Can I use my iPhone as well whilst riding the ferris wheel so I can keep up on this thread?
And since type 2 error is the inverse of power, it blows up. poof.
My experiences of ritalin with my son were, as you say, not fantastic. True it made him quieter for a few hours and he got better results at school. But the side effects ( sleep problems, lack of appetite, aggressiveness as the drug was wearing off), plus the fact that the underlying problem was still there made me very wary.
Had I had better support and been more aware of the alternatives available,then I would have chosen an alternative therapy such as heil eurthyme, cognitive therapy or neuro (whatever ) feedback. Have had friends who refused to use ritalin and their children turned out ok in the long term.
Perhaps though, an adult might benefit more from the use of drugs as then they are responsible for their own choice and their development would not be affected.
Have heard recently that there is a centre in the children's hospital in Biel specialising in ADHD with a choice of therapies both medical and alternative.
(From experience)
Studies are showing exactly what you report that initially there may be some change but on a long term not. Also, studies are showing that there is no real change. Also there are studies showing that kids with these characteristics turn out okay.
This is what I tried to do to provide information that there is an alternative but when I dis I got flamed. It was suggested that I had an ulterior motive.
Many psychiatrists would like to do therapy, but insurance (in the US at least), won't pay for it. So they do med checks. The marketing you speak of is more a function of pharma and insurance.
In the US, people have "formal" diagnoses, especially for their kids because that's the only way that kids, who may do better with individualized learning plans, etc., have access to such plans. In part, I think the medicalization of ADD etc., is more for that reason than anything. Part of the reason that ADD is a "disorder" is so that people who need accomodations in learning siuations for the most part can get them.
As for medication..not everyone needs it, and there are children who seem to grow out of their issues. But there are also instances of kids who were failing in school, were treated for ADD/ADHD and ended up doing well.
As you said, you can find pretty much anything reported in a study. There are also studies showing that impulse control is an issue for some with ADD/ADHD, and can lead to drug or alcohol abuse if untreated.
Finding the right medication is difficult, tskes patience. These meds are not a babysitter, and are not a substitute for parenting or teaching in the classroom.
I think it's important to show that there are a range of options, the diagnostic process is somewhat subjective, and even treatment is subjective. Not every treatment works for every person.
Insurance almost never pays for therapy as the bean counters seem to believe that it is a scam. At least, that is how the act when you try and approach them for coverage. On the other hand, get a diagnosis and then get your kid popping pills and they more than happy to pay.
The sad and pathetic truth is that both options are not only valid but in many cases mutually useful in these sort of cases. To bad that in a lot of cases what actually works isn't an available option.
P.S. I'm sure you didn't have an ulterior motive.... I believe in good intentions
I prefer to support unmedicated kids even if it means more work for me, than somnolent medicated kids, who you never know how they cope with the meds. Some need medication, sure, so their quality of life improves. But I am coming from conservative schooling, where 1st of all, long term solutions were sought, therapy and equipping kids with strategies to cope, if that didn't work, then step 2 would be short term medication, if needed, or those two combined. Chemicals were the last resort. Never long term, and long term use of Ritalin is scrutinized at the moment. I know this will sound jackass to those who need it and had to use it, I am just sharing experience.
A family member was a school psy, I had a good support to have things explained and methods suggested. It was usually ok in off school time, family was well informed and cooperative, but school was difficult for the kiddo and teacher. There are resources for teachers who need to learn up on patience, special learning aids, special coping methods and strategies, for them and for the kids, so they know how to deal.
I dislike kids being pawned over to shrinks too fast as designated patients (not for the diagnosis, that should be always done by docs, for sure), for long term medication.
We all have it, in some degree, by the way, and as Carlos mentioned, life is changing. Hormons and environmental triggers play a role, too. I was in a watch program since I was exposed to chemicals when preggo and it was assumed kids with learning dissabilities, ADHD or affective disorders are to be expected. I read up on early TV exposure and ADHD, it's uncanny. I am not sure if it was a trend here or not to warn in parenting mags, but kids shouldn't watch TV before they are 3, since the pics change too fast for their brains t ohave a chance to learn how to slowly and properly digest the info.
In my opinion, the "bleater" here is the one attempting to force their own view and being rather rude to those not agreeing with their own biased opinions, based on their supposed "scientific" knowledge - which can be a dubious statement, as the internet is well-known for.
This is not a scientific forum. And folk posing as "scientists" should be taken with a good pinch of salt ... for their postings may be construed as gospel truth by those impressed with their words ... As stated under another Thread Title on this forum.
There are quite a few knowledgable people as well as a genuine scientists on this forum and even they accept that there is give and take and room for opinion. If you have enough knowledge and look for the signs it is possible to tell what people have an ax to grind. Also, it is apparent that some people actually have medical and science backgrounds, and although I understand there are people who fear science and it's practitioners, it would be nice to actually discuss this issue on that level. There is nothing wrong with opinions but they are, at best a data point, not theories or studies or valid references for therapeutic behaviour.
It's just that what you are describing sounds very like the problems with my 7 year-old grandson who has now been diagnosed as being dyspraxic and dyslexic.
Just a thought. Hope things will get easier for your little boy.