ADD/ADHD Caused by SIBLINGS???

Nout having been cursed with any significant Attention Disorder, I probably shouldn't say anything. However... That's never stopped me before.

My opinion on those "disorders" is that medicating them is a way to control kids who are being kids for parents who don't have either the time, or the inclination, or both, to do what it takes to be parents.

It seems very easy to quantify, codify, and classify a child because he or she may be acting out, may not relate well to his or her environment, and/or has trouble learning in the way that most other students have... Yup! Let's give 'em the old quantify, codify, classify treatment ... Rubber stamp her or him and then stick her or him on an almost debilitating dose of Ridilin. Then the child is scarred for life, marked in his or her mind as a special needs person, and learns that it's ok not to be responsible, not to try, and not to excel.

Having said that, you may now proceed to crucify me.

Originally posted by sigung86
Nout having been cursed with any significant Attention Disorder, I probably shouldn't say anything. However... That's never stopped me before.

My opinion on those "disorders" is that medicating them is a way to control kids who are being kids for parents who don't have either the time, or the inclination, or both, to do what it takes to be parents.

It seems very easy to quantify, codify, and classify a child because he or she may be acting out, may not relate well to his or her environment, and/or has trouble learning in the way that most other students have... Yup! Let's give 'em the old quantify, codify, classify treatment ... Rubber stamp her or him and then stick her or him on an almost debilitating dose of Ridilin. Then the child is scarred for life, marked in his or her mind as a special needs person, and learns that it's ok not to be responsible, not to try, and not to excel.

Having said that, you may now proceed to crucify me.

You are right - - you have not experienced a Real ADHD child.

They are not just acting out - - and NO they don't just need a good spanking.

I was at the time a stay at home mom - - and with my child 24 hours a day - - sometimes going to school with her.

Yes - drugs are abused as I've said. But ADHD is also a REAL diagnosis.

You are on the outside looking in - - - try being on the REAL inside and dealing with it every day.

i'm diagnosed ADHD
i have no siblings
i am an only child
have been since i was born

so, this little theory has a counterpoint in my very existence

There is not ONE shred of experimental evidence that ADHD is the result of some kind of brain dysfunction.

All we know about ADHD is based on research by Christopher Gillberg, from Sweden. His chief critic, Eva Kärfve, also from Sweden, demanded access to his research data, for analysis and peer review. He flatly denied. Eva Kärfve sued Gillberg, to get him to open his archives. The court ruled in Kärfve's favor but Gillberg kept on refusing until one day in 2004 he moved to destroy all the data he had on ADHD, supposedly to protect his patients. Eva Kärfve sued him again, and 2 years ago he was found guilty of gross negligence and had to pay about 4000 euros.

My daughter is now 40 - - - and that is how long I've been dealing with "Outsiders" - - who say "bratty children just need a good spanking".

ADHD - - - is REAL - - - it is a Brain dysfunction or damage.

I Lived it - - - You haven't.

"The trouble with ignorance is that it picks up confidence as it goes along"
“The greatest ignorance is to reject something you know nothing about”
“There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.”

I have lost patience regarding ignorance on this subject - - years ago.

Originally posted by sigung86

My opinion on those "disorders" is that medicating them is a way to control kids who are being kids for parents who don't have either the time, or the inclination, or both, to do what it takes to be parents.

It seems very easy to quantify, codify, and classify a child because he or she may be acting out, may not relate well to his or her environment, and/or has trouble learning in the way that most other students have... Yup! Let's give 'em the old quantify, codify, classify treatment ... Rubber stamp her or him and then stick her or him on an almost debilitating dose of Ridilin. Then the child is scarred for life, marked in his or her mind as a special needs person, and learns that it's ok not to be responsible, not to try, and not to excel.

Having said that, you may now proceed to crucify me.

A true case of ADD/HD will probably need at least some medication in order to help them. Unfortunately most school districts let the teachers "pre-screen" for ADD/HD and then they lecture to the parents about getting their child checked for this disorder. Many school districts also have "evaluation forms" that the teachers fill out and send with students to a doctor that the school recommends. There have been many cases where the doctor will use that teachers evaluation form as the sole indicator of ADD/HD and will put that child onto medication.

