ADHD and ADD? since when do you need medication to be a normal little kid?

Question

okay, to start off, i DO believe that there are children who really have ADHD and ADD...but i've been noticing higher and higher numbers of kids being diagnosed ADHD and ADD who are perfectly normal little kids...little kids run around and make lots of noise...they jump on things, make messes, shout, cry, play, and all sorts of things...they don't like to do things like school work, and chores...that's just part of being a freaking kid...seriously, it seems like parents nowadays are just like "hey, i can't spank them b/c i'm afraid of child services, and time out doesn't work, so i'll just pump em full of meds and all will be fine"...but it just makes more kids grow up thinking that life isn't life without a pill for this and a pill for that...most of the little kids i see on these medications are perfectly normal kids...they misbehave...it's just a kid thing...i dunno...i'm afraid to have kids because now schools are forcing parents to put their kids on the meds as well...

Answer 1

for kids who dont have adhd or add

the medicine that they are giving is basically speed

so kids who dont have it would be even worse then before.

my son has adhd was having horrible difficulties at school with schoolwork. and wasnt going to make it to the next grade. now he is still very active even when he takes the medicine (adderall) but he has the ability to concentrate and actually sit down and complete things. he doesnt act like a zombie which most ppl think. he acts like a little boy who doesnt wanna do some things and wants to run around and have fun. i do agree that some people abuse disorders like that but what about the people or kids who actually do have it?

Answer 2

most definately and it sucks so bad, my little cousin has horrible ADD and her mom had to harrass the doctor and bring notes from teachers just to get her some help because people abuse it so bad, sometimes kids just need rules and consequences

Answer 3

I agree my little brother was diagnosed with ADHD and they made my mom put him on meds and I think the only thing they did was make him slower,almost every kid in my school has ADD and half have to take meds for it I think that maybe some kids really DO have that problem but i think its rediclous that their diagnosing this much kids with this! The meds make parententing much easeir because they make the kids less active I know you may think im way too young to be answering to this but I just had to say that your completely right.

Answer 4

I agree... there are a few people out there that would rather put there children on medication the pay attention to them.. there are also the people that believe the doctors are correct all the time and when they say their child has ADD they believe them..

I know there are some children out there really might have ADD but NOT all of them..

Answer 5

AMEN! I so agree with this and rant about it all the time to everyone. Yes some children do need medicine to focus and set still but I really don't understand how parents and teachers can't grasp the concept that KIDS are CURIOUS and HYPER!

Answer 6

Being the sister, wife and mother of 3 different people who actually have ADHD i completely understand you question. None of the  3 have been medicated. I do think there are some kids who are misdiagnosed and it is very sad. These kids are getting high dosages of something they don't need because some parents just don't know what to do. In earlier generations they were willing to work hard to get what they want. In these times it seems the cast majority of us lack the worth ethic or the will that our parents, grands and so on, had.  I do believe that if a condition is affecting a child's ability to perform at school, home, or other important place, the parents need to find a solution. If the solution is medication and the kid responds well then so be it. We have more demands placed on us in today's world than those of yesteryear and we are always looking for an easy way out. Sometime the medication is the easy way and sometimes its the right way. Bottom line, if the kid actually has a condition that requires them to be medicated then give them the medication, if not, then stop sedating them

Answer 7

one of my daughters has ADHD. (my 8 yr. old) she is on medication, shes nothing like a zombie, all it does is helps her focus, but even on the med. she still is very hyper and misbehaves more than my others.  i wish people knew and understood it before trying to pass judgment, walk a day in my shoes. i have a 10 yr old lil boy and a 5 yr. old lil girl who are both fine, so if i was afraid of CPS and time out didn't work i would have them on med.s too. but they're not. my hubby has ADHD and i can see the same symptoms as my 8 yr. old at times, he struggles with it. hes not on medication.  but hes learned to deal with it because hes a "man" the funniest thing about that hes not her biological father. and the school has/had nothign to do with me having her on her medication.

Answer 8

Do you know what I think, I've been doing a lot of reading on this subject and much of the behavior problems we are seeing in our society (both children and adults) are from what we are putting in our bodies everyday...our diets..  The stores are full of unhealthy JUNK food that can have a significant effect on our behavior.  Just ONE of the  items in question is all of the high ENERGY drinks on the market filled with caffeine and SUGAR and God knows what else.  Once they come on  the market, there are fools out there who will buy them and become addicted to them and blah, blah, blah. And so it goes. (Don't even get me started on sugared cereal.)  You can't educate people who don't want to be educated on what's good and what's not good for the health of their body.

As for the meds the drs are prescribing...every single one of them is DANGEROUS.  But so may parents are looking for an easy out.  Pop a pill.

Answer 9

The easiest answer is that parents are generally looking for the easy way out.  Does ADD and ADHD exist in children? Yes.  Do doctors over-prescribe and misdiagnose children as having said "disease"?  Often.  As you say, children are balls of energy, always testing the limits of what is or is not acceptable.  Studies have shown that children exposed to Television at an early age, such as under the age of 2, are much more likely to develop ADD/ADHD.  Parents should just be mindful to give their children healthy sugars, be mindful to discipline when necessary, and don't overexpose your children to television at an early age.  If you truly feel your child(ren) are displaying symptoms of ADD/ADHD, then consult a physician, although alternative methods for dealing with a positive finding should be considered before doping up your child.