| The diagnosis and treatment of ADHD is such | | | | on and on. In fact, for the usual ADHD |
| that many people have to find the methods and | | | | sufferer is afflicted with many symptoms or |
| medications that worked for them on their | | | | maladies at any given time. They interrupt; |
| own. Often the biggest experts in attention | | | | blurt; intrude; have problems with social |
| deficit disorders are the sufferers | | | | interaction and organization/timekeeping; are |
| themselves - but why should this be? | | | | impatient, cant sit still or relax, are |
| | | | irritable, impulsive, hyperactive, and |
| Unfortunately this disorder is difficult to | | | | defiant of authority. |
| diagnose and many leading medical authorities | | | | |
| still cannot agree on a reliable method of | | | | So the main difference between genuine |
| testing for ADHD - never mind agreeing on | | | | sufferers of ADHD and other children who |
| suitable treatments! | | | | simply suffer from "growing up" seem to be |
| | | | the number and severity of the symptoms - not |
| There are two sides to the attention deficit | | | | the actual symptoms themselves. Unfortunately |
| disorder story. On the one hand many children | | | | many parents now assume ADHD (or occasionally |
| ( and some adults) have been labelled as | | | | autism) at the first sign of trouble and |
| outcasts, freaks, truants, annoying, | | | | pressure their doctors into prescribing |
| hyperactive, class jokers, and in general, | | | | medication. While at the same time many |
| badly behaved and unruly. When in fact they | | | | children with ADHD are simply labelled as |
| are suffering from attention deficit | | | | "bad" or "naughty" so are denied treatment. |
| disorders. On the other hand we have many | | | | |
| children in the USA today on prescription | | | | Once ADHD is identified, there are many |
| Ritalin ( a common adhd treatment drug) when | | | | treatments, however, the two most used |
| in fact there is little likelihood of any | | | | treatments by far are:- |
| attention disorder affecting them. Some | | | | |
| junior schools are reporting almost 60% of | | | | Amphetamines: Ironically, even though a child |
| some classes are on prescription medication | | | | with ADHD is normally hyperactive and speedy |
| for ADHD - we know from statistics that it is | | | | already, giving him or her |
| unlikely ( to say the least) that these | | | | amphetamines(speed) as an ADHD treatment has |
| children are all suffering from a genuine | | | | the opposite effect. Scientists are not sure |
| clinical attention disorder. | | | | exactly how it works, but it helps ADHD |
| | | | sufferers to focus, organize, pay attention, |
| One of the reasons for this diagnosis | | | | and generally perform well socially and |
| misdiagnosis problem is the fact that most | | | | academically. |
| (if not all) of the classic symptoms of ADHD | | | | |
| are present in all children at some point in | | | | Ritalin: Ritalin is the grand daddy of ADHD |
| their development, for instance bad behaviour | | | | treatment drugs, again working again in ways |
| and lack of interest in school and activities | | | | the scientists cannot exactly understand but |
| is a major symptom of ADHD - how many | | | | apparently in a very similar way to |
| children do you know that have never suffered | | | | amphetamine usage. Ritalin is also still |
| from these symptoms? | | | | debated over constantly, especially with |
| | | | regards to children. Do we simply drug |
| The lists of typical problems and symptoms go | | | | children who misbehave? |