Tuesday, August 01, 2006
iN THE MAiL: ADHD & Ritalin
Dr. Zhang,
I would love to find an alternative for my child's medicine. He drinks Ritalin for his ADHD, but I am afraid of the long term side effects. I stopped the medicine since the end of May and since then I see that my child has not had any bad effects. Please help!!!!!!!!! I love my child and want the best, but I feel that Ritalin is not the best.
Lizzy
Dear Lizzy,
ADHD - Attention-Deficit and/or Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurobehavioral disorder characterized by pervasive inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 4.4 million youth ages 4-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD by a healthcare professional, and as of 2003 2.5 million youth ages 4-17 are currently receiving medication treatment for the disorder. It also states in 2003 that 7.8% of school-aged children were reported to have an ADHD diagnosis by their parent. More than half of diagnosed kids are currently on medications.
I am a mother myself. I'd like to tell you a story about me and my son. When my son was a little kid, he never seemed to be able to remain quiet for a minute. His hand was always going to grab something. He could never sit somewhere without moving around. When he was in kindergarten, he was the teachers’ least favorite child due to his hyperactive behavior. He also like to play with the school toys alone. He simply couldn't sit quietly and listen to his teachers.
The only teacher that loved him was an older woman who told me that her son had had similar hyperactive behavior when he was a child. Her hyperactive son later got in a top science school in China. Both of us believed that our son's hyperactive tendencies were caused by high intelligence. Because I believed in his being an intelligent child, I carefully guided him as he was growing up to become more and more interested in the sciences.
I remember the first semester when my son was in elementary school. His teacher called me up and said:
"Your son has serious problems".
"What problems?" I asked.
"Attention Deficit Disorder" The teacher proceeded to describe all the symptoms that my son had.
I listened to her and then said:
"That is not true. I know my son. You will find out that I am right later."
My son proved me right, of course, from then on at the end of every school year he would always be the top student in his class. Now he is about to graduate from one of the top science colleges in the US.
When I read the CDC 2003's diagnosis guide for ADHD, there was no doubt in my mind that my son would have been diagnosed with ADHD 20 years ago. But in my heart I didn't believe it.
I still believe all kids should have the right to behave differently. Kids have different parents, different genes, different brains, different intelligences, different energy levels and different health conditions, as well as different interests. I believed my son was a 100% healthy kid because he loved books and was very creative. When he read books, he could concentrate for hours and when he played with his toys to create things, he could get so absorbed in the activity that he would forget the rest of the world. And then, when he was with people he liked, he could talk for hours.
I believe in medications when they are necessary. But medicating children for ADHD symptoms, especially on a long term basis, is something I don’t believe in. I am convinced that an alternative type of treatment is a much better approach. Especially since medication therapies can have an undesirable effect on a young and still growing brain.
If your son's condition is serious and you really feel he needs help, you may try HERBALmax's Anxiety formula. The Anxiety formula has no side effects and is designed to have a calming and relaxing effect, it may help your son concentrate more easily and calm down.
Yours and Dedicated to Your Health,
Dr. Zhang
