quote:

Originally posted by 400m:
Also, getting slapped in the head might straighten out unruly adolescence when it gets out of hand, but it will never make someone with ADHD focus.

Definitely not. A recently diagnosed 53 year old, ADD that is, the hyper part left me at about 9-10 years old

I was diagnosed by a Psychologist as ADD when I was a kid. Grades were down... acting out.. etc. My parents beat me every day... I deserved it every day. Back then Ritalin was really the "go to" for that type of thing. This stuff made be feel awful. The best way to describe it was it felt like I was piloting my body from the back seat. Super hollow feeling...

The drugs made me feel so terrible that I started cheeking the medication and actually focusing and trying. When my grades came out as As & Bs. I told them what I had done and begged them not to make me take them any more. They agreed and on the path I was set.

quote:

Originally posted by whanson_wi:
People who deny its existence simply never tried to raise a child cursed with it. Nothing works to "fix" it if the kid has it - no amount of discipline, work, attention, or medications.

I feel this in my soul. He's nine. I pray for the patience I'll need in the coming years.

quote:

Originally posted by myrottiety:
The best way to describe it was it felt like I was piloting my body from the back seat. Super hollow feeling...

I forget what it was they put me on in college when I sought help because I wanted to be able to focus, but it wasn't Ritalin and I had the same effect, plus headaches. I could focus like never before or since, but I didn't feel human and didn't take that stuff for long.

My oldest, ADHD.
Medicine for a while, helped but killed her appetite.
There were 2 mfgs for the pill she took, and one had behavioral side effects, so we had a not on her file to only fill with option 2.
Time for a refill & all I could find was option 1, called 25 pharmacies in an increasing radius from our house, and none could fill the scrip fully. And being a Sch II drug, you can't fill from 2 pharmacies & they can't transfer it [pharmacy tech's words].

We had enough that we weaned her off down to half dose, then off completely.

Food dyes were a big trigger for her, so we avoid those, especially Red.

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
Dr. Berg for the win.

Going by the beginning of that video, I've had ADD my entire life.

Somehow I survived it without drugs.

Perhaps having been raised in a time that you either learned to pay attention in school or paid the price, followed by a stint serving for Uncle Sam where the same applied, had something to do with that?

I've said it before: I thank God, the stars, fate, what-have-you I was born and raised when I was. I truly feel bad for the youth of the last few decades. They've been, and are being, screwed

I also believe that personal electronic devices (PED's), and social media have magnified these conditions. Kids communicate from their phones and computers and lack the social skills we developed before these were invented. And other conditions, like "anxiety issues" seem to be trendy, as is depression and self-mutilation.

I don't deny that people have these issues, but how many kids or adults mimic or learn these behavior traits from peers.

I spend a lot of time teaching my son how to read situations and other kids behaviors and challenge him to see why people act certain ways. I teach him how to deal with other kids and how to see the world from the bigger picture.

Society teaches victimhood, fear and anger but not logic, reason, self-control or perseverance.

Tony.

ADD didn't exist until 1980. ADHD didn't exist until 1987.

Prior to that it was called boredom.

quote:

Originally posted by pace40:
Had it when I was a kid some 60 years ago. Dad's backhand to the side of my head seemed to have fixed it.

Worked much for me, too. 6 years in the Military fixed whatever remained.

quote:

ADD didn't exist until 1980. ADHD didn't exist until 1987.

Prior to that it was MBD, minimal brain dysfunction. The treatment was Catholic school.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

quote:

ADD didn't exist until 1980. ADHD didn't exist until 1987.

Prior to that it was MBD, minimal brain dysfunction. The treatment was Catholic school.

quote:

Originally posted by bobtheelf:
It absolutely exists.

It absolutely is overdiagnosed.

This. And yes I know, not a theoretical question in my family.

Based on what I know and read about ADHD / ADD, I am certain my younger brother had it bad when he was growing up. My parents did not understand or even recognize his condition. And it affected him in a negative way his entire life.

Overdiagnosed? Absolutely!
When the teacher in the first through third class said that she thought our son had ADHD and recommended this lady that pushed pills for it, we said, “We’ll talk to our own pediatrician, thanks.” He laughed and said, “Six months after meeting you two I knew we’d be having this conversation eventually.” He didn’t think our son had ADHD either and gave us two names, one a doctor of education and the other a neurologist. He said the same thing the doctor of education said, “Not ADHD, just gets bored easily. Keep interesting work in front of him and you’ll have no issues.” Of course, Dr. Ball gave us a roughly four inch thick binder to share with the school on how they should teach him. I’m sure they loved that, but it stopped all the BS about him having ADHD.