I think ADD/HD is a way over-diagnosed issue ... if kids are acting up at school it seems the teacher tries to get them diagnosed to make them more controllable. I worry about any medication given to children ... especially medication that affects the brain ... we don't understand the brain all that well to be messing with its development.

I know that if I was going to school now a days I would probably be diagnosed as ADD/HD. I have a hard time sitting still for long periods of time and following along with class work ... I would much rather do the work at my own pace. I also know of a few kids who don't quite fit the ADD/HD mold but are very active and tend to be restless at their desks and the schools have tried to get them to be medicated for ADD/HD.

That being said there are children, the true cases of ADD/HD, who need medication and other treatments to help them cope with life. It's not a case of bad parenting or wanting an easy way out ... sometimes it's a matter of having to control that impulsive side of ADD/HD.

Thank you SmallMindsBig Ideas.

Yes! My daughter went through 2 months of tests and psych evaluations. Like I said - I am one of the lucky ones. Her pediatrician would not allow medication at home - - only during school hours. He also took a day off from his practice to attend her school evalutation hearing.

My daughter had zero attention span on a one to one - - and required physical contact to focus. Because she had an early diagnosis and great care - - she is normal today - - having only some minor areas of difficulty.

On the other hand - - her son is one of those children who is very over active. But he is not ADHD. There is a huge difference between just being over active and having REAL ADHD.

The drugging of children is at epidemic proportions.

Originally posted by lednek skepticus
There is not ONE shred of experimental evidence that ADHD is the result of some kind of brain dysfunction. ...

You have voted lednek skepticus for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.

And Annee ... I never indicated that anyone should spank anyone.

I certainly understand your position. I said that "I" had never had that problem. I didn't ever say that I hadn't been involved. Please don't place your paradigms over mine and try to make them match. It won't ever happen if you don't communicate.

Thanks.

Hi Win, interesting that you said you feel that you don't fit in.

My youngest son was 5 when diagnosed, and he used to say to me that he'd been born into the wrong world, the one with the nasty people in instead of the nice ones. After he started taking his medication I asked him how he felt and if he felt any different. He responded with "No, no different, but people are much nicer to me now".

Both my sons had difficult births and I've often wondered if lack of oxygen contributed to their ADHD, don't know if any studies have been carried out into this though.

^^ I seriously think that the birth has a lot to do with the way people act later on.

If we could try to link ADD/HD with problems during birth, there might be a connection. Doctors would probably shrink at the thought of a flood of lawsuits though.

Well I have ADHD and I have a little brother but I fail to see the connection, honestly.

Originally posted by sigung86
And Annee ... I never indicated that anyone should spank anyone.

I certainly understand your position. I said that "I" had never had that problem. I didn't ever say that I hadn't been involved. Please don't place your paradigms over mine and try to make them match. It won't ever happen if you don't communicate.

Thanks.

I apologize - - its a very toucy subject with me. And you are right - - you made no reference to Spanking - - - and I was fully aware of that when I posted - - - it is because it is usually thrown in when discussing this subject.

Did you say crucify?

Seriously - - - I agree that it has become an epidemic

Originally posted by Annee

Originally posted by sigung86


I apologize - - its a very toucy subject with me. And you are right - - you made no reference to Spanking - - - and I was fully aware of that when I posted - - - it is because it is usually thrown in when discussing this subject.

Did you say crucify?

Seriously - - - I agree that it has become an epidemic

Nawww! I'd just as soon be friends. Communication is the great fixer-upper, in my mind. I have to apologize back... I'm afraid I was just the teensiest bit flippant about a serious situation.

Your story is radically different from many others. I have seen a number of parents who take their child to their physician, simply because they can't/don't want to be bothered being parents. And so, I do apologize.

And before anyone beside me and Annee gets smug or goofy! How's about a group hug???

Basically I am looking for a child who lives in a non abusive, non violent (both physically and verbally) two parent family where one of those parents does not work. This child should also be the ONLY child in the family. I am not denying that ADHD or ADD is a medically diagnosed condition. I AM DENYING that it occurs in any family with the above dynamic.

I fully agree that there is NO PHYSICAL way to diagnose.. Anyone who has had a child diagnosed would not have had it pointed out to them on a scan to say here is the "abnormal area" of the brain.

