ADHD in America

Understand ADHD Before You Medicate

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Q: Dear April Masini,

How can I keep an eye out for warning signs that my son might have ADHD? Sometimes he has trouble paying attention and I’m concerned this could develop into something serious. If he does have ADHD is medication the answer?  

Sincerely,

Doctor, doctor, gimme the news!

A: Dear Doctor, doctor gimme the news,

ADHD is attention deficit hypersensitivity disorder. It is a term that has recently replaced ADD, attention deficit disorder, without any clear announcement as to why. The disorder is not diagnosed by a blood test or an x-ray or any other quantitative measure — it is determined by a licensed psychologist after a battery of tests is administered and analyzed, and it is a subjective diagnoses.  

Sadly, children and young adults are being hastily diagnosed, misdiagnosed, medicated unnecessarily and even overmedicated — often by a teacher or a parent without any clinical analysis or comprehensive study of a child’s behavior. In fact, even with clinical studies, there is still question about diagnoses.

Why is this happening?

I'll tell you why:

The two reasons ADHD has become a trendy disorder:

1. America's education system is largely unprepared to handle the current student body. There are so many children from so many rapidly changing different kinds of homes, backgrounds and families  that teachers and administrators are at a loss in terms of their own training and resources. These children often reacting to emotional distress and physical distress that are results of their home life. In addition, hormonal changes that young adults go through from ages 10 through 18 create volatility. And that's just the students! Teachers have increasingly difficult work loads in order to meet state standards, and they have their own personal problems -- emotional and physical, like their students, that they, too, bring to the classroom. It's no wonder that teachers, school administrators and even parents urge parents to control their children by having them medicated.

2. Drugs are BIG business in America, and drugs prescribed for ADHD make loads of profits for drug companies. If you were a drug company president focused on profits, wouldn't you want American youth to be purchasing and taking your drugs?? You betcha! And the beauty of these ADHD diagnoses is that drugs are prescribed for the long term -- years -- not 10 days or two weeks like an anti-biotic. So the more ADHD, the more money for drug companies. 

Boys have typically been diagnosed with ADHD more often than girls because they are generally more active — a benchmark of ADHD diagnoses. Girls are now, sadly, being diagnosed with ADHD because they are not living up to standards imposed by parents and educators. At the first sign of trouble, an ADHD diagnoses can be the scapegoat for problems, and drugs are a quick fix as opposed to behavior therapy. 

Bottom line: Life is not easy, and hard work is part of everyone's life. There are bumps and rather than run from problems, learning to face them head on, will arm both you and your child with the tools necessary for solid self-esteem and success in intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships. So if you have problems with your child, take a deep breath, roll up your sleeves, and do the hard work before you run to the pharmacy for a quick fix that may do damage to your child and your family in the long run. 

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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