ADHD: Misdiagnosed and Overmedicated

The fact is that up to 20% of American school-aged children are now on behavioral medications, according to child neurologist, Fred Baughman, Jr. MD. Parents are told to place their children on poisonous medications or their child will be refused attendance at school and have even been threatened with charges of "medical neglect."

But ADD and ADHD are not medical conditions. There is no X-ray, brain scan, blood test, or any other medical test that a doctor can look at and say "yep, that's ADHD alright. Just look at this X-ray. ADHD, right there, plain as the nose on my face." The fact is that ADD/ADHD are neurodevelopmental disorders and not medical or psychological disorders. But with just 5 minutes at the right doctor's office a parent can walk out with a deadly schedule I or II pharmaceutical prescription and a permanent medical record of ADD/ADHD diagnosis for their child.

What you get for drugging your child
* According to the USA Today and the New York Times, ADD/ADHD medications initially raise math test scores of a child with ADD/ADHD by less than 3 points after 1 year.

* After three years on ADD/ADHD medications, the child is academically back to where they would have been if the child was never put on drugs in the first place.

* USA Today, April 2009: After three years on an ADD/ADHD medication the dosage has been raised an average of 41% because the body builds tolerance to and "tunes down" the effects.

* After three years on ADD/ADHD medications the child is on average 0.79 inches shorter and 6 lbs lighter than children with no medications.

* Children and teens taking ADHD stimulant medications are seven times more likely to die suddenly than their peers.

* A child that has been on ADD/ADHD medications is impacted permanently on career choices and can be outright disqualified for opportunities such as a commercial airline pilot, certain law enforcement positions, and may be disqualified from military service and military officer eligibility.

ADD/ADHD medications work by causing malfunction in the brain. When used long term these medications physically alter the brain, causing brain atrophy and gross malfunctions in the brain of the child.

ADD/ADHD: a disorder of the brain
The causes of ADD/ADHD as a spectrum disorder lie in incomplete developmental levels, brain disorganization, under-developed sequential processing skills, brain maturation abnormalities, nutritional deficiencies, food sensitivities, allergenic responses, sub-clinical health issues, or other bio-medical issues. It is a criminal act against the health and safety of a child to classify any of these causes as a "spectrum disorder" for the purpose of categorically medicating them to sweep the symptoms under the carpet.

ADD/ADHD is a "disorder of the brain." A disorder by definition is a condition where the normal order of things is disrupted. Drugs do not cause order; they only cause more disorder. It takes order to overcome disorder. In other words, you cannot expect organized function from a disorganized brain, no more than a tornado can assemble a working school bus by running through a salvage yard.

It's high time to take this disorder out of the hands of the medical specialists, who have not only outright failed to treat this non-medical condition but have caused much harm to our children. Let's place it in the rightful hands of developmental specialists and nutritionists. But keep in mind that raising healthy children is ultimately the responsibility of the parents and not the professionals.