How many Over-45s have "ADHD"?

Great Questions!!

Brian, the longer I live the more I am astounded by the increase gullability of Americans. They are indeed the unthinking easily led sheeps of the world.

As far as parenting goes all one need do is go to a family restaurant and watch these inept moms who are completely being controled by their 2 year olds.

The rate of unfit parenting is astounding. Yep mom, sugar up your kids cause they beg for candy and Instead of saying no and being consistent give in and back pedal and scream like a harpie. Oh, and then have a cigarette and smoke it in the car with your kid sitting next to you.

I’m sure out of a sense of apeasement and keeping a patient your pediatritian will aqquiesce and write a prescription for Ritalin. You can go on and shirk your parental responsibility and slip further into denial.

And Mom, if you crush some of the Ritalin you can snort it for a nice cocaine rush.

And Mom, if you crush some of the Ritalin you can snort it for a nice cocaine rush.[/quote]

This is false and research has proven it to be.
Someone has lied to you. :(

A concerned mom,

If that assertion is false can you tell us why it is false. I know, from the DEA, that Ritalin is being bought and sold on the streets as a recreational drug. How DO they get a cocaine-like rush from it? Or is the rush different from that obtained from cocaine? Are you just splitting hairs or do you believe that admirer’s contention was inherently incorrect?

BTW, what about MY questions? Any answers?

I believe another thing you might see in that U.S. restaurant is an overweight child with too much food on his plate and with the nutritional quality of that food being questionable. If you can’t even maintain control over your child’s weight and face content, how can you categorically rule out questionable parenting styles as a causal factor in “ADHD”?

Face facts, it makes more sense to place the blame for the condition of America’s children at the door of America’s growing decadence and moral corruption (or is the “Colombine” experience also the result of a mystical brain disorder?) Countries that welcome the exportation of this corruption will naturally host the next boom in victims (if they have the financial wherewithal to support the diagnoses, that is.)

I wonder how many children would be jumping around or wall-bouncing after a 24-hour fast. And before you individually blast me for that statement, think on that you are collectively to blame for worse conditions for millions of non-U.S. children every day.

Great point!

There is an obesity epidemic in this country and is is affecting children at an alarming rate. Many parents can’t even control their diets of their children’s diets. If they can’t or won’t perform that simple task how can anyone expect them to perform the more difficult parenting skills.

Here’s a solution. Give em Ritalin. It causes weight loss and surpresses appetite. Combine that with their already horrible diet and the kids will have decreased lifespans. Sounds like a plan to me.

I think this generation of couch potatoes probably does suffer from many maladies. If kids are not allowed to be kids their brains will be different than if they were raised correctly.

Ritalin is preferred by laboratory animals to coke. Ritalin from a coke user’s point of view is a fantastic high. Plus the fact that is is pure and full potentcy. I wonder if Novartis is doing anything to stop the widespread recreational use of Ritalin. Probably not becuase it would reduce sales and besides Novartis would have to be a good corporate citizen to show ant concern.

So, was 10% of the population unwittingly suffering from “ADHD” in the 50’s?

I myself think the symptoms of it are on the rise - modern children have shorter attention spans and likely from the rapidly changing visual images they’re bombarded with via tv and remote control of it.

If so, where are all of those malcreants and society misfits now. Obviously, lacking the “required” drugs, they could never learn anything in school.

I do think my life might be happily different though if I’d been treated for it in the 50s when I grew up. I learned some things in school - we have short attention spans, we’re not stupid. It’s not that we can’t learn anything! It’s that we could learn more.

Since the lion’s share of the sufferers today are white, male and from relatively affluent homes, surely this untreated scouge, in such vast numbers, would have affected the demographics of the U.S. , making it much easier for the non-white, non-male, non-affluent minorities to move up the ladder? Why then are these groups STILL considered “minorities”.

