Hyper Campers

I too grew up with ADHD in a time where ADHD was not a household word and medications were virtually unheard of. Schools and so called professionals at the time did not know what it was and did not know how to deal with it so they didnt, instead they gave out detentions, sent me to counsellors etc which none of it helped. I learned to live with it and deal with it and adjust. In my adult life I was tested and was diagnosed with ADHD, the doctor put me on ritalin but I was losing weight and it made me feel like I was a slow robot not myself. I control it myself through educational awareness and herbal meds such as St Johns Wort. Critics can say what they want about St Johns Wort but take it from an adult ADHD patient it works. My husband and daughter can tell when I havent taken it and when I have. I do get hyper but St Johns Wort controls it. Given my personal experience I think too many health professionals are diagnosing too many ADHD cases especially in young children, when all it may be is a healthy overactive child. I am not saying that Medications should not be given to children with ADHD but I think only in extreme cases where they child really is uncontrollable and patience and understanding wont help. I agree that because our school system has come to a point where there are too many children per teacher ratio in classes, that school officials opt to have children medicated to points where maybe they shouldnt be. Just because a child is active or misbehaves does not mean he/she has ADHD. I think natural herbs should be considered first before we become a society that popping pills answers all our prayers especially with our children. I personally have adapted very well with growing up with ADHD and although when solving problems or critical thinking I did it a different way from conventional means I still got the same answer. ADHD is a challenge but not one which cannot be overcome with the right encouragement. We are a hurried society and our time is limited so we sometimes tend to reach for the Easy pill whether it is needed or not as we dont want to deal with it.

I am 25 years old with the Innattentive subtype of ADHD and I can vouch that if I miss a day of my meds, even if I'm not doing anything work or school related, I have trouble just getting around. I feel spacey and dazed and like I'm only half there. I feel like a full person when I am on my meds and can do so many more fun and productive things. It doesnt just help with "the important stuff" but also allows me to have a clearer mind for things I enjoy leisurely.

A most interesting article. However, more interesting are the comments and their view of this issue. As the saying goes, Opinions Vary! However, I do feel that too many parents who have ADHD children and do go the route of medication, are being chastised for "taking the easy way out". I have ADHD, but grew up in a time when medication for ADHD was unknown. So I was labeled as a trouble maker or difficult. Even though I had a very high IQ (I am a member of Mensa), I struggled in school to even appraoch my potential. Only adulthood and trial-and-error growing up have enabled me to "cope" with the issues that ADHD bring.

My 11 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 6, when he couldn't conform to the rules of school. He was especially challenged in large groups (classrooms, lunchrooms, recess), all of which occur in school with regularity. Only after he began taking Ritalin (and now Concerta) was he able to excel at school. And even with that medication, he still suffers from impulsivity and outbursts. I personally feel he has yet to show his real potential, due to the lack of focus. Do I enjoy medicating him? NO! But I have seen first hand the differences between his behavior on and off the medication, and they are very drastic. Unmedicated, he would have been kicked out of school long ago for his behavior.

We still let him take "holidays" off his meds. The biggest problem we have found with the drug is the lack of appetite, so we allow him these "holiday" times to eat more and have "growing spurts". But we always try to medicate him anytime he is doing a type of sturctured activity, such as summer camp. We do this so he can be successful, not as an easy way out for us. I only wish I had had that option when I was young.

I believe the real problem with ADHD lies in our increasingly intolerable society and the pressures it places on both the parents and their children to "conform". Children cannot be themselves anymore. Playtime at school is structured with too many rules, so there is no time for children to "blow off steam". Any behavior that is outside the limits set by society are dealt with harshly (those of you with ADHD children in a public school know what I am speaking of). So, as long as an ADHD child has to be medicated to function in our current society, parents will make that choice. Not to make their job easier, but to prevent their children from enduring the emotional stress that comes with their not fitting in or being successful.

So, I say this to all the "experts" out there, with or without degrees. Regardless of how many children you may have seen, or baby-sat, or taught who have ADHD or ADD, unless you have it yourself and are raising a child with ADHD or ADD in today's society, don't be too hasty to judge those parents that have chosen to medicate their children. Walk a mile in our moccasins first!

As a former counselor with a degree in psychology, I would encourage parents not to take their kids off medication just for camp. If you feel it is necessary to give them a medication holiday, please start before camp. Kids should adjust to life without meds at home. Hot cabins away from home will make it hard for any kid to get enough sleep, and taking meds away makes that harder. They can feel out of control because theyalfjk don't understand why changes are occurring. It is unfair of parents to put their kids in camp while ust to life without medication. It is unfair to ask the child to deal with these changes in such a different situation. They need time for their body to stabilize.

Parents should also understand that counselors are usually young adults that probably do not have any formal training about ADHD. Children who are on medication holidays often require more attention and can limit the attention given to other children. Parents should also be aware that counselors will, more than likely, be unaware of the child's situation because of privacy laws. This can limit their ability to help the child adjust.

