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I also am very skeptical about these labels. My oldest son, when he
decided to try school one more time, was considered likely to meet the ADD
description by some of his teachers and by the vice principal, who told me
that he was ADHD himself and was doing so much better on Ritalin. He said
one of the ways he knew he was ADHD was because when he would go to do
something, like put a tool away at home, he might spot something else on his
way back and start working on that when he hadn't even planned on it. I
thought, "Well, I must be ADHD, too, because that's how I do a lot of
things," but I have no desire to take a drug to try to change that.
My oldest son, Justin, has never been a "hyper" kid at all but they were
saying ADD because he didn't focus on what they wanted him to and daydreamed
instead of doing his work. I never even considered getting him officially
diagnosed because I don't believe in the diagnosis or the treatment. Since
he came back home to learn, he has no problems at all concentrating on the
things he's interested in for hours at a time. He reads for hours, mixes
music on the computer for hours, etc.
I believe the whole ADD/ADHD thing is mainly about trying to make kids be
one type of learner or personality. I don't have the knowledge to predict
any bad physical effects from years of Ritalin usage but it does worry me.
It is a type of speed and it doesn't seem like a healthy thing to be on for
years. I dated a guy when I was 21 who had a heart condition at 22 which
required him to take nitroglycerin sometimes. He said that he had been
diagnosed "hyperactive" as a kid and had been on amphetamines for years
because of it. He believed it had caused his heart condition.

Lucy in Calif.

Lynda

Heart problems are just one possible on a list two full columns long of
possible side effects with the use of Ritalin. Also, the drug is clearly
marked for limited use and for juveniles. Wonder how the adult principal
got someone to prescribe it for him???

Lynda

----------
>
> From: LASaliger@...
>
> I also am very skeptical about these labels. My oldest son, when he
> decided to try school one more time, was considered likely to meet the
ADD
> description by some of his teachers and by the vice principal, who told
me
> that he was ADHD himself and was doing so much better on Ritalin. He
said
> one of the ways he knew he was ADHD was because when he would go to do
> something, like put a tool away at home, he might spot something else on
his
> way back and start working on that when he hadn't even planned on it. I
> thought, "Well, I must be ADHD, too, because that's how I do a lot of
> things," but I have no desire to take a drug to try to change that.
> My oldest son, Justin, has never been a "hyper" kid at all but they
were
> saying ADD because he didn't focus on what they wanted him to and
daydreamed
> instead of doing his work. I never even considered getting him
officially
> diagnosed because I don't believe in the diagnosis or the treatment.
Since
> he came back home to learn, he has no problems at all concentrating on
the
> things he's interested in for hours at a time. He reads for hours, mixes

> music on the computer for hours, etc.
> I believe the whole ADD/ADHD thing is mainly about trying to make
kids be
> one type of learner or personality. I don't have the knowledge to
predict
> any bad physical effects from years of Ritalin usage but it does worry
me.
> It is a type of speed and it doesn't seem like a healthy thing to be on
for
> years. I dated a guy when I was 21 who had a heart condition at 22 which

> required him to take nitroglycerin sometimes. He said that he had been
> diagnosed "hyperactive" as a kid and had been on amphetamines for years
> because of it. He believed it had caused his heart condition.
>
> Lucy in Calif.
>
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