Well, they’re not. Where have you been? And why is obesity on the rise? Asthma? Allergies? Cancer? Diabetes? There are many diseases and disorders on the rise in our society stemming from our unclean environment, microwaves, power lines above our heads, chemicals in the air - the sad list goes on and on and those diseases and disorders hit at every segment of society not just while, affluent males.

May we hold “ADHD” as some kind of “affirmative action” on the part of a higher power?

No.

I agree with some of what you say but here’s what you’re missing. School has changed. Teachers now expect children to control themselves rather than be controlled by teachers. That’s the heart of the matter. Schools want the kids medicated!!! You should be directing your heartfelt diatribes to the schools. the schools tell parents their young children won’t sit still in school and are a trouble to the teacher and the teacher is too busy and too important to control any individual child. Therefore the child must control themself.

You’re in touch with some things but way out of touch with what schools are doing to parents and their children these days.

[quote=”Brian1 admirer”]

Ritalin from a coke user’s point of view is a fantastic high. Plus the fact that is is pure and full potentcy.”

I’d like to direct you to research studies done by Nora Volkow. She has completed numerous studies on methylphenidate and Cocaine. One study in particular was done with a hypothesis that Ritalin could be substituted for Cocaine just as methadone is substituted for Heroin when treating addicts. The results were not as expected. Methylphenidate does not produce a high like Cocaine does. It does not work the same, although it does work in the same area of the brain, as cocaine. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) and Cocaine are not interchangable drugs. Such a shame this board is so full of misinformation.

Concentration and attention skills must be taught in schools. This is left out of the curriculum. It is assumed kids have it, and because of the way our society is today, they do not. These are learned skills.

[quote=”A Concerned Mom”][quote=”Brian1 admirer”]

Ritalin from a coke user’s point of view is a fantastic high. Plus the fact that is is pure and full potentcy.”

I’d like to direct you to research studies done by Nora Volkow. She has completed numerous studies on methylphenidate and Cocaine. One study in particular was done with a hypothesis that Ritalin could be substituted for Cocaine just as methadone is substituted for Heroin when treating addicts. The results were not as expected. Methylphenidate does not produce a high like Cocaine does. It does not work the same, although it does work in the same area of the brain, as cocaine. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) and Cocaine are not interchangable drugs. Such a shame this board is so full of misinformation.[/quote]

The brain cannot tell the difference between coke and ritalin. They work identically. Ritalin is more addictve though.

RItalin and cocaine are indeed interchangeable as far as the brain is concerned. The only difference is in the dosing.

When I get around to it I will post the research that backs this up. Perhaps Concerned mom you could back up your statements with some facts.

Brian, you are obviously young with limited use of your intelligence. (I don’t mean to be ugly but you need to look at yourself in the mirror.) In addition, your anger and hate for everyone is very apparent. Your comments are laughable and immature. I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry for my son that there are bullies like you out there. I will continue to pray for you and hope that reality doesn’t rise up and bite you.

By the way, your rantings are classic symptoms of ADHD with OCD. The denial is so sad…To hate so much….What a waste of your time.

All they can do Brian is launch personal attack and make diagnosis about you that are about as valid as the one’s they give their kids.

Attack this instead:

http://www.dadi.org/ritalin.htm

“Ill post research when I get around to it” — but you, the person he’s attacking, have to provide your proofs right on the spot; and then of course when you do provide research he won’t read it. That’s so stupid and self-contradictory it’s laughable.
Since this guy only reads posts in order to find another avenue to hurt you, please just stop answering him so he’ll go away. He is not worth arguing with because what he is doing is not argument — it’s a nasty passive-aggressive game. You cannot get through with logic because he has no interest in the actual subject, only in his sad little dominance problem. Turn your back on him.

http://www.dadi.org/ritalin.htm

[quote=”victoria”]”Ill post research when I get around to it” — but you, the person he’s attacking, have to provide your proofs right on the spot; and then of course when you do provide research he won’t read it. That’s so stupid and self-contradictory it’s laughable.
Since this guy only reads posts in order to find another avenue to hurt you, please just stop answering him so he’ll go away. He is not worth arguing with because what he is doing is not argument — it’s a nasty passive-aggressive game. You cannot get through with logic because he has no interest in the actual subject, only in his sad little dominance problem. Turn your back on him.[/quote]

If there are any games being played it is not by Brian. Passive agressive? who taught you that garbage. Is that something ex-husbands do?

