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Seeds for Change Wellness
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A Few Simple Truths About ADHD and Stimulant Drugs
A Few Simple Truths About ADHD and Stimulant Drugs
Responses to Common Professional Statements Made to Parents About Their Children
by John Breeding, Ph.D. and Steve Edelman, M.A. Source
Doctors, mental health professionals, and educators often say things about "Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder" (ADHD) that are unproven. These same professionals often say things about
drugs that are supposed to treat "ADHD" that are not true. This article reveals and responds to six
common lies or misleading statements you might be told:
"ADHD is a brain-based biological disorder, caused by a chemical imbalance in your child's
brain."
The simple fact is that there is absolutely no reliable test that accurately distinguishes between children
that are supposed to have "ADHD" and those that are not. The simplest way to counter this statement is
to ask for a medical test to prove that your child has "ADHD." Many physicians will respond to your
request by saying that the test is too expensive. You must persevere and ask that your insurance
company pay for those tests. The truth is that there is no such test. If the doctor recommends one, ask
him for the research article that establishes the validity of that test.
You can also ask any professional to show you the article or articles in the scientific literature that proves
the existence of a confirmatory physical or chemical abnormality that validates the existence of ADHD as
a medical disease. The plain truth is that no such article exists. If someone gives you an article, please
share and discuss it with someone who can critically analyze it.
"The symptoms are clearly printed in a book called the DSM-IV which stands for the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, Fourth Edition."
Yes, the "symptoms" are printed there, but as described in point 1, these alleged "symptoms" in no way
prove that ADHD is a disease. Furthermore, these "symptoms" are actually nothing more than someone's
observations of your child's behavior, and the truth is they are not even reliable as behavioral
observations. To be reliable, people must agree that your child has "ADHD." An article in the prestigious
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, printed in September 2000, says
that the diagnosis is very unreliable.
Many children who are supposed to be "ADHD" are not identified, and many children who are identified
as not having ADHD are identified as having it. This means that research done to support the
identification and treatment of ADHD that uses the DSM-IV definition totally lacks support. It also means
that no medical person correctly diagnoses ADHD. ADD and ADHD are politically manufactured concepts,
created by committees of the American Psychiatric Association. ADD was created in 1980, ADHD in 1987.
The plain truth is that they are not real diseases in any legitimate scientific meaning of the term disease.
To declare otherwise is not medicine; it is fraud.
"Medication (such as Ritalin) corrects the chemical imbalance."
Remember first there is no demonstrated chemical imbalance (see first paragraph). The brain does have
chemicals that help cells "talk" to each other that are called neurotransmitters. However, when a
professional says that one of these chemicals, usually a variety of something called Dopamine, needs
some kind of correction, and that they have just the right kind of medicine to do this, you are being
misled. This idea assumes that nerves only "talk" to nerves that use the same chemicals. That is
absolutely positively false. It is a lie at worst, a gross oversimplification at best. It is unethical for a medical
professional to state or imply otherwise.
"The medication (e.g., Ritalin) is a mild stimulant with few or no side effects."
"Side effect" is a euphemism; all drugs (alleged medications) have a variety of effects. It is vitally
important that you personally research the effects of any drug you might consider for your child. Go to
the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR), ask your neighborhood pharmacist to print you a list of side
effects, and/or get the references listed at the end of this brochure. You need to find out about all
possible effects - those considered common (such as nervousness, insomnia, and loss of appetite, and
those considered rare (such as toxic psychosis and death). The lie that Ritalin is a mild stimulant is even
more difficult to maintain since a recently concluded study at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL),
and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, not only confirmed the similarities of
cocaine and Ritalin, but found that Ritalin is more potent than cocaine in its effect on the dopamine
system in the brain. Referring to Ritalin as "kiddy cocaine" is not a joke.
It is important to know that the use of stimulant medication can mask the symptoms of potentially fatal
disorders that could be causing your child's problems with inattention or activity. It is also important to
know that if your child really is having problems with attention and concentration, this could be caused by
problems within the class environment (no work breaks, poor environmental temperature regulation, poor
acoustics, poor lighting, poor teaching, etc.) or within other areas of your child's life (nutrition, TV and
video over-stimulation, family stress and conflict, etc.).
"If your child had diabetes, you would give him insulin, wouldn't you?"
This is one of the most common, and heinous statements that doctors and other professionals make to
parents. It is a heavy guilt trip telling parents they are negligent and irresponsible if they don't go along
with the pressure to drug their children. Remember clearly, as described in the first point above, that
ADHD is in no way a real disease; to imply otherwise is a lie. The truth is that protecting your children
from toxic drugs is being completely responsible. It is those who advocate these drugs for children who
are abdicating responsibility and avoiding the challenge of truly meeting the needs of our children.
"You are going against medical advice."
Physicians work for you. There is something called informed consent. If they have given you false or
inaccurate information, or attempted to deceive you in any way, then the advice that they have given is
faulty and you can justifiably take matters into your own hands. It is your responsibility to protect the short
and long-term health, well-being and development of your child.
