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ADHD: A Real Disorder Needs Real Treatment

Genetics cause ADHD, proper diagnosis and drugs can treat it

By Henry J. Fishman, M.D.
ConsumerAffairs.com

Editor's Note: In this two-part series, vagabond correspondent Tom Glaister suggests ADHD is more cultural than physical, while Dr. Henry Fishman begs to differ.

November 12, 2007    Spanish

ADHD Special Report: Two Sides of ADHD • Doping the Young: the ADHD Dilemma • ADHD: A Real Disorder Needs Real Treatment --- News • FDA Disputes Link Between ADHD Medications and Kids' Heart Problems • ADHD Meds Seen as Safe for Kids • Heart Tests Needed for ADHD Children • Study: Ritalin Can Impact Brain Development • FDA Wants Stronger Warnings on ADHD Drugs • Study Finds Ritalin Safe for Pre-Schoolers • Politicians Likely to Suffer from AD/HD • Many Children With ADHD Not Being Treated • FDA Approves ADHD Patch • FDA Withdraws Approval for ADHD Drug • Childhood ADHD May Lead to Smoking in Adulthood • Canada Pulls Adderall After 20 Deaths • FDA Issues Suicide Warning on ADHD Drug • FTC Files Against Natural Organics, Inc.

Tom Glaister's article, "Doping the Young" is a bit, well, hyperactive.

It is full of sound, fury, energy, and some good points, but it is a bit off-target about diagnosis and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Tom rightly points out that modern life is fast-paced, school is boring, and parents, well, they don't pay attention to their kids like they used to.

How can they? We have broken families with mom and dad working or divorced, few extended families, and tv raising our kids.

All this could make young folks hyper. Many of whom, like Tom, are a bit overly energetic to start with. Many are a little nuts, maybe even enough to cause a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Obviously we shouldn't be treating a cultural and social problem with drugs. Tom thinks we are simply prescribing too much Ritalin, the treatment of choice for ADHD.

The problem is Tom has the right flavor and the wrong ice cream.

Genetic Disorder

Even if everything he says about our country is true, ADHD is still a genetic disorder -- that's genetic, Tom. It runs in families and causes documented changes in brain structure and function.

Experts can pick it up with a battery of neuro-psych tests which distinguish it from being just a bit too active or having a momentary lapse in concentration in a classroom. And, thankfully, they can treat it.

There's no question that Ritalin can cause side effects, and some folks have gotten it who should not have. But discovering the cause for ADHD and treating it properly with medication is called progress, not doping.

What to do

Parents who suspect ADHD should consult their pediatricians about a referral to an expert.

Experts include neurologists and psychiatrists. Many major medical centers, like Georgetown in Washington, D.C., offer a center which provides a team approach with a pychiatrist, neurologist, neuro-psych specialist, etc.

Careful testing can pick up ADHD and give you a solid diagnosis. Be sure you discuss all the side effects of any medicine and make sure it is right for your kid.

Also, fixing some of the problems Tom highlights can't hurt -- but it's not a solution for providing medically-sound treatment of a proven biological disorder.

After all, not treating a real disorder, like ADHD, can doom a child to a life that is much less satisfying than he or she might otherwise have had. Tom means well but no one can issue a blanket diagnosis. Every case needs to be evaluated by a qualified medical professional.

Also see: Doping the Young: the ADHD Dilemma

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