Click this: http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0ISW/2003_Jan/95676516/p2/article.jhtml?term=

Psycho stims are part of the ultra femminist agenda to emasculate little boys. There are so many single moms that can’t handle their boy children so they need to zonk them with drugs.

I think the reason they are single moms is because no man will deal with them for very long. I think that they take this anger out on ther boy children because those boy children remind them of the man who can’t stomach them any longer. Their boy children then start exhibiting the same passive agressive behavior that their mean old dad did.

My advice is ladies is to do like Oprah. Lose some weight and start looking attractive and maybe you will curtail some of your male hating.

Oh and when little Sally hits little Billy instead of letting her get away with it, let Billy hit her back boy style. That way Sally won’t grow up to become a whiny mom who sees fit to drug her fatherless sons.

“So, was 10% of the population unwittingly suffering from “ADHD” in the 50’s?”

Well, I began public school classes in 1955. I would say that 10% would be a good estimate based on the classmates I had every year. Given a class size of 25 to 30, there were at least 2 or 3 students in each of my classes who had severe problems paying attention, sitting still and just generally behaving well enough to keep the teacher happy.

They were generally tolerated until they grew big enough to quit school and go to work. Back then a dropout with some social skills and coordination could get a factory job and make enough money to support a family.

John

I don’t recall my classmates being so out of control they were bouncing out of their shoes. I do recall that the “trouble makers” were quite willful in their disruptive behavior. I also recall that most of the trouble makers came from broken homes.

I do recall that teacher in the 60’s and 70’s were dedicated professionals most of whom cared about their student’s wellbeing. I recall a common sense administration and effective teaching methods.

Back then about the most toxic thing kids ingested was Kool Aid. Kids were also physically active and weren’t taken to the pediatrician and put on some anti-biotic evertime they sneezed.

Brian 1, no one reads your posts long enough or thoroughly enough to find logical questions. Besides you CAN’T argue with someone that does not argue rationally. See a psychologist.

[quote=”Yomama”]Brian 1, no one reads your posts long enough or thoroughly enough to find logical questions. Besides you CAN’T argue with someone that does not argue rationally. See a psychologist.[/quote]

These personal attack from you are totally uncalled for! If you don’t like a particualar poster ignore them. If you are not mature enogh to do that and you are soo petty that you feel a need to personally attack someone who doesn’t see thing the way you do perhaps you are the one who could benefit from the services of a shrink.

interesting is the fact that you both seem to be lashing out at
single moms medicating their sons.
I am a married mom, with three children, one of whom has been
diagnosed ADHD and she is… a SHE.
This diagnosis came after many years of this particular child getting screamed at by many teachers, in two different schools, failing almost every class she took, and disappearing after school, or from the neighborhood pool, movie theatres, shopping malls, you name it, after she became “bored” with her surroundings, and going out to find something else to do.
No, she wasn’t left unattended for hours on end, this ‘boredom’ would set
in often within a single hour, and, off she would go.
She was, and can be, completely disorganized and had horrible listening skills.
Oddly enough, her two siblings, raised in the same household,
with the same discipline/parenting style, have none of these same issues.
This particular child was not diagnosed with ADHD until the ripe old
age of …14 years! Poor thing was distraught and REFUSED to take
her medication for two full years. She is now 16 years old and
has the same aspirations of a college education that most kids do.
The difference is, her grades were in the tank.
Now, she takes her medication, once a day, and has pulled her dismal GPA up to a 3.1 and has received a National Latin Merit Award as of last week.
In her words, “Wow, I really do need to take my medication, it makes
a big difference. I really hate having to take it, but, I know it helps.” Now, coming from a child that refuses to take
Robitussin for a cold, i think that says a lot to dispute Brian’s personal
attack on those suffering from this brain disorder, and those
living with them.
No, life is not perfect, yes, there are still issues that need work, but,
that medication really “helps”.
Go ahead and bash me, brian et al. I’m sure I won’t be reading your reply.
You guys are really quite insensitive, and believe me,
I’m not as “PC” as I’m sure you’ll accuse me of being. :D

