| Myth #1: ADHD is a "phantom disorder".
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| | also have ADHD. In some cases, Ritalin
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| FACT: The existence of a
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| | even leads to an improvement of the of
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| neurobiological disorder is not an issue
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| | tics in children who have ADHD and
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| to be decided by the media through public
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| | Tourette's.
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| debate, but rather as a matter of
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| | Myth #7: Teachers around the country
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| scientific research. Scientific studies
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| | routinely push pills on any students who
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| spanning 95 years summarized in the
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| | are even a little inattentive or
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| professional writings of Dr. Russell
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| | overactive.
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| Barkley, Dr. Sam Goldstein, and others
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| | FACT: Teachers are well-meaning
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| have consistently identified a group of
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| | individuals who have the best interests
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| individuals who have trouble with
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| | of their students in mind. When they see
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| concentration, impulse control, and in
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| | students who are struggling to pay
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| some cases, hyperactivity. Although the
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| | attention and concentrate, it is their
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| name given to this group of individuals,
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| | responsibility to bring this to parents'
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| our understanding of them, and the
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| | attention, so parents can take
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| estimated prevalence of this group has
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| | appropriate action. The majority of
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| changed a number of times over the past
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| | teachers do not simply push pills- they
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| six decades, the symptoms have
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| | provide information so that parents can
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| consistently been found to cluster
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| | seek out appropriate diagnostic help. We
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| together. Currently called Attention
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| | do agree with the position that teachers
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| Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, this
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| | should not diagnose ADHD. However, being
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| syndrome has been recognized as a
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| | on the front lines with children, they
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| disability by the courts, the United
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| | collect information, raise the suspicion
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| States Department of Education, the
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| | of ADHD, and bring the information to the
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| Office for Civil Rights, the United
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| | attention of parents, who then need to
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| States Congress, the National Institutes
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| | have a full evaluation conducted outside
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| of Health, and all major professional
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| | the school. The symptoms of ADHD must be
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| medical, psychiatric, psychological, and
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| | present in school and at home before a
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| educational associations.
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| | diagnosis is made; teachers do not have
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| Myth #2: Ritalin is like cocaine, and the
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| | access to sufficient information about
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| failure to give youngsters drug holidays
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| | the child's functioning to make a
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| from Ritalin causes them to develop
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| | diagnosis of ADHD or for that matter to
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| psychosis.
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| | make any kind of medical diagnosis.
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| FACT: Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is a
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| | Myth #8: Efforts by teachers to help
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| medically prescribed stimulant medication
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| | children who have attentional problems
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| that is chemically different from
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| | can make more of a difference than
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| cocaine. The therapeutic use of
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| | medications such as Ritalin.
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| methylphenidate does NOT CAUSE addiction
| |
| | FACT: It would be nice if this were
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| or dependence, and does not lead to
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| | true, but recent scientific evidence from
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| psychosis. Some children have such severe
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| | the multi-modal treatment trials
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| ADD symptoms that it can be dangerous for
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| | sponsored by the National Institute of
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| them to have a medication holiday, for
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| | Mental Health suggests it is a myth. In
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| example a child who is so hyper and
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| | these studies, stimulant medication alone
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| impulsive he'll run into traffic withoug
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| | was compared to stimulant medication plus
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| stopping to look first. Hallucinations
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| | a multi-modal psychological and
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| are an extremely rare side-effect of
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| | educational treatment, as treatments for
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| methylphenidate, and their occurrence has
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| | children with ADHD. The scientists found
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| nothing to do with the presence or
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| | that the multi-modal treatment plus the
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| absence of medication holidays.
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| | medication was not much better than the
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| Individuals with ADHD who are properly
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| | medication alone. Teachers and therapists
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| treated with stimulant medication such as
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| | need to continue to do everything they
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| Ritalin have a lower risk of developing
| |
| | can to help individuals with ADHD, but we
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| problems with alcohol and other drugs
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| | need to realize that if we don't also
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| than the general population. More
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| | alter the biological factors that affect
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| importantly, fifty years of research has
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| | ADHD, we won't see much change.
