Ritalin A Parenting Tool

There has been many studies come out as of late that antidepressants are being over prescribed to a group of people who really do not need them. This is a problem but in my opinion a lot less concerning then the amount of children who are prescribed an anti ADHD/ADD medication.

I did a quick Google search just to get some basic information about this problem and the first site to jump up was adhd.com. This site lists all the symptoms of this disorder and I will list a few here:

The first category is inattention:
* Ignores details; makes careless mistakes
* Has trouble sustaining attention in work or play
* Does not seem to listen when directly addressed
* Does not follow through on instructions; fails to finish
* Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
* Avoids activities that require a sustained mental effort
* Loses things he or she needs
* Is forgetful in daily activities
* Is easily distracted

The second category is hyperactivity
* Fidgets or squirms
* Has to get up from seat
* Runs or climbs when he or she shouldn't
* Has difficulty with quiet leisure activities
* Is on the go, as if driven by a motor
* Talks excessively

The last category is impulsivity
* Blurts out answers before questions have been completed
* Has difficulty waiting his or her turn
* Interrupts or intrudes on others

Now this site does say the above criteria is present in most children so it is important to go see a doctor to get a proper screening done. If you are a parent who is having difficulty with your child how easy is it to see that your child fits the above criteria and then make sure that the doctor prescribes one of the many meds that "help" with the behavior. Doesn't take much and before you know it another child is on medication. Every year the ages of children diagnosed with ADHD is getting younger and younger. At one point the majority of children on these types of meds were somewhere between 12 to 17 or so but now children as young as 5 or 6 who are put on this chemical assistance. A question aimed at the readers of this particular post: Does any of you have children who do not meet the above criteria? I know my son does meet about eighty percent of the criteria so does that mean he has ADHD? Nope it means he is four. Now don't get me wrong there are legitimate cases of ADHD out there but I severely doubt it is any where the number of children who are on this type of medication.

Lets take a look at the classification of the top two meds for this type of behavior Ritalin and Adderall. Both of these meds are classified as Schedule 2 Controlled Substances which mean they meet the following criteria:
(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.
(B) The drug or other substance has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions.
(C) Abuse of the drug or other substances may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.

We hand over these drugs to children way too easily without doing the proper homework. By the way ADHD.com/ADHD.ca is run by Lilly the makers of Ritalin.



Part of the documentary from America's Chemical Angels