[quote=”Brian1 Admirer”]I don’t recall my classmates being so out of control they were bouncing out of their shoes. I do recall that the “trouble makers” were quite willful in their disruptive behavior. I also recall that most of the trouble makers came from broken homes.

I do recall that teacher in the 60’s and 70’s were dedicated professionals most of whom cared about their student’s wellbeing. I recall a common sense administration and effective teaching methods.

Back then about the most toxic thing kids ingested was Kool Aid. Kids were also physically active and weren’t taken to the pediatrician and put on some anti-biotic evertime they sneezed.[/quote]

I love this post!!!! Brian has been known to shred teachers apart time and time again but HIS educators from the 70’s were dedicated professionals!!!! I laughed out loud and it felt great!!! He even says they used effective teaching methods!!! For those of you that don’t know Brian he feels todays teachers can’t hold a candle to teachers of days gone by. My teachers from the 70’s NEVER got up from there desk! One smoked half the day!!!! All we did was read from textbooks and do worksheets!!! Not too effective in my opinion!!!! I wish the worst we ingested was Kool Aid!!!! I am not proud of that statement AT ALL but it is true!!! I wish so much Brian that I grew up in your neighborhood!! I will say, that NONE of my friend’s came from broken homes (doesn’t mean they were happy ones) and some of them were Big Time Bouncing Of The Walls!!!!

Guest40, your story sounds a lot like mine.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/MeetSum/ccb/volkow.html

http://www.nida.nih.gov/Infofax/ritalin.html

http://www.insightmag.com/main.cfm?include=detail&storyid=90542

http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/2002/bnlpr030102.htm

Nothing that Volkow did says that Ritalin is either mild compared to other stimulants, nor that Ritalin is not capable of giving a rush like cocaine. In fact, she showed that Ritalin, when crushed and injected was stronger than cocaine similarly injected.

I believe that Brian has made some very valid points, although his supporter(s) do tend to take the logical argument to an extreme.

I do however wish to disagree about ADHD being a fictitious diagnosis. Recent brain imaging clearly shows that the neural firing of people with ADHD is different from the firing pattern of typical persons.

I believe that although there is a genetic potentiality to ADHD it takes an external trigger. The people who have spent the most time studying the issue seem to think that it has increased 200-300% over the last 30 years. Whether this represents the damage of a single toxin or multiple toxins is unknown.

And for those who do not understand, my beef with Ritalin is not that it is too dangerous to use, or that ADHD is a sham. I think that while some kids do indeed benefit from therapeutic stimulants, too many do not and the inherrant danger is too great to use trial and error medication as a diagnostic tool. I am also extremely concerned about putting children as young as 3 on drugs which have clearly demonstrated brain-altering properties. There are several conditions unrelated to ADHD which manifest similar behaviors, but which need other types of treatments for remediation. By medicating these children you subject them to the risk of Ritalin without getting the benefit of it, and you are failing to address their actual issue.

Dad.

Do you think there is necessarily a toxin involved or could it be differences in life today, along with poor diagnosis earlier?

I think of differences in technology and society. We amused ourselves, ADHD or not, a lot better than I see children today. We didn’t have electronic toys but we had more freedom. I did things, as did my husband, that we would have a fit if our children ever did. We feel much more compelled to keep track of our kids than did our parents. Our kids are in many more organized activities than we ever were.

