In the US, at least 9% of schoolchildren are on medication for ADHD.
In Australia it is estimated that 11% of children and adolescents fulfill the criteria for ADHD.
In France the figure is .5%. As in POINT five. Half a percent.
Why is this?
Well, first of all the way in which French psychiatrists view ADHD compared to their US and Australian counterparts is significantly different.
In the US, psychiatrists consider ADHD to be a biological disorder with biological causes. As such they treat it with medications such as Ritalin.
However, across the Atlantic, French psychiatrists see ADHD as a condition that has social and situational causes. They seek to ascertain what issues in their social setting are causing the child act the way they do.
Treatment then invariably involves counseling and psychotherapy – rather than using drugs.
The French also use their own system for diagnosing conditions. They prefer not to use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as we do in Australia and the US.
You may well have read of the concern that the redesign of the DSM may well lead to more people being labeled with a condition, and as such provide a bigger target for the pharmaceutical companies.
I must make it clear. I am NOT a mental health professional, but as a parent of a boisterous 5 year old, and a teacher of 15 years, I have a vested interest in this debate.
There are many sides to this discussion, and I plan to explore them in more depth in coming blog posts. I encourage others to respond with their thoughts… especially professionals and parents of kids with ADHD.
As a start point, how about this article by Marilyn Wedge (it’s very clear what side of the debate she’s on.)
Author: Dan Haesler, he is a teacher, consultant, and speaker at the Mental Health & Wellbeing of Young People seminars He writes for the Sydney Morning Herald and blogs at http://danhaesler.com/ and tweets at@danhaesler
It’s not just in Australia. If you go to the bottom of the article, there are two other viewpoints. My son and husband are both diagnosed with ADHD. It’s real. It’s genetic.
Ritalin has long term side effects, much worse than the ADHD diagnosis. Doctors are quick to prescribe such medication. In fact, it is the first thing they do before trying any other method. As a parent of a child with ADHD and other issues, it is important to arm oneself with knowledge. I am also an Education Consultant that specialises in Specific Learning Difficulties. As soon as I made it clear that I was against medication and why, Doctors had no choice but to look at other options. In most cases, it is environmental and social factors. I believe then the French are onto something.
Problem is that children who are not assisted in a way that suits them best, and that may be medication, are socially left out and live in a negative world. If not treated well they grow into adults who struggle socially and emotionally. It is not about no way to medication but rather what works best and that may be combination of things.
What are the long term side effects?
Yes it is environmental and social factors, but if medication helps…and I’m not sure it does. At least not in many cases. Ritilan did nothing for my son, but he is resistant to counselling too. It’a about finding what works for your child and applying it consistantly. Like many ADHD sufferers my son also has other diagnised conditions. It’s often not as easy as this or that. We have tried many things and continue to look for solutions that work for us.
Yes there may be a genetic link…. but is so very clear to me that a families nutrition and the child’s nutrition underpins ALL of our concentration levels, moods and hormones significantly. How much sugar – hidden sugars are in our children’s diet?
My favorite patient is a 14 year old girl who came to to see me for nutritional advice.
She told her mum and I in the consultation that the reason she wanted to see me is because during my school presentation about nutrition I spoke about the ‘fun girl’ not the ‘skinny’ girl. She told me she use to be the fun girl before her ADHD meds. We worked together for 6 months to balance her blood sugar and get her on a healthy diet but not severe diet! She sent me an email of thanks but it only had the subject line….it read…. THE FUN GIRL IS BACK!