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