I think of differences in expectation. My children go to church every Sunday and have since they were small (we are Catholic so there is no Sunday school). Every Easter I see a truckload of children unused to sitting still and not being amused constantly. My ADHD son is not as good as other kids his age who attend church every week but he is standard deviations away from the visitors.

I also think though of my best friend’s brother. He has been for all extent purposes lost. He is probably in early 50’s. He has been a drifter, on and off drugs all his life. The family now realizes he was LD and ADHD—because of five nieces and nephews, there are three with that combination. Hopefully, they will have much better, more productive lifes.

Beth

“Nothing that Volkow did says that Ritalin is either mild compared to other stimulants, nor that Ritalin is not capable of giving a rush like cocaine. In fact, she showed that Ritalin, when crushed and injected was stronger than cocaine similarly injected. ”

Dad, I think you better reread Volkow works. She did indeed find that Ritalin does not give a cocaine like rush. She tried to show that methylphendiate would be a good replacement for Cocaine addicts, much like methadone is used for heroine addicts. But it was a poor substitute, in fact, it wasn’t a substitute at all, because it did not provide the rush.

Do you think that Tylenol #3 crushed and injected would provide a different action that swallowed and digested through the GI tract? I know it would. It’s a darn good thing that Dr’s aren’t prescribing Ritalin IV for ADHD these days. We can’t do a darn thing about someone that wants to abuse drugs, but that is a far cry from taken a medication as prescribed. Lets not confuse the real issue for people looking for valid information for their ADHD treatment.

“And for those who do not understand, my beef with Ritalin is not that it is too dangerous to use, or that ADHD is a sham. I think that while some kids do indeed benefit from therapeutic stimulants, too many do not and the inherrant danger is too great to use trial and error medication as a diagnostic tool. I am also extremely concerned about putting children as young as 3 on drugs which have clearly demonstrated brain-altering properties. There are several conditions unrelated to ADHD which manifest similar behaviors, but which need other types of treatments for remediation. By medicating these children you subject them to the risk of Ritalin without getting the benefit of it, and you are failing to address their actual issue.”

Medication should never be used as a diagnostic tool. Any physician that believes that ADHD can be diagnosed through a trial of a stim should not be treating ADHD and is acting in poor faith, at the very least, as a physician. As for “trial and error”, how do you propose that the proper dosage be determined when the dosage is determined by response and not by weight? Starting at a low dose and working up to the proper dosage is prudent and responsible. It’s a lot better that starting at the “average” dosage and then going up or down from there. And we can’t forget that some people simply do not respond to all stimulants and forms similarly. My dd had no response to Adderall, does great with methylphenidate, but even has variability there between short acting and sustained release Ritalin, and again from Concerta (which is best for her) Trial and error in this case is not voodoo, isn’t not poor medicine. It’s the nature of ADHD. As you stated, there are other conditions that can indeed mimic some of the symptoms of ADHD. A rather common misdiagnosis of ADHD is early onset Bipolar Disorder. Often, when it comes to these types of disorders, in younger children, symptoms are not developed enough and the child has not reached a stage in life where the symptoms can even be clear and defined, hence, the more comfortable dx of ADHD is given. Ritalin, has a short half life. It is pretty much cleared from the body within 4 hours of taking it, or from the last release in longer acting preparations. A short trial does not cause catastrophic side effects, and if any are experienced, they’ll be gone before the next dose is taken. In the event of a mis- or incomplete dx, a good practioner is going to note the lack of effectiveness of the medication and is going to look elsewhere for a cause of the primary complaint.
Can you clearify the “mind altering” properties of Ritalin, or are you using that definition because it acts in the brain?