That being said, I think medication holidays are a good idea. ADHD is over-diagnosed and medication for it probably has a lot more long-term effects than we know of. Any long term medications will change body chemistry and if it is not necessary, then children shouldn't have to take it.

Children should have a break from medications and their side-effects, but it is unfair for parents to change their child's homeostasis just as they are drastically changing their situation. It is unfair to the other children attending camp and it is unfair to the counselors who have groups of children to take care of. Parents should let their children stop taking their medication a few weeks before camp so that they can adjust in a safe environment. If parents are unwilling to deal with the changes accompanying the medication holiday, they must realize that if they are ill-equipped to deal with it, then counselors with multiple children to take care of are certainly less equipped to handle it. Bottom line is, parents need to put the needs of their children first. Children should not have to adapt to new body chemistry at camp.

Remember:
Heath Ledger at 28 died of legal drugs----pain killers, tranquilzers and sleeping pills-----

Also with a lie detector test, I can determine if the doctor is not on perscription drugs----many doctors are
taking mood stabilzers, tranquilzers and sleeping pills-----needless to say that would not be the doctor to use.
All the mental health doctors should be tested yearly by the US government, to determine if they are
taking Drugs-----and not experimenting on patients with Drugs.-----more control is needed throughout the
mental health area, so doctors and staff are not treating the mentally ill people as if they were some
Wild Dog. The mentally ill people today do not have a stigma, they have harassment and hate in the
World today.

Are you ready for me America?
No, I'm not Michael Moore and I'm not Tom Cruise.

I'm a Bipolar Vietnam Vet claiming he can help the 45 million mentally ill people-----
I use US Government Information----to arrive at---a more perfect body chemistry-----
I'm not the Vitamin Guy----
I'm not the Herb Guy----
I totally believe in US Government Information regarding your personal health----your problem, you
don't real understand US Government information-----it is on the side of your cereal box-----maybe you
should read it and totally understand it-----
I am bipolar, I have been drug free for more then 4 years----I do not use drugs to maintain my body
chemistry. I have found a better solution for me, and I hope it can help many people in the USA.
I'm willing to be tested by any doctor, as long as every thing is video taped, and a lie detector will be present
to make sure all parties are telling the truth/
For Example:
Doctor have you ever experimented on your patients with drugs? Yes or No
Doctor do the drugs help all your patients? Yes or No
Doctor are the drugs working?
Doctor are the drugs just a control, or do they work to correct body chemistry?
Doctor is the rate of mental illness in the US higher then every other country of the World?

You will see----no doctor wants to be video taped with a lie detector test present WHY?

Thanks to Newsweek for a very balanced, accurate and informative report!

It's gotten to the point where I cringe at headlines about ADHD, because most stories tend to perpetuate pervasive myths or spout propaganda from ???mental health professionals??? who are actually non-expert media gadflies. But I read all the way to the end without flinching. Impressive!

I did wonder, though, about that camp assistant director's comment on being less social while on medication. It could well be that he's on too high a dosage of medication or is on the wrong medication. Yet, it could also be that he associates being the ???life of the party??? or ???Mr. Entertainer??? as having social skills. With ADHD, self-observation is not always reliable. That young man might do well to ask others how they perceive the differences when he is on/off medication. He might be surprised.

Thanks to Newsweek for a very balanced, accurate and informative report!

It's gotten to the point where I cringe at headlines about ADHD, because most stories tend to perpetuate pervasive myths or spout propaganda from ???mental health professionals??? who are actually non-expert media gadflies. But I read all the way to the end without flinching. Impressive!

I did wonder, though, about that camp assistant director's comment on being less social while on medication. It could well be that he's on too high a dosage of medication or is on the wrong medication. Yet, it could also be that he associates being the ???life of the party??? or ???Mr. Entertainer??? as having social skills. With ADHD, self-observation is not always reliable. That young man might do well to ask others how they perceive the differences when he is on/off medication. He might be surprised.

What America needs are people willing to Build America-----all I see is the destruction of America
America need people that don't Lie, that will not Cheat, and that will not Steal----

America need people willing to support the American Companies-----we support and only lose our
money-----why? It should be a Win, Win situation-----however that is not taking place in America.

We devalued the US dollar and we do not allow people to win the stock market. Why? Who is cheating
who?

Mental illness can be created-----at the presented time millions of Americans are very depressed----all
because of America-----they are living a nightmare-----but why?

