ADD is a real disorder. Dr Phil is a mental midget if he states otherwise.
It has NOTHING to do with parenting. It is an inheritable pathology, best demonstrated by twin studies.
There is nothing wrong with children being prescribed and treated with Ritalin or Adderall. My concern is that some children being placed on stimulates may not have ADD. The other concern is that not everyone with ADD is diagnosed and treated.
There is more than one subtype of ADD. The one always portrayed in the media is called "Classic ADD." This are the individuals that are typified by the bad behavior and low self-control. They are also the ones most readily noticed and thus diagnosed and treated. This subtype only represents 5% of those with ADD.
The subtype of ADD that I have is ADD inattentive/overfocused. My subtype does not display the bad behavior as does the Classic ADD subtype. My subtype is also the one with the greatest failure in being diagnosed.
I was not diagnosed until my mid 30's.
The problem with diagnosing ADD, is that it is subjective. That is, it is the opinion of the doctor and his skill level. This is what concerned me the most in my own path of ADD discovery. I did not want to be diagnosed with ADD if I did not have it. So, I went to the Amen Clinic and had a SPECT Scan. THe SPECT Scan is an objective test.
www.amenclinic.com
A SPECT Scan illustrates brain function whereas a PET or CAT Scan only illustrates brain structure.
ADD is normally presented as a decrease in brain function in the frontal lobes of the brain. More interesting, the decrease in brain function occurs while at task(ie concentration). This is the converse of what occurs in a normal functioning brain. We should observe an increase in brain function at task.
Most people that are not diagnosed in early life have higher predispositions with drug and alcohol abuse, marriage or interpersonal relationship problems and higher rates of suicide. Some have academic problems. Most have high IQ's.
It is often reffered to as "The Edison Trait". Edison, Einstein and many other people have been surmised to have ADD by studying their personal life histories.
Books by Thom Hartmann or Dr. Daniel Amen are the best on the subject. They both have web sites.
The SPECT Scan used in ADD daignosis requires that the patient be injected with the radioactive isotope Technetium and the scan is completed "at rest" and another, on a second day while "at rest".
All this concern over H3 glowrings and I actually PAID to be injected with a radioactive nuclide!
Glowing...
Tweek