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ADD without drugs?

Question:

If the diagnosis is not definite, do what you have to to get a definite diagnosis.  There are several conditions which mimic ADD but have different treatments–treating someone with, say, sleep apnea, for ADD is a losing proposition for example.  If the diagnosis is definitely ADD (at least as definite as such things can be), then do _not_ be afraid of the medications. Untreated ADD is hell to live inside.  Been there, done that, wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.  With meds, not only can I do things that I couldn’t do without them, but a lot of things I had to force myself to do without them become pleasant with them. Medication has to be used in conjunction with other treatments, including coaching, teaching of organizational techniques, possibly some counseling. Once one has good coping strategies in place, one can often do without the medications until one’s situation changes enough to require new strategies, at which time one might need to start meds again until new strategies are in place.  It’s rare that the other treatments alone are sufficient. The only method other than the prescription medications that has any kind of track record is a specific set of biofeedback exercises, which have to be performed under medical supervision and are quite costly.  And that approach is far from proven–the number of patients treated is small and it’s so new that the long-term efficacy has not been measured. — –John Reply to jclarke at eye bee em dot net. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The school psychologist thinks my 8-year-old may have ADD. (The school suggested she undergo psychological evaluation because although she’s a bright kid, she seems to have trouble concentrating on one thing for a length of time.) I browsed a few messages here, and it seems that medication is commonly used to help treat the condition. Is medication the *only* way to treat ADD? I’m hesitant to start her on drugs, especially since the diagnosis wasn’t definite, and she’s making good progress with a private teacher for math & reading comprehension. Thanks! Benzi

Response:

The school psychologist thinks my 8-year-old may have ADD. (The school suggested she undergo psychological evaluation because although she’s a bright kid, she seems to have trouble concentrating on one thing for a length of time.) I browsed a few messages here, and it seems that medication is commonly used to help treat the condition. Is medication the *only* way to treat ADD? I’m hesitant to start her on drugs, especially since the diagnosis wasn’t definite, and she’s making good progress with a private teacher for math & reading comprehension. Thanks! Benzi

Response:

My son has been diagnosed with add and though we haven’t begun any of the different things that the school has given me as options I have a posotive outlook that he can be helped without medication. If you daughter is improving without medication then what she is doing is definateley working. My school psychologist has assured me that they have seen drastic results in grades and behavior with modified cirriculum for children. It doesn’t mean they don’t have to do the work but they do get a smaller amount to get them through it before loosing there attention. this way the child is doing the same cirriculum as the class and not falling behind, and the teacher can see that he grasps the concept before loosing the attention. I see this as a way of teaching them to concentrate without useing drugs. I am not saying I don’t believe in the drugs used by alot of the people with add but I think it depends on the extent that they have it and if all other options have failed.

Response:

You should be hesitant to start her on drugs if you don’t have a definite diagnosis. Each and every one of us on this newsgroup who has chosen to give a child (or self) medication has done so after thorough evaluations and test series, recommendations from physicians specializing in ADD and related disorders, and much soul-searching. I’m really sick of people coming on line with this "higher moral standard" that they don’t want to "drug their kids into zombies" and shaking their heads at how us awful parents can just shove pills down our kids throats in order to please the teachers and so we don’t have to worry about discipline ’cause the kid is now zombied out. We spent over $500 for our son’s initial evaluation, and we spend about $300 per year (not including meds) for his ongoing monitoring and care specifically related to ADD.  We read every book that was available 8 years ago (and believe me, there weren’t very many), agonized for weeks after receiving the doctor’s recommendation for medication.  But when your kid is suffering because he had no friends and because he gets poor grades, not because he can’t do the work or didn’t do the work but because he can’t quite get it to the classroom to turn it in. And we don’t just "drug our kids up", either. Both my kids have been in kid counseling, group therapy for social skills, and my son is now going weekly to see a counselor who is acting as an "ADD Coach" for him with his organization, social skills, and self-confidence. My daughter is taking modeling classes to help her with poise and interpersonal skills, and hopefully to give her enough incentive to stop pulling her eyelashes out, which she started in first grade because she was so stressed about not being able to pay attention and get her work done, while she could see that all the other kids had seemingly no difficulties. She missed recess almost her entire 2nd grade because she just couldn’t get the assigned work done without getting lost out the window.  And this is a kid who routinely scores in the 95% percentile on intelligence tests. If your kid had asthma, would you ask the Asthma support group if there were things you could do to help without "drugging your kid up"? If your kid was nearsighted, would you ask the optometrist if there was some wholistic method for improving eyesight, since you hate to burden her with those annoying, unsightly, and sometimes embarrassing glasses? If your kid had horrible hay fever, would you limit their treatment to saline nosespray because it’s the only "natural" thing on the shelf? When your kid has a fever, do you go to the herb store and buy white willow bark to make her a soothing herbal tea?  Or do you buy that nasty, chemically-derived children’s Tylenol? The answer to your question is: Yes, there are lots of things you can do to help your ADD kids that are not related to medication.  Go buy a couple of books.  Go back and read the ASAD messages that are archived from the past months. Most of us use these organization plans in conjunction with the evil stimulant medication that the pharmaceutical companies have bamboozled us into poisoning our children with. Kay Dallas – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The school psychologist thinks my 8-year-old may have ADD. (The school suggested she undergo psychological evaluation because although she’s a bright kid, she seems to have trouble concentrating on one thing for a length of time.) I browsed a few messages here, and it seems that medication is commonly used to help treat the condition. Is medication the *only* way to treat ADD? I’m hesitant to start her on drugs, especially since the diagnosis wasn’t definite, and she’s making good progress with a private teacher for math & reading comprehension. Thanks! Benzi

Response:

Is medication the *only* way to treat ADD? I’m hesitant to start her on drugs, especially since the diagnosis wasn’t definite, and she’s making good progress with a private teacher for math & reading comprehension.

A problem is not a problem unless it becomes a problem. Our ADHD son 14 needed to go onto meds. Our add daughter 15 learned to adapt to her handicap without meds. Both are high achievers in terms of peer comparison. There is nobody better qualified to care for your kids than you. You should make the decision by your own conviction. IMO  there are too many remote controlling *experts* manipulating parents.

Response:

Excellent response Kay. Fargo – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -You should be hesitant to start her on drugs if you don’t have a definite diagnosis. Each and every one of us on this newsgroup who has chosen to give a child (or self) medication has done so after thorough evaluations and test series, recommendations from physicians specializing in ADD and related disorders, and much soul-searching. I’m really sick of people coming on line with this "higher moral standard" that they don’t want to "drug their kids into zombies" and shaking their heads at how us awful parents can just shove pills down our kids throats in order to please the teachers and so we don’t have to worry about discipline ’cause the kid is now zombied out. We spent over $500 for our son’s initial evaluation, and we spend about $300 per year (not including meds) for his ongoing monitoring and care specifically related to ADD.  We read every book that was available 8 years ago (and believe me, there weren’t very many), agonized for weeks after receiving the doctor’s recommendation for medication.  But when your kid is suffering because he had no friends and because he gets poor grades, not because he can’t do the work or didn’t do the work but because he can’t quite get it to the classroom to turn it in. And we don’t just "drug our kids up", either. Both my kids have been in kid counseling, group therapy for social skills, and my son is now going weekly to see a counselor who is acting as an "ADD Coach" for him with his organization, social skills, and self-confidence. My daughter is taking modeling classes to help her with poise and interpersonal skills, and hopefully to give her enough incentive to stop pulling her eyelashes out, which she started in first grade because she was so stressed about not being able to pay attention and get her work done, while she could see that all the other kids had seemingly no difficulties. She missed recess almost her entire 2nd grade because she just couldn’t get the assigned work done without getting lost out the window.  And this is a kid who routinely scores in the 95% percentile on intelligence tests. If your kid had asthma, would you ask the Asthma support group if there were things you could do to help without "drugging your kid up"? If your kid was nearsighted, would you ask the optometrist if there was some wholistic method for improving eyesight, since you hate to burden her with those annoying, unsightly, and sometimes embarrassing glasses? If your kid had horrible hay fever, would you limit their treatment to saline nosespray because it’s the only "natural" thing on the shelf? When your kid has a fever, do you go to the herb store and buy white willow bark to make her a soothing herbal tea?  Or do you buy that nasty, chemically-derived children’s Tylenol? The answer to your question is: Yes, there are lots of things you can do to help your ADD kids that are not related to medication.  Go buy a couple of books.  Go back and read the ASAD messages that are archived from the past months. Most of us use these organization plans in conjunction with the evil stimulant medication that the pharmaceutical companies have bamboozled us into poisoning our children with. Kay Dallas

