My own children and some of my grandchildren have been diagnosed with ADHD. I have seen how they function with and without medication. All are intelligent people, but without medication they’re not only disorganized messes, but a couple of the youngest ones have significant problems with behavioral control. It’s not just a focus thing an…
My own children and some of my grandchildren have been diagnosed with ADHD. I have seen how they function with and without medication. All are intelligent people, but without medication they’re not only disorganized messes, but a couple of the youngest ones have significant problems with behavioral control. It’s not just a focus thing and medication doesn’t cure it. Medication is more like a pair of glasses that allow them to function more consistently on par with their intelligence. They still have to learn other ways to cope with the ADHD. The newer medications are extremely subtle in how they work, better than Ritalin. However, like many psychotropic drugs, some work for an individual better than others and it may take awhile to find the best one. I have seen mental health of my family members IMPROVE with medication when they finally had a fighting chance to be their best selves. ADHD is genetic, which may explain why your friends have more than one child with that brain architecture.
Thank you so much for this comment, Caryl. I have ADHD - as does my mother, who wasn't diagnosed until her sixties - and you said everything I wanted to say.
The real question to be asking here is why so many children are having these foundational mental problems nowadays. This was unheard of only a few decades ago, and is not normal.
Check out Harald Blomberg Rhythmic Movements that Heal, or Sally Goddard, or Sonia Story, ADHD as motor neuron immaturity. Based on what I've read and experienced, I don't think it is genetic, I think it is caused by prenatal/early life stress, and lack of movement. That is what is causing the increase in ADHD (and other learning disabilities). Robert Whitaker's Anatomy of an Epidemic suggests that the psych meds themselves are responsible for the increase in severe mental illness.
Today the demands on students are much more. There used to be ample recess for students and fewer academics at early ages. Increasing scholastic demands on today’s students necessitates more seat-work in the classroom. Many children no longer walk to school. Physical activity helps a lot of people with ADHD and now students have less of it. I think there was just as much ADHD in the past, but society and education has changed in ways that are less helpful to those with ADHD. Additionally, many people with ADHD have comorbid conditions such as anxiety. My understanding is that it has to do with brain architecture. The reason why some of the behaviors and symptoms are singled out and labeled as “ADHD” is 1) insurance needs a diagnosis and 2) remedies which help people with certain behaviors can be grouped together to help others with similar symptoms and behaviors.
It was unheard of because no one talked about it as such. Everyone older than 40 likely remembers the kids in grade school who lashed out, didn't pay attention, caused most of the trouble, etc.
Its like 1 in 5 adults are on mental meds. Long term maintenance; not crisis intervention.
And the kids? We can’t put garbage in and not expect garbage out. If GMO foods and sugar in everything is safe; why is 70% of the US obese or overweight? And yes it’s genetic for some- but there’s a reason they feed corn to cattle and pigs and chickens- it’s quickly and cheaply fattens them up. They feed this stuff to newborns in formula. Americans would be shocked if they read the labels on food and knew what they all meant. Or know that everything is covered in chemicals in the corporate fields. You can’t wash off a season of pesticides and herbicides in the sink.
The digestive system is known as our “2nd brain”…..perhaps the collective WE need to address the gut and not the brain for the learning issues and demand the FDA and CDC actually do their job or get rid of their useless jobs.
You have a good point here. I'm really health conscious in terms of what I eat but not a fanatic (I'll eat a big piece of pie *IF* it's homemade and I recognize the names of all the ingredients and none of them are dye or preservatives). EVERY food commercial on TV is for some godawful "meal" and each company seems to try to outdo the others into how much sugar, fat and salt they can stuff into whatever they're serving. Deep-fried pizza with stuffed crust and quadruple cheese! And this food is cheap because the government subsidizes corn but not, say, broccoli.
And in France for example (bc that I have first hand knowledge AND their lifestyle is often used to promote universal/socialized medicine) they subsidize locally produced food and are highly protective of family farms and “clean” foods.
My own children and some of my grandchildren have been diagnosed with ADHD. I have seen how they function with and without medication. All are intelligent people, but without medication they’re not only disorganized messes, but a couple of the youngest ones have significant problems with behavioral control. It’s not just a focus thing and medication doesn’t cure it. Medication is more like a pair of glasses that allow them to function more consistently on par with their intelligence. They still have to learn other ways to cope with the ADHD. The newer medications are extremely subtle in how they work, better than Ritalin. However, like many psychotropic drugs, some work for an individual better than others and it may take awhile to find the best one. I have seen mental health of my family members IMPROVE with medication when they finally had a fighting chance to be their best selves. ADHD is genetic, which may explain why your friends have more than one child with that brain architecture.
Thank you so much for this comment, Caryl. I have ADHD - as does my mother, who wasn't diagnosed until her sixties - and you said everything I wanted to say.
The real question to be asking here is why so many children are having these foundational mental problems nowadays. This was unheard of only a few decades ago, and is not normal.
Check out Harald Blomberg Rhythmic Movements that Heal, or Sally Goddard, or Sonia Story, ADHD as motor neuron immaturity. Based on what I've read and experienced, I don't think it is genetic, I think it is caused by prenatal/early life stress, and lack of movement. That is what is causing the increase in ADHD (and other learning disabilities). Robert Whitaker's Anatomy of an Epidemic suggests that the psych meds themselves are responsible for the increase in severe mental illness.
Today the demands on students are much more. There used to be ample recess for students and fewer academics at early ages. Increasing scholastic demands on today’s students necessitates more seat-work in the classroom. Many children no longer walk to school. Physical activity helps a lot of people with ADHD and now students have less of it. I think there was just as much ADHD in the past, but society and education has changed in ways that are less helpful to those with ADHD. Additionally, many people with ADHD have comorbid conditions such as anxiety. My understanding is that it has to do with brain architecture. The reason why some of the behaviors and symptoms are singled out and labeled as “ADHD” is 1) insurance needs a diagnosis and 2) remedies which help people with certain behaviors can be grouped together to help others with similar symptoms and behaviors.
It was unheard of because no one talked about it as such. Everyone older than 40 likely remembers the kids in grade school who lashed out, didn't pay attention, caused most of the trouble, etc.
Its like 1 in 5 adults are on mental meds. Long term maintenance; not crisis intervention.
And the kids? We can’t put garbage in and not expect garbage out. If GMO foods and sugar in everything is safe; why is 70% of the US obese or overweight? And yes it’s genetic for some- but there’s a reason they feed corn to cattle and pigs and chickens- it’s quickly and cheaply fattens them up. They feed this stuff to newborns in formula. Americans would be shocked if they read the labels on food and knew what they all meant. Or know that everything is covered in chemicals in the corporate fields. You can’t wash off a season of pesticides and herbicides in the sink.
The digestive system is known as our “2nd brain”…..perhaps the collective WE need to address the gut and not the brain for the learning issues and demand the FDA and CDC actually do their job or get rid of their useless jobs.
You have a good point here. I'm really health conscious in terms of what I eat but not a fanatic (I'll eat a big piece of pie *IF* it's homemade and I recognize the names of all the ingredients and none of them are dye or preservatives). EVERY food commercial on TV is for some godawful "meal" and each company seems to try to outdo the others into how much sugar, fat and salt they can stuff into whatever they're serving. Deep-fried pizza with stuffed crust and quadruple cheese! And this food is cheap because the government subsidizes corn but not, say, broccoli.
And in France for example (bc that I have first hand knowledge AND their lifestyle is often used to promote universal/socialized medicine) they subsidize locally produced food and are highly protective of family farms and “clean” foods.
Follow the money.