Roxie:

The poster I was replying to (concerned mom) made the statement that Volkow proved Ritalin would not give a rush like cocaine when crushed. This is false. Volkow showed that when swallowed whole, Ritalin to a long time (over an hour) to enter the bloodstream, and was a poor substitute for cocaine (for treating coke addicts similar to our using methedrone to help heroin addicts). But Volkow did show that when crushed and injected Ritalin was stronger than cocaine. She determied through brain imaging that it is because Ritalin bonds to 20% more dopamine receptors than cocaine, and was greatly surprised by this because the assumption was that Ritalin was weaker than cocaine.

Concerned mom’s was trying to disprove that people would crush and snort Ritalin for a coke rush, but she is wrong about this. The DEA has a long history of fighting Ritalin diversion, and crushing and snorting is the most common way for using Ritalin recreationally, similarly to oxycotin which is also frequently crushed to destroy the “time-release” properties of the therapeutic encapsulation.

The potential for diversion is fully part of the entire ADHD/Ritalin process. You cannot separate it out. Children with ADHD have something which many other people will want and they will face some degree of pressure to “share” or otherwise give others some of their medication. There are even documented cases of school personnel taking kids’ Ritalin that has been entrusted to them for dispensing.

Until the problem of diversion is adequately addressed, it remains an issue with using this drug whether you choose to believe that or not. Ritalin is not on schedule II because of the yellow dye in the tablet…

The trial and error method of diagnostics is quite common in America. We do it with children and Ritalin, we do it with teens and adults with SSRI’s and other head medications. I can’t begin to tell you how many parents I have talked to who will describe their oddessy thru the pharmacy, having their children placed on one after another medication (often getting additional srugs to counteract the unwanted side effects of the earlier drugs). Sometimes, when facing a clearly adverse reaction to the drug, the first thing the dr. will do is up the dose, rather than discontinue. Your statement that a good practitioner will not make mistakes like this supports my position (although I am not sure that was your intent).

A study in NC found that 20% of the boys age 8 were being medicated with Ritalin in one county. A study in VA found that 10% of all kids in 3 school districts were being medicated with Ritalin. A follow up with the doctors involved in the VA study found that nearly 40% of the drs. prescribed Ritalin upon the recommendations of school personnel or after a brief interview with the parents without properly screening the child.

The DEA maintains stats which show that certain states have significantly higher rates of Ritalin use per capita than other states. Either there states represent “clusters” or children are being over-diagnosed. Non-medical personnel (such as school staff) pushing parents to medicate their children has become such an issue that 6 states now have passed laws or regs against this proactice, and the US Congress is considering a bill which would do the same nationally.

As far as the mind-altering properties of Ritalin go, a team in MI found that ritalin changes the brains chemistry in the same way that cocaine does when it builds need. Just last year a study was published which suggests that therapeutic use of Ritalin when young can lead to a higher than average chance of developing depression as an adult. They had not identified the exact mechanism for this, but it involved dopamine, which is the primary way that Ritalin operates in the brain. We have a very poor understanding of the safety side of the risk/benefit ratio about Ritalin, as evidenced by the Canadian meta-analysis of 20 years worth of published studies.

Many people who have seen or experienced firsthand the benefit of using Ritalin make the wrongful assumption that we have fully investigated both the up and downside of its use. This is in actuality a false assumption, and considering the pharmacuetical industry’s track record of selective publication and data manipulation to fast-track products, coupled with the recent revelations that the FDA is sometimes more of a partner than watchdog we cannot just say “everything is okey-dokey” and trust the for-profit ventures with our children’s well-being.

Ritalin has been the direct cause of at least 4 deaths from “Len Bias disease” in teens who took it in therapeutic amounts. Yet few drs. will monitor the cardiac damage that occurs in some patients taking Ritalin. Whether this is because the drs. are qorking under the mis-information that it cannot or does not happen, or whether this is because insurance pays bonuses to drs. who keep testing costs low is not known. It is a question I would like answered however.

