an honor student"? Failing is one thing, but is it really bc they have ADHD or is it bc the kid doesn't want to be in school - like the majority of kids out there? Perhaps the teachers need to be better equiped with ways to deal with it, rather than medicine? Perhaps parents need to consider extra tutoring on the side or talk to the child and ask what's going on, if they like the subject or not?
I have a 100k paying job right now, I manage a group of tech support reps in addition to a successful career of systems engineering. I have children of my own. Again, I didn't take any meds for my problems while I was younger.
I see posts about "grades failing now passing", etc and I have to wonder if the medicine is being used just to "get the grades" the parents want to see and I also wonder what the children do at home in their free time.
I'm sure some kids have it bad enough where it does effect them, but do you know how I combated the issue and at least kept from failing? I studied my butt off. What's wrong with that? What else do you have to do when you're a kid but get into trouble? I also was involved heavily in sports, from 5th grade through Sr yr in HS. This helped A LOT. Of course we also didn't have Nintendo, playstation, and it was less common for both parents to be working back then.
In a professional career, if projects are not being completed, customers are suffering, work performance is suffereing, etc. that's a big deal and I'm all for medicating for something like that... especially since the person is an adult and should be able to handle these meds better.
But why put a young child on the same med that is used for adults?? What we do not know are the long term effects of these medications. Yet teachers say, "they are disrupting the whole class".
I'll tell you another BIG difference between my grade school - if I did something wrong or acted up too bad, there was ALWAYS that threat of getting spanked in school. That was very effective and it's something that is lost today... what a shame.
I know that every parent reading this just wants the best for their child, which is great. I want the same for mine. However, my wife and I have decided that we are not going to put our children on these medications, even if someone says they need it bc we know the effects and I've read plenty of posts about kids today that were on it when they were younger and wish they weren't. That's my decision, this is my opinion, so I realize that. Naturally, you'll do what you want. I'm just asking that you take a step back and look at ALL of the possible causes and ALL of the possible ways to help your child besides "the quick fix".
Ok, so what do you think? Perhaps I'm missing something here, but I see a real problem starting after seeing how psych's prescribe medicine to children, the marketing advertisements towards children, and articles in the news about how we're seeing more overmedication issues, side effect issues, etc.
I also read that when the definition of "ADD" was broadened, the number of children diagnosed went up 4x. Very scary.