Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire TALK ABOUT EXCESSIVE GOVERNMENT!

My daughter had some problems in junior high. I was called to school where the counselor recommended my daughter be screened for ADD-ADHD. I talked with my father who had a PhD in psychology, child psychology to be exact, and he said the counselor was crazy. He was of the opinion that ADD is way over diagnosed and is used as a catch all for any problem behavior exhibited by a child.

He was also of the opinion that medicating otherwise healthy children was a bad idea, and that it was no wonder that drug use was more widely accepted by a generation that grew up learning that drugs were the easy solution to solve problems.

His thoughts on ADD were that only a small percentage of the children diagnosed with it actually had it, and in treating it, drugs should be the last option when all else has failed, not the first as is so often the case.

The school also recommended my daughter go to an alternative school. My answer to them was that when she graduated, would she be able to find an alternative job, structured to her individual needs? I didn't think so and I told them in a nice way that I didn't believe that alternative schools were a viable solution.

My daughter had a couple of rough years where I went to school every week to meet with the teachers and discuss a strategy for educating my daughter. I got to know the teachers on an individual basis and found it to be a very pleasant experience.

My daughter graduated last week from high school and she plans on going to college. She has been teaching piano and guitar at the local music store since she was 15. She played in the jazz band, the orchestra, and a 5 person group. None of these opportunities would have existed had I followed the schools recommendations of drugs and alternative schooling.

BTW, I was a single father and raised my kids by myself for over 10 years.

good for you rick-g, i think that parents have become accustom to the quickest eaiset fix and that is a real problem in our society. when you give a child drugs at an early age are you not training them that pills are okay to take. children should be children not drug experiments......blake

Outstanding Sir, I applaud you for having the guts and INTEREST to see it through. I believe many of the "problem" kids simply need dicipline and self-dicipline to work it out. Drugs simply mask a problem, they do not cure it.

I did go through a similar experiance with my son in grade school. The same things worked on him I might ad and he does quite well as an adult.

Believe me T, there were many a night (especially when the kids were young teens) when I thought to myself "You fought for custody?". In the end, the kids have survived my parenting, so I guess mission accomplished. I would do it all again if I had the chance, not saying I want anymore kids though.

I just had a pleasant surprize phone call. Seems my sons sub just came into port to take on some mid-shipmen and he had a chance to call and chat for 20 minutes. It is really good to hear from him. I haven't seen him for over a year now, so I can't wait until he can come home for a week or two.

rick, I know precisly what you are talking about and there were two of us. I can only admire your grit doing it alone.

I am also glad you heard from your son, it's nice to know they are OK.

Fellas,
Interesting discussion. I am usually on onlooker here, but I need to chime in on this subject. I respect all opinions that have been shared. I happen to know quite a bit about this subject. Im 28 years old and I was diagnosed with ADD about a year ago. I'm a skeptic by nature and I wanted to find out more about ADD before I tried any sort of medication for it. I read books from several angles; those who thought it was a load of crap, and the other side, those who thought it was something that was real and needed to be dealt with. My own conclusion lies somewhere in between.
I believe ADD or ADHD is real. It is actually a proven fact. There have been studies done on the brains of "ADD" kids compared to "normal" kids. The ADD kids' brains are clearly different; thoughts and organization are jumbled, putting those kids at a disadvantage in many areas, one of which is "school" as we know it.
So ADD does exist. But that doesnt mean it is bad. People are just created different; we are hunters or farmers. Those who are ADD are just put together differently, and are typically those who break molds and turn out to be revolutionaries and leaders. Hundreds of years ago, it wasn't a problem. We could run and jump and hunt as we wished without having to sit though school for 8 hours a day. Those with the ADD or "hunter" mentality are at a disadvantage today, however. It is tough for them to sit still in school or type a book report.
As some have suggested, I too believe that ADD is over diagnosed and over perscribed. Just because a child is rowdy or has a hard time in school doesn't mean they have ADD. But there are some that do, and for those kids, and their parents, medication is a God send and a blessing.
After reading the facts and coming up with my own conclusions, I decided I'd try the medicine. My oh my what a difference. My mind clears up, and I can think, organize, read a book, clean my bedroom, etc, etc, etc. I don't take it all the time, but when I need to get something done or focus on the job at hand, the meds are invaluable. My wife loves it when i take my adderall. My mind is clear and I can think.
That doesn't mean there is anything wrong with me or anyone else with ADD. But it DOES exist, and for those who live that way, medicine helps a lot. You would have had a hard time convincing me of that before I educated myself.
If you can get your kids through school without medicine, that is wonderful. If you need it and it helps you, that is wonderful. Diet and other factors can also be tried before one resorts to medication. But like was stated here earlier, I sure wish my parents would have figured it out when I was in school. My life would have been much more productive and i would have had a lot less trials and run ins with my dad. Each parent is given the right to raise their own child, but if you think your child might have ADD, seek a competent professional and ask them. There are many out there who are actually out to help people. Just find one.

dryflyele , you said what needed to be said . Thank you !

dryflyelk

Excellent post Sir, and my point exactly. It is over diagnosed and kids are over medicated today. Medication is a wonderful thing if needed. But the trash of the government running our personal lives was my biggest point in starting this thread. That and the fact that all other alternatives should be addressed before going the drug route. The child, like you stated, needs to be seen by a true professional, not one that just prescribes on a teachers or administrators diagnosis and recomdation. Then it still must be the parents that make the final decision, not the state.