Beth:

Some people would say that television qualifies as a toxin in its own right ;)

You have raised a point which is sure to be as controversial as any aspect of ADHD - environmental influences on the progression of the condition. I do not know whether the difference in brain activity in children with ADHD represents structural differences in the brain which were fully inherited, whether the susceptibility to damage to the devloping brain in utero or after birth requires specific exposures, or whether outside environmental factors like tv and parenting styles contribute to it, if at all.

The thread further down the board concerning television and ADHD was “interesting”. Personally, I think that todays television (fast paced action, quickly changing scenes, reliance on special effects and action sequencing over dialogue and plot development) coupled with a bazillion channels and remote controls must have some impact upon how young brains process information. It is clearly accepted that the brain has a great deal of “plasticity” until about age 5. This is the very basis for EI services, Headstart, and the push to get parents to read more to their toddlers. If you accept that a positive impact on cognition is possible you have to allow that the inverse is true as well.

I agree that 3 decades ago ADHD was probably underdiagnosed. Whether that can fully explain the increase in incidence over the last 30 years is unanswered. A third possiblity that does not seem to get much air-time is that while the incidence of ADHD may not have changed much, the severity of ADHD may have. So we might have a case where people my age with ADHD have difficulty in focusing and staying on task, but kids today find they have an inability to do the same. Again, this would hinge on at least part of ADHD’s occurance being attributal to an environmental factor which is more widespread today than it was 30 years ago. Another unanswered question about this condition.

Cognition and behavior change the structure of the brain.

I don’t believe the visual content of TV has any effect on the brain structure but kids not doing what nature intended kids to do does cause the structure to underdevelop and atrophy.

There is a thread here about baby walkers and I think the act of a baby learning to walk the normal way is waht helps the brain develop normally.

Overall ADHD is caused by inadequate parenting. That is quite evident.

At two weeks old I held my son and looked at my husband and said “he’s not like the others is he?” My husband answered “No, I don’t think he is” Granted my son has other issues than just ADHD but I know it isn’t my parenting because it started too young…

Oh well I guess that just about says it all. Your one case exonerates all parents who screwed up their kids.

Troll/Guest/Brian 1

Thanks for all the laughs. Its refreshing to know that ignorance can still breed. However, don’t you think its time to go spread your hate and ignorance on another site?

I know, maybe you could go to one of the boards for “paranoia” - I think you would fit in so well. You might even have an attentive audience.

[quote=”Confidence in parenting”]At two weeks old I held my son and looked at my husband and said “he’s not like the others is he?” My husband answered “No, I don’t think he is” Granted my son has other issues than just ADHD but I know it isn’t my parenting because it started too young…[/quote]

It’s funny (not exactly) to see that in writing. My son lived in his Snuggli permanently attached to me for the first 6 months of his life…he sat in an infant seat in the back of the shower while I showered because he could not amuse himself…it wasn’t until my daughter was born that I realized that this was not a common situation.

The question as to how many children and adults have ADHD is an open question.

Conservative estimates of ADHD place ADHD at 2% or less of the population of the USA; extremely conservative estimates place it (real attention deficit) as 1% or less of the population meaning that only 1% or less of children really have ADHD and also only 1% or less of adults really have ADHD (since ADHD is not outgrown).

[quote=”pgd”]The question as to how many children and adults have ADHD is an open question.

Conservative estimates of ADHD place ADHD at 2% or less of the population of the USA; extremely conservative estimates place it (real attention deficit) as 1% or less of the population meaning that only 1% or less of children really have ADHD and also only 1% or less of adults really have ADHD (since ADHD is not outgrown).[/quote]

12% of American boys are on medication for ADHD. If we figure that there are probably twice that many who are undiagnosed your number just don’t add up.

I believe that at least 50% of boys have ADHD and other neuro-behavioral conditions and probably 30% of girls are also ADHD.

Statistically if we look at the rise in ADHD dx and subsequent treatment one could extrapolate and see that by 2020 many many more children will get the medication they need for this awful disease.