Responses to Common Professional Statements Made to Parents About Their Children
by John Breeding, Ph.D. and Steve Edelman, M.A. Source
Doctors, mental health professionals, and educators often say things about "Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder" (ADHD) that are unproven. These same professionals often say things about
drugs that are supposed to treat "ADHD" that are not true. This article reveals and responds to six
common lies or misleading statements you might be told:
"ADHD is a brain-based biological disorder, caused by a chemical imbalance in your child's
brain."
The simple fact is that there is absolutely no reliable test that accurately distinguishes between children
that are supposed to have "ADHD" and those that are not. The simplest way to counter this statement is
to ask for a medical test to prove that your child has "ADHD." Many physicians will respond to your
request by saying that the test is too expensive. You must persevere and ask that your insurance
company pay for those tests. The truth is that there is no such test. If the doctor recommends one, ask
him for the research article that establishes the validity of that test.
You can also ask any professional to show you the article or articles in the scientific literature that proves
the existence of a confirmatory physical or chemical abnormality that validates the existence of ADHD as
a medical disease. The plain truth is that no such article exists. If someone gives you an article, please
share and discuss it with someone who can critically analyze it.
"The symptoms are clearly printed in a book called the DSM-IV which stands for the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, Fourth Edition."
Yes, the "symptoms" are printed there, but as described in point 1, these alleged "symptoms" in no way
prove that ADHD is a disease. Furthermore, these "symptoms" are actually nothing more than someone's
observations of your child's behavior, and the truth is they are not even reliable as behavioral
observations. To be reliable, people must agree that your child has "ADHD." An article in the prestigious
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, printed in September 2000, says
that the diagnosis is very unreliable.
Many children who are supposed to be "ADHD" are not identified, and many children who are identified
as not having ADHD are identified as having it. This means that research done to support the
identification and treatment of ADHD that uses the DSM-IV definition totally lacks support. It also means
that no medical person correctly diagnoses ADHD. ADD and ADHD are politically manufactured concepts,
created by committees of the American Psychiatric Association. ADD was created in 1980, ADHD in 1987.
The plain truth is that they are not real diseases in any legitimate scientific meaning of the term disease.
To declare otherwise is not medicine; it is fraud.
"Medication (such as Ritalin) corrects the chemical imbalance."
Remember first there is no demonstrated chemical imbalance (see first paragraph). The brain does have
chemicals that help cells "talk" to each other that are called neurotransmitters. However, when a
professional says that one of these chemicals, usually a variety of something called Dopamine, needs
some kind of correction, and that they have just the right kind of medicine to do this, you are being
misled. This idea assumes that nerves only "talk" to nerves that use the same chemicals. That is
absolutely positively false. It is a lie at worst, a gross oversimplification at best. It is unethical for a medical
professional to state or imply otherwise.
"The medication (e.g., Ritalin) is a mild stimulant with few or no side effects."
"Side effect" is a euphemism; all drugs (alleged medications) have a variety of effects. It is vitally
important that you personally research the effects of any drug you might consider for your child. Go to
the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR), ask your neighborhood pharmacist to print you a list of side
effects, and/or get the references listed at the end of this brochure. You need to find out about all
possible effects - those considered common (such as nervousness, insomnia, and loss of appetite, and
those considered rare (such as toxic psychosis and death). The lie that Ritalin is a mild stimulant is even
more difficult to maintain since a recently concluded study at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL),
and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, not only confirmed the similarities of
cocaine and Ritalin, but found that Ritalin is more potent than cocaine in its effect on the dopamine
system in the brain. Referring to Ritalin as "kiddy cocaine" is not a joke.
It is important to know that the use of stimulant medication can mask the symptoms of potentially fatal
disorders that could be causing your child's problems with inattention or activity. It is also important to
know that if your child really is having problems with attention and concentration, this could be caused by
problems within the class environment (no work breaks, poor environmental temperature regulation, poor
acoustics, poor lighting, poor teaching, etc.) or within other areas of your child's life (nutrition, TV and
video over-stimulation, family stress and conflict, etc.).
"If your child had diabetes, you would give him insulin, wouldn't you?"
This is one of the most common, and heinous statements that doctors and other professionals make to
parents. It is a heavy guilt trip telling parents they are negligent and irresponsible if they don't go along
with the pressure to drug their children. Remember clearly, as described in the first point above, that
ADHD is in no way a real disease; to imply otherwise is a lie. The truth is that protecting your children
from toxic drugs is being completely responsible. It is those who advocate these drugs for children who
are abdicating responsibility and avoiding the challenge of truly meeting the needs of our children.
"You are going against medical advice."
Physicians work for you. There is something called informed consent. If they have given you false or
inaccurate information, or attempted to deceive you in any way, then the advice that they have given is
faulty and you can justifiably take matters into your own hands. It is your responsibility to protect the short
and long-term health, well-being and development of your child.