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| repeatedly shown that children,
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| | Myth #9: CH.A.D.D. is supported by drug
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| adolescents, and adults with ADHD safely
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| | companies, and along with many
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| benefit from treatment with
| |
| | professionals, are simply in this field
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| methylphenidate.
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| | to make a quick buck on ADHD.
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| Myth #3: No study has ever demonstrated
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| | FACT: Thousands of parents and
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| that taking stimulant medications can
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| | professionals volunteer countless hours
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| cause any lasting behavioral or
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| | daily to over 600 chapters of CH.A.D.D.
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| educational benefit to ADHD children.
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| | around the U.S. and Canada on behalf of
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| FACT: Research has repeatedly shown
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| | individuals with ADHD. CH.A.D.D. is very
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| that children, adolescents, and adults
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| | open about disclosing any contributions
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| with ADHD benefit from therapeutic
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| | from drug companies. These contributions
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| treatment with stimulant medications,
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| | only support the organization's national
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| which has been used safely and studied
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| | conference, which consists of a series of
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| for more than 50 years. For example, The
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| | educational presentations, 95% of which
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| New York Times reviewed a recent study
| |
| | are on topics other than medications.
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| from Sweden showing positive long- term
| |
| | None of the local chapters receive any of
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| effects of stimulant medication therapy
| |
| | this money. It is a disgrace to impugn
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| on children with ADHD. Readers interested
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| | the honesty and efforts of all of these
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| in more studies on the effectiveness of
| |
| | dedicated volunteers. CH.A.D.D. supports
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| medication with ADHD should consult the
| |
| | all known effective treatments for ADHD,
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| professional writings of Dr. Russell
| |
| | including medication, and takes positions
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| Barkley, Drs. Gabrielle Weiss and Lily
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| | against unproven and costly remedies.
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| Hechtman, and Dr. Joseph Biederman.
| |
| | Myth #10: It is not possible to
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| Myth #4: ADHD kids are learning to make
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| | accurately diagnose ADD or ADHD in
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| excuses, rather than take responsibility
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| | children or adults.
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| for their actions.
| |
| | FACT: Although scientists have not yet
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| FACT: Therapists, educators, and
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| | developed a single medical test for
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| physicians routinely teach children that
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| | diagnosing ADHD, clear-cut clinical
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| ADHD is a challenge, not an excuse.
| |
| | diagnostic criteria have been developed,
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| Medication corrects their underlying
| |
| | researched, and refined over several
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| chemical imbalance, giving them a fair
| |
| | decades. The current generally accepted
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| chance of facing the challenges of
| |
| | diagnostic criteria for ADHD are listed
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| growing up to become productive citizens.
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| | in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
|
| Accommodations for the disabled, as
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| | of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) published by
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| mandated by federal and state laws, are
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| | the American Psychiatric Association
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| not ways of excusing them from meeting
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| | (1995). Using these criteria and multiple
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| society's responsibilities, but rather
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| | methods to collect comprehensive
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| make it possible for them to compete on a
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| | information from multiple informants,
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| leveled playing field.
| |
| | ADHD can be reliably diagnosed in
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| Myth #5: ADHD is basically due to bad
| |
| | children and adults.
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| parenting and lack of discipline, and all
| |
| | Myth #11: Children outgrow ADD or ADHD.