How to create Mental Illness In America
1.) Have Fannie Mae, Ginnie Mae, MBIA, Ambac, Country wide mortgage, Washington Mutual, Bear Stearns,
GM, Ford, Sharper Image, Starbucks, Home Depot, Bally's, American Airline, United, Delta, Northwest
and 100 other companies all lose 90% of market cap---
2. Create twice the level of 9/11 in the stock market
3. Raise oil from $36 to $140 and not give a break in gas prices to the people in the US
4.) Forclosure Rate at an all time high
5.) Health insurance priced higher then the average person can afford
6.) Reduce the stock market, so every retired person in America loses his money

With all the above we wonder WHY---mental illness in America is at 15%-----it could be at 50% or higher----

I would like to think that the parents are voluntarily taking their children off of medication during camp for the good of the child. Frankly, it seems a bit more like the parents just want someone else to deal with their kids while they are on "medication vacation." As if camp counselors didn't have enough to deal with already!

Are also the creators of MS, scoliosis, diabetes, alzheimers, cancer, blindness, deafness, leukemia, and every other illness? Come on, what we need is funds for research in order to control and hopefully conquer all illnesses. People who pass judgment like you are far to common and far too ignorant.

Mental Illness is growing in the USA----we are the creators of mental illness---

Divorce rate in USA is higher then every other country of the World
Suicide rate in USA is higher then every other country of the World
Over 15% of the US population has No Health Care
Gas up---Food Up-----and stock market down-----we can't even afford to live in America----
America the most powerful country in the World, has more mental illness then any other country of the World.
Both husband and wife have to work just to pay the normal bills.
The average person in America is not Living A Dream---they are Living a Nightmare-----

We can all learn from Starry Night-----we must all Change-----Change for the better and not the worst----
We build America
We will live the Dream
We will reduce mental illness
We will provide health care for all people in the US
We will make America better, we will make America Stronger-----and we will reduce Mental Illness

The moment they take people with Seizures, MS, MD, or Alzheimers off of all meds. because that is the way to "CURE" them is the moment I take my ADHD son- who, by the way, plays soccer, baseball, swim team and guitar AND skipped second grade due to his brilliance, AND who tested out at 7th grade math skills and 9th grade reading skills in 4th grade- off of the Adderall. You all who don't live with it have NO business commenting and passing judgement.

Vincent Van Gogh----last 2 years of his life---he creates Starry Night---in a Mental Ward---he was dying---
lived only to 37 years old---
On 8 May 1889 Van Gogh, accompanied by a carer, the Reverend Salles, committed himself to the mental hospital of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole in a former monastery in Saint Rémy de Provence, a little less than 20 miles (32 km) from Arles. The monastery was a mile and a half out of the town and was in an area of cornfields, vineyards, and olive trees. The hospital was run by a former naval doctor, Dr. Théophile Peyron, who had no specialist qualifications. Theo van Gogh arranged for his brother to have two small rooms, one for use as a studio, although in reality they were simply adjoining cells with barred windows.[65] During his stay there, the clinic and its garden became his main subject. At this time some of his work was characterised by swirls, as in one of his best-known paintings, The Starry Night

This is in response to Morfop - my 7 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5.5. My husband was very much opposed to medication, so we tried to help combat his symptoms in the manner you suggested. We eliminated all processed sugar from his diet. We ate only organic foods - and I mean everything. We eliminated all gluten from his diet (and ours) and gave him a daily Omega-3 supplement which is said to help combat ADHD symptoms. In addition, we had him attend social skills group therapy and we went on daily bike rides and family walks, in addition to limiting monitor time (TV, video games, computers) to 5 hours a week. Despite doing this for over 8 months, it did not help. Eventually, our son was expelled from Kindergarten because of his impulse control problems and his disruptive behavior. We finally decided to try medication - and it has worked incredibly well. Our son repeated kindergarten again this year without any problems and is now reading at a 3rd grade level and doing math at a 2nd grade level. He has friends, and can engage in group sports.

So no, medication did not kill our son's spirit. The sad thing is that before the meds, we knew our son had an incredibly kind, loving spririt despite all the outward difficultites. It was the medication that allowed all of the negative behaviors to be controlled and allowed that spirit to shine forth so that everyone could see what an incredible little boy he is.

This is in response to Morfop - my 7 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5.5. My husband was very much opposed to medication, so we tried to help combat his symptoms in the manner you suggested. We eliminated all processed sugar from his diet. We ate only organic foods - and I mean everything. We eliminated all gluten from his diet (and ours) and gave him a daily Omega-3 supplement which is said to help combat ADHD symptoms. In addition, we had him attend social skills group therapy and we went on daily bike rides and family walks, in addition to limiting monitor time (TV, video games, computers) to 5 hours a week. Despite doing this for over 8 months, it did not help. Eventually, our son was expelled from Kindergarten because of his impulse control problems and his disruptive behavior. We finally decided to try medication - and it has worked incredibly well. Our son repeated kindergarten again this year without any problems and is now reading at a 3rd grade level and doing math at a 2nd grade level. He has friends, and can engage in group sports.

So no, medication did not kill our son's spirit. The sad thing is that before the meds, we knew our son had an incredibly kind, loving spririt despite all the outward difficultites. It was the medication that allowed all of the negative behaviors to be controlled and allowed that spirit to shine forth so that everyone could see what an incredible little boy he is.