The person who posted about the mother who was expecting to have a female baby, and had a male instead.. This woman is a nut job to start with. It is no wonder her ability to be a positve and attentative parent is simply sooooooooooo not there...

You will find that the family is all bought in for evaluation before ADHD diagnosis.. Umm.. thats because the root of the problem lies there. Keep disagreeing with me people. As I said.. you all post very convincing reasons why you believe it exists.. But someone is yet to prove to me that they know of a case of A SINGLE CHILD> etc with the above criteria.. also where no other medical condition exists.. call me arrogant.. but its like this.. Prove I am wrong and then you have reason to.

By the way... Anyone know what i gotta do to get an avatar up on here?

Originally posted by foxywhiskers
Basically I am looking for a child who lives in a non abusive, non violent (both physically and verbally) two parent family where one of those parents does not work. This child should also be the ONLY child in the family. I am not denying that ADHD or ADD is a medically diagnosed condition. I AM DENYING that it occurs in any family with the above dynamic.

I fully agree that there is NO PHYSICAL way to diagnose.. Anyone who has had a child diagnosed would not have had it pointed out to them on a scan to say here is the "abnormal area" of the brain.

The person who posted about the mother who was expecting to have a female baby, and had a male instead.. This woman is a nut job to start with. It is no wonder her ability to be a positve and attentative parent is simply sooooooooooo not there...

You will find that the family is all bought in for evaluation before ADHD diagnosis.. Umm.. thats because the root of the problem lies there. Keep disagreeing with me people. As I said.. you all post very convincing reasons why you believe it exists.. But someone is yet to prove to me that they know of a case of A SINGLE CHILD> etc with the above criteria.. also where no other medical condition exists.. call me arrogant.. but its like this.. Prove I am wrong and then you have reason to.

You have an interesting HYPOTHESIS and certainly the family structure would serve to have an impact on a childs ability to deal with ADD/ADHD. I do think if you looked you would find many children that meet your criteria and are ADD/ADHD. But how many families in the population meet your criteria to begin with? How many families have only one child and a stay at home parent? I would say relatively few, as most families I know that are close to that dynamic have 2 children.

Personally I think a larger issue is the over diagnosis of ADD/ADHD for pretty normal kids who are high energy or bored in class or perhaps both. I think having the school being able to make the majority of the diagnosis (through a teacher assesment given to a doctor via parents) is part of the larger problem.

Like I said you have an interesting hypothesis. But a hypothesis is not held as true until it is disproven ... instead it must be proven through scientific data. I would think some of the studies out there would have incorporated family structure issues into their study and maybe there is some data there that could be extrapolated to clarify your theory.

reply to post by madnessinmysoul


BUT.. do you fit ALL the criteria I mentioned? Two parents, one a stay at home parent etc etc???/

Okay.. one year later...

Lots of people have attempted to justify that ADD/ADHD is real to me in various ways.. However.. Not one... Not one single post has said that they actually know of an ADHD or ADD child with no other medical or psychological issues who lives in a two parent family with one stay at home parent... Lolz.. the closest was the last post who suggested that in two parent families there is often only a stay at home parent when there are two or more children in a family. I am sorry. I'd disagree with that! In fact. I simply do.. Anyway.. if someone can link me to a social study that PROVES children with this so called medically diagnosed condition, have the above family dynamic then I will be most surprised. Until then. I will randomly check in here and see what other tidbits of input I recieve... C'mon.. someone disagree with me.. and back it up with proof! THEN.. and only then... will I agree to adopt a varied opinion on ADD ADHD diagnosis!

Cheers.. Thanks.. Have fun! hehe

Originally posted by Annee
My first child - a daughter - was ADHD - - way back in 1973 - - before it was the "catch all treat all" for normally overactive kids.

It IS REAL - - - I Know. It is a brain dis-order or dys-function. A part of the brain is underdeveloped or damaged. There are varying degrees and dysfunctions - - each case is individual. Some will completely outgrow it - - some will carry it into adult hood.

But - - it is being abused. There are normal over active children that are being drugged today. It is horrible.

CLOSE.. but still doesnt fit the criteria "MY FIRST CHILD" So annees daughter was of multiple sibling household.. Still.. waiting for one single person who fits that criteria...