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While I do think that ADHD is a real condition, I don't think that the solution is to medicate children with a very serious life changing drug that alters the c

While I do think that ADHD is a real condition, I don't think that the solution is to medicate children with a very serious life changing drug that alters the core aspects of a child's personality and behavior. The true solution is to revamp our country's education system and provide a framework that can accommodate the wide variety of personalities that come into the classroom. Instead of forcing children to think one way, we should let them think the way they NATURALLY think, and flourish with their native mindset. I strongly recommend this eye-opening video for those of you who haven't already seen it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZFcDGpL4U

AStellersSeaCow 10y ago
"I don't think that the solution is to medicate children with a very serious life changing drug that alters the core aspects of a child's personality and behavior. ... Instead of forcing children to think one way, we should let them think the way they NATURALLY think, and flourish with their native mindset." This is wildly inaccurate and ignorant, and basically perfectly sums up why the problem isn't being treated effectively. 1) The drugs aren't serious and life changing and they don't alter core aspects of your personality. People seem to confuse the effects of mild stimulants like ritalin and adderall with the effects of powerful antidepressants like prozac (I blame South Park, et al). Stimulants can have negative side effects, but they're more along the lines of what you'd expect from too much coffee: loss of appetite, hyperalertness and sleep problems, in extreme cases twitchiness and cardiovascular problems. These are well-understood, and any doctor would adjust/halt the drug if they got worrying. In terms of personality, the person is just getting a boost to their deficient executive function. The net result could be that they're less likely to do things impulsively, but not that they're less likely to do things, period. 2) I'm all for letting children think how they're going to think, and agree that our education system is far too constraining and cookie-cutter. But there's a huge and meaningful difference between "let kids think how they want" and "don't treat problems that are preventing kids from thinking lucidly". Some excellent research has shown that even if parents and teachers bend over backwards to facilitate kids with ADHD, unless they get some kind of treatment (and medication is both much more effective and far less expensive than behavioral therapy) they're still going to struggle. So what people who advocate "let (kids) think the way they NATURALLY think" are effectively saying is "let some non-negligible fraction of kids have a dramatically lower chance of success and happiness in life rather than acknowledge that they have a disorder and treat it".
- crack-the-code 10y ago
  To your first point, I would strongly disagree, and actually argue that you are the one being wildly inaccurate and ignorant. I know many people first-hand who were affected negatively from the drugs. As an example, I once had a very charismatic friend who was extremely bright, happy, and just fun to be around. In middle school, he started taking medication. He became detached, depressed, quiet, and generally dull. He would at times be himself, but overall, other friends and I noticed a drastic [negative] change in his behavior. To me, that is extremely serious, especially as a child where you are forming your character and social abilities and exploring your imagination. Another example, I have a cousin who takes the medication. Throughout her childhood, she experienced unusual and unpleasant side effects like headaches, stomach pain, anxiety, sleep issues, etc. Her doctors have rotated her through different medications, but it seems there was never a golden ticket with 0 side effects. You argue that these are negligible side effects, like coffee. I would say that these are much worse than coffee, at least in the extent of how they effect people, and at the same time would argue that it doesn't even matter if the effects WERE the same as coffee. Do you want your child to be on coffee and redbull? Not me. I know plenty of other people who experienced the same symptoms and personality changes I described here, and although that is not conclusive evidence, there seems to be a large consensus on this issue (as far as the side-effects and changes in personality). And if you think there is no chance of any long-term health consequences derived from prolonged use of these "mild stimulants" like ritalin and adderall, then I am going to reluctantly step back and say we should just agree to disagree. To the second point, you seem to be confusing my observation as a call to blindly end the use of medication. My argument isn't that we must end the use of medication and ignore the issue, it was that we need an overhaul of the education system so that we can get rid of the pills and preserve the well-being of the children. Not a practical or easy solution, I agree, but it is an important one at the least. And of course there will be children who fall at the far end of the spectrum, where no matter how accommodating the system is, they will still need the assistance of medication to truly thrive. But at least we can safely say we tried at that point, instead of assuming that these children are all "troubled" and need big pharmamama to feed them the milk of corporate greed.

AStellersSeaCow 10y ago

"I don't think that the solution is to medicate children with a very serious life changing drug that alters the core aspects of a child's personality and behavior. ... Instead of forcing children to think one way, we should let them think the way they NATURALLY think, and flourish with their native mindset." This is wildly inaccurate and ignorant, and basically perfectly sums up why the problem isn't being treated effectively. 1) The drugs aren't serious and life changing and they don't alter core aspects of your personality. People seem to confuse the effects of mild stimulants like ritalin and adderall with the effects of powerful antidepressants like prozac (I blame South Park, et al). Stimulants can have negative side effects, but they're more along the lines of what you'd expect from too much coffee: loss of appetite, hyperalertness and sleep problems, in extreme cases twitchiness and cardiovascular problems. These are well-understood, and any doctor would adjust/halt the drug if they got worrying. In terms of personality, the person is just getting a boost to their deficient executive function. The net result could be that they're less likely to do things impulsively, but not that they're less likely to do things, period. 2) I'm all for letting children think how they're going to think, and agree that our education system is far too constraining and cookie-cutter. But there's a huge and meaningful difference between "let kids think how they want" and "don't treat problems that are preventing kids from thinking lucidly". Some excellent research has shown that even if parents and teachers bend over backwards to facilitate kids with ADHD, unless they get some kind of treatment (and medication is both much more effective and far less expensive than behavioral therapy) they're still going to struggle. So what people who advocate "let (kids) think the way they NATURALLY think" are effectively saying is "let some non-negligible fraction of kids have a dramatically lower chance of success and happiness in life rather than acknowledge that they have a disorder and treat it".

crack-the-code 10y ago
To your first point, I would strongly disagree, and actually argue that you are the one being wildly inaccurate and ignorant. I know many people first-hand who were affected negatively from the drugs. As an example, I once had a very charismatic friend who was extremely bright, happy, and just fun to be around. In middle school, he started taking medication. He became detached, depressed, quiet, and generally dull. He would at times be himself, but overall, other friends and I noticed a drastic [negative] change in his behavior. To me, that is extremely serious, especially as a child where you are forming your character and social abilities and exploring your imagination. Another example, I have a cousin who takes the medication. Throughout her childhood, she experienced unusual and unpleasant side effects like headaches, stomach pain, anxiety, sleep issues, etc. Her doctors have rotated her through different medications, but it seems there was never a golden ticket with 0 side effects. You argue that these are negligible side effects, like coffee. I would say that these are much worse than coffee, at least in the extent of how they effect people, and at the same time would argue that it doesn't even matter if the effects WERE the same as coffee. Do you want your child to be on coffee and redbull? Not me. I know plenty of other people who experienced the same symptoms and personality changes I described here, and although that is not conclusive evidence, there seems to be a large consensus on this issue (as far as the side-effects and changes in personality). And if you think there is no chance of any long-term health consequences derived from prolonged use of these "mild stimulants" like ritalin and adderall, then I am going to reluctantly step back and say we should just agree to disagree. To the second point, you seem to be confusing my observation as a call to blindly end the use of medication. My argument isn't that we must end the use of medication and ignore the issue, it was that we need an overhaul of the education system so that we can get rid of the pills and preserve the well-being of the children. Not a practical or easy solution, I agree, but it is an important one at the least. And of course there will be children who fall at the far end of the spectrum, where no matter how accommodating the system is, they will still need the assistance of medication to truly thrive. But at least we can safely say we tried at that point, instead of assuming that these children are all "troubled" and need big pharmamama to feed them the milk of corporate greed.