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| that ADHD children really need is
| |
| | FACT: ADHD is not found just in
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| old-fashioned discipline, not any of
| |
| | children. We have learned from a number
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| these phony therapies.
| |
| | of excellent follow-up studies conducted
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| FACT: There are still some
| |
| | over the past few decades that ADHD often
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| parent-bashers around who believe the
| |
| | lasts a lifetime. Over 70% of children
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| century-old anachronism that child
| |
| | diagnosed as having ADHD will continue to
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| misbehavior is always a moral problem of
| |
| | manifest the full clinical syndrome in
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| the "bad child." Under this model, the
| |
| | adolescence, and 15-50% will continue to
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| treatment has been to "beat the Devil out
| |
| | manifest the full clinical syndrome in
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| of the child." Fortunately, most of us
| |
| | adulthood. If untreated, individuals with
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| are more enlightened today. A body of
| |
| | ADHD may develop a variety of secondary
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| family interaction research conducted by
| |
| | problems as they move through life,
|
| Dr. Russell Barkley and others has
| |
| | including depression, anxiety, substance
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| unequivocally demonstrated that simply
| |
| | abuse, academic failure, vocational
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| providing more discipline without any
| |
| | problems, marital discord, and emotional
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| other interventions worsens rather than
| |
| | distress. If properly treated, most
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| improves the behavior of children with
| |
| | individuals with ADHD live productive
|
| ADHD. One can't make a paraplegic walk by
| |
| | lives and cope reasonably well with their
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| applying discipline. Similarly, one can't
| |
| | symptoms.
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| make a child with a biologically-based
| |
| | Myth #12: Methylphenidate prescriptions
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| lack of self-control act better by simply
| |
| | in the U.S. have increased 600%.
|
| applying discipline alone.
| |
| | FACT: The production quotas for
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| Myth #6: Ritalin is unsafe, causing
| |
| | methylphenidate increased 6-fold; however
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| serious weight loss, mood swings,
| |
| | that DEA production quota is a gross
|
| Tourette's syndrome, and sudden,
| |
| | estimate based on a number of factors,
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| unexplained deaths.
| |
| | including FDA estimates of need, drug
|
| FACT: Research has repeatedly shown
| |
| | inventories at hand, EXPORTS, and
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| that children, adolescents, and adults
| |
| | industry sales expectations. One cannot
|
| with ADHD benefit from treatment with
| |
| | conclude that a 6-fold increase in
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| Ritalin (also known as methylphenidate),
| |
| | production quotas translates to a 6-fold
|
| which has been safely used for
| |
| | increase in the use of methylphenidate
|
| approximately 50 years. There are NO
| |
| | among U.S. children any more than one
|
| published cases of deaths from overdoses
| |
| | should conclude that Americans eat 6
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| of Ritalin; if you take too much Ritalin,
| |
| | times more bread because U.S. wheat
|
| you will feel terrible and act strange
| |
| | production increased 6-fold even though
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| for a few hours, but you will not die.
| |
| | much of the grain is stored for future
|
| This cannot be said about many other
| |
| | use and export to countries that have no
|
| medications. The unexplained deaths cited
| |
| | wheat production. Further, of the
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| in some articles are from a combination
| |
| | approximately 3.5 million children who
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| of Ritalin and other drugs, not from
| |
| | meet the criteria for ADHD, only about
|
| Ritalin alone. Further investigation of
| |
| | 50% of them are diagnosed and have
|
| those cases has revealed that most of the
| |
| | stimulant medication included in their
|
| children had unusual medical problems
| |
| | treatment plan. The estimated number of
|
| which contributed to their deaths. It is
| |
| | children taking methylphenidate for ADD
|
| true that many children experience
| |
| | suggested in some media stories fails to
|
| appetite loss, and some moodiness or
| |
| | note that methylphenidate is also
|
| "rebound effect" when Ritalin wears off.
| |
| | prescribed for adults who have ADHD,
|
| A very small number of children may show
| |
| | people with narcolepsy, and geriatric
|
| some temporary tics, but these do not
| |
| | patients who receive considerable benefit
|
| become permanent. Ritalin does not
| |
| | from it for certain conditions associated
|
| permanently alter growth, and usually
| |
| | with old age such as memory functioning.
|
| does not result in weight loss. Ritalin
| |
| | (see Pediatrics, December 1996, Vol. 98,
|
| does not cause Tourette's syndrome,
| |
| | No. 6)
|
| rather many youngsters with Tourette's
| |
| |
|