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -The school psychologist thinks my 8-year-old may have ADD. (The school suggested she undergo psychological evaluation because although she’s a bright kid, she seems to have trouble concentrating on one thing for a length of time.) I browsed a few messages here, and it seems that medication is commonly used to help treat the condition. Is medication the *only* way to treat ADD? I’m hesitant to start her on drugs, especially since the diagnosis wasn’t definite, and she’s making good progress with a private teacher for math & reading comprehension. Thanks! Benzi

Response:

<SNIP Who wants to live that way it’s no fun being normal.  Why should anyone take pride in being able to do boring things..  I would give up having an easy time to have this creativity that comes with ADD.

I am amazed whenever I read about ADD as a "gift."  If ADD is so great why do we need this "support" newsgroup?  Why do you think you need ADD to be creative? There are creative people without ADD. I’d give up creativity to have an "easy time" any day.  Hell, I’d give it up just to be able to clean up my house. JoeT — Delete spam block to reply by email.

Response:

I am amazed whenever I read about ADD as a "gift."  If ADD is so great why do we need this "support" newsgroup?

for those who DON’T view it as a gift i would assume  Why do you think you need ADD to be creative? There are creative people without ADD.

true I’d give up creativity to have an "easy time" any day.  Hell, I’d give it up just to be able to clean up my house.

hahahha..me too.. yet there are people with photographic memories and WE view them as having a gift..yet THEY think it is a curse because they are UNABLE to forget anything. once they see it as a gift they tend to find more positive aspects of it…as we will if WE view our ADD as a gift,not a hell sentence hahahaha JoeT — Delete spam block to reply by email.

remove "berry" to e-mail me the tongue is the most deadliest of all blunt instruments

Response:

"Our add daughter 15 learned to adapt to her handicap without meds." I resent this.  Thinking that a kid with ADD is handicapped just because of ADD is wrong and false!      In sports, a handicap is a bigger challenge that ‘handicapped’ player must overcome to win.  I think ADD can be called a ‘handicap’, and the problem is that we’ve made the word handicap out to be something it isn’t.

I don’t like that term what’s more I will never use that term outside of quotes because I find it disgusting, insulting and I would be screamed down as a hypocrit in five seconds if that word every left my mouth without being coerced into saying it.  Some people pass out when they see blood or scream when they see a needle.  Some people throw up when they get in a closed space or just go crazy.  I go nuts when I see certain words. I just can’t deal with them sorry. That kid has the world open to her and I’m offended that anyone would call her defective because of it!      Handicapped does *NOT* mean ‘defective’.

"Handicapped" is another word for defective that is why the word makes me angry.  "Disabled" has the same effect I’m sensative I don’t like the word "victim" either I lose it I can deal with hearing those words, seeing them or writing them.  They have an emotional and physical effect on me.  Call them my hot buttons okay.  You didn’t know about those hot buttons don’t worry. ADDers have problems but so do normal people they have to cope with being normal. I feel sorry for them because they aren’t like us. :)      How do you know they’re worthy of such sympathy?  How do you know that there aren’t a large number of ‘normal’ people who don’t have whatever advantages ADD gives, but can still find their car keys, work on a boring task, motivate themselves to do something they dislike, etc?

Who wants to live that way it’s no fun being normal.  Why should anyone take pride in being able to do boring things..  I would give up having an easy time to have this creativity that comes with ADD.   — –Katz home page: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/k/kmheitma/ "Stick me in an institution, Said it was the only solution, Give me the needed professional help, Protect me from the enemy… myself."   Theory: The rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost luggage.   – Suicidal Tendencies

Response:

"Our add daughter 15 learned to adapt to her handicap without meds." I resent this.  Thinking that a kid with ADD is handicapped just because of ADD is wrong and false!

