Hi Big Sky Mom:

You're right - there are too many untruths, misconceptions, and outright lies about ADHD floating around out there. It's frustrating and sometimes maddening, but it's often up to the adults and parents living with attention deficit to educate others about the condition. Even still, some people will just believe what they want to believe...

Regardless, ADDitude has some great resources that you might really find useful:

Silencing Skeptics: The Truth About ADHD and LD

7 Myths About ADHD... Debunked!

Common Questions About ADHD... And Expert Answers!

Explaining ADHD to Others

More Truth About ADHD

Also, here is a free ADHD Printable that you can carry around with you and hand out to people who challenge you.

I hope this helps!

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Hi Big Sky Mom,

Anni recommended some good printouts. I totally agree with you. I do my best to confront the stigma and I like to challenge people to think differently. You are being a responsible parent by treating your children's disorders. You are being proactive and your children will benefit because of it. Unfortunately, there are parents with ADHD kids who are in denial and refuse to consider the possibility. Children with untreated ADHD are at risk for so many more problems. Many of these untreated individuals will learn to self-medicate with cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs.

Most parents wouldn't think twice about giving medication to their child if he has asthma or diabetes and would get their child eyeglasses if he needed them. If meds for ADHD are giving a child an unfair advantage as some claim, then wouldn't the same hold true for getting a child eyeglasses? people don't always think through their excuses. Since scientific research has proven the existence of ADHD and the American Pediatric Association and Psychiatric community confirms its existence as well, who made these other parents more knowledgeable than the millions of doctors and scientists. Imagine if we told parents that we don't believe their child's diagnosis of some medical disorder. They would be indignant if we were to suggest such a thing to them.

Elaine

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With respect.

In consideration of all the posts on this thread, I'm giving the following information based on many facts gathered re ADHD and psychiatric drugs, compared to alternative (non mind-altering drug) treatment methods:

It is, in my opinion, a covered up evil that, even though these psychiatric mind-altering drugs (Ritalin or similar) will possibly give the apparency of ‘working’, that in truth, as well as having a high-risk potential of causing untold harm to our children, also have the high-risk potential of creating untold upset for parents. There are many Dr's. and like professionals, other individuals, and various groups that deplore the action of prescribing mind-altering drugs (like Ritalin) to children. There are many cases on file of the harmful effects created by taking these types of drugs. I ask you to please visit http://www.adhdtruth.com/index.html where there is an account of Dr. Mary Ann Block's book, who reveals the truths, from extensive research and hands-on treating very successfully (without psychiatric, mind-altering drugs) children with attention, behavior and learning problems.

Fortunately, there are alternative, workable solutions in helping our children with attention, behavior and learning problems (without mind-altering drugs). I ask you to please visit a 'Sources of Help' page: http://www.adhdtruth.com/testimonials.html - which gives the view of many professionals in the medical field on this subject and also lists many sources of help in various countries (that do not use mind-altering drugs in their treatment). Also included are many books on the subject and other helpful resources.

I feel very strongly, that before any parent allows prescribing of psychiatric mind-altering drugs to their child, they carry out all necessary intensive research to arrive at a sound judgment. I reiterate...these drugs may give the apparency of 'helping' but the short or long-term prognosis carries a very high risk factor.

Also, if somebody has, or knows of a child, already taking one of these mind-altering drugs...I respectfully ask that they either contact a very good source that offers alternative, very workable and safe treatment solutions (without the use of psychiatric mind-altering drugs) or, at the very least, do further extensive research on the pros and cons.

I do realize that what I've written above may not be very welcoming to anybody that's already sold on using psychiatric mind-altering drugs. However, I do hope that they at least, with an unbioused view, investigate this matter further.

My very best to all,

Ray

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