     In sports, a handicap is a bigger challenge that ‘handicapped’ player must overcome to win.  I think ADD can be called a ‘handicap’, and the problem is that we’ve made the word handicap out to be something it isn’t. That kid has the world open to her and I’m offended that anyone would call her defective because of it!

     Handicapped does *NOT* mean ‘defective’.   ADDers have problems but so do normal people they have to cope with being normal. I feel sorry for them because they aren’t like us. :)

     How do you know they’re worthy of such sympathy?  How do you know that there aren’t a large number of ‘normal’ people who don’t have whatever advantages ADD gives, but can still find their car keys, work on a boring task, motivate themselves to do something they dislike, etc? — Everything I needed to know in life I learned in kindergarten.  Like: There is great power in both creation and destruction, but creation focuses power, and destruction disperses it.  This is the superiority of creation.

Response:

Our ADHD son 14 needed to go onto meds. Our add daughter 15 learned to adapt to her handicap without meds. Both are high achievers in terms of peer comparison. There is nobody better qualified to care for your kids than you. You should make the decision by your own conviction.

     You should *IF* you have all information.  A conviction that medication is bad because Peter Breggin said it was is worthless.  A conviction that medication isn’t something you WANT to use because you think there’s a better, permanant solution that might work, is better. IMO  there are too many remote controlling *experts* manipulating parents.

– Everything I needed to know in life I learned in kindergarten.  Like: There is great power in both creation and destruction, but creation focuses power, and destruction disperses it.  This is the superiority of creation.

Response:

Is medication the *only* way to treat ADD? I’m hesitant to start her on drugs, especially since the diagnosis wasn’t definite, and she’s making good progress with a private teacher for math & reading comprehension.

Look I’m just a college kid myself.  I’m not a doctor and I have no authority at all but I think that medication may be able to help your child.  Medication is not the only way but the other way is behavior modification which you are going to have to do anyway along with skills training.  Medication cannot function without remediation.  I think remediation should be used with medication because it will do better and be more effective. "Our add daughter 15 learned to adapt to her handicap without meds." I resent this.  Thinking that a kid with ADD is handicapped just because of ADD is wrong and false! That kid has the world open to her and I’m offended that anyone would call her defective because of it!  If you want to call someone defective call me defective I deserve it!  I have a head injury and I’m pretty much screwed but ADD is NOT a handicap anyone who says otherwise is itching for a fight!  ADDers have problems but so do normal people they have to cope with being normal. I feel sorry for them because they aren’t like us. :) Well you could try medication if you want to and if it doesn’t help you could take your kid off it.  I don’t think she needs it right now but if she has problems later then you could talk to someone who knows something about ADD.  If you don’t put your child on medication then don’t let anyone talk you into any minerals either.  They don’t work and they could cause an allergic reaction.  If you want my opinion watch and wait on the medication.  If the diagnosis was not definate and your kid is fine don’t do anything.  I would say go to your local CHADD chapter and find another doctor there then get that doctor to test your kid.  I think it is worth it to get a diagnosis from a person who knows what they are doing before letting anyone give your kid any medication at all.  I say this because your child is doing fine where she is and so there is no need to make hasty decision before you get someone to do the diagnosis right.your first concern should be getting another diagnosis from a specialist who has been trained to diagnose ADD not some half wit shrink who is depriving some village of an idiot some where! First get a diagnosis that is worth the paper it is written on.  Then talk to the person who wrote the diagnosis and ask them if your kid should be on medication at all.  Go home and think about it talk it over with your family and ask them to help you make the decision.  After that tell the doctor what you and your family has decided.  Don’t let anyone talk you into anything that you haven’t thought about and checked out. This will make you feel in control of what is going on it will make you kid happier and better adjusted because if some person who your kid has never seen before is making the decisions and calling the shots it will be harder for your kid to deal with than if you make the decisions.   — –Katz home page: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/k/kmheitma/ "Stick me in an institution, Said it was the only solution, Give me the needed professional help, Protect me from the enemy… myself."   Theory: The rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost luggage.   – Suicidal Tendencies

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