Raising the Ritalin Generation

[groovedaddy]

I REMEMBER the moment my son’s teacher told us, “Just a little medication could really turn things around for Will.” We stared at her as if she were speaking Greek.

“Are you talking about Ritalin?” my husband asked.

Will was in third grade, and his school wanted him to settle down in order to focus on math worksheets and geography lessons and social studies. The children were expected to line up quietly and “transition” between classes without goofing around. This posed a challenge — hence the medication.

“We’ve seen it work wonders,” his teacher said. “Will’s teachers are reprimanding him. If his behavior improves, his teachers will start to praise him. He’ll feel better about himself and about school as a whole.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/opinion/sunday/raising-the-ritalin-generation.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120819

[Warpy]

1. More hysterical bullshit from the medically ignorant.

Ritalin is a miracle drug for children who really do have ADD/ADHD.

Is it overprescribed? Probably. Any parent whose school informs them their kid needs it needs to follow up with a pediatric psychologist or neurologist who is trained to administer the tests to nail down the diagnosis. If the kid is cleared, no drugs.

However, this article is Momma Bear jerking knee bullshit that tries its best to freak other Momma Bears out by shrieking about extremely rare side effects that are mostly dosage connected as though they happen every day. They don't.

I hate alarmist articles like this one and the NYT should be ashamed of itself for publishing them. Some kids will likely not get the help they need because of crap like this.

[groovedaddy]

2. It is an opinion piece and not an "article." Even in the field of

psychiatry, there is disagreement over long term usage of drugs like ritalin, particularly as it relates to later drug use/abuse/addiction. Some studies say there is a increased chance of such problems and some say there isn't. It is known that the brain treats ritalin the same way it treats cocaine, though, again, there is disagreement about whether or not this leads to a propensity to use the later drug.
"Nailing down the diagnosis" is the most problematic part of psychiatry. Also, there are some interesting alternatives to drugs that are coming to the fore, with more testing needed to be done, i.e. neuro feedback, as well as dietary issues.

[Tumbulu]

3. One thing I really like about the Percy Jackson series

is that it seems to sort of de stigmatize the ADHD thing.....

I think that the energy level of a normal children is really too much for most current urban schools that do not have enough teachers or aids. Nor enough money to pay for playground attendants. Couple that with endless violence and insolence feeding the imagination through the media.... yikes!

I do not blame teachers or the medical community or parents, I think it is a more structural problem having to do with a transition to more urban lifestyle. I wonder how they deal with this in Japan?

[CanSocDem]

4. Schools typically suppress enthusiasm...

...and Ritalin is reliable agent. The fact that it produces an amphetamine-like effect that overloads the nervous system should be cause for concern but the real problem is the school system that can't or won't accommodate high energy kids.

The daughter of close friends of mine (both teachers) was prescribed Ritalin in elementary school and is now an adult with unfocused high energy and a complete dependence on the psycho-pharmaceutical industry.

From the link:

We’re also ensuring that down the road, when faced with other challenges that high school, college and adult life are sure to bring, our children will use the coping skills we’ve taught them. They’ll reach for a pill.

.

[groovedaddy]

5. Amen! It just flies in the face of the whole "Just say no" to drugs

campaign. At some level, children get the hypocrisy of it all. It's very mixed message with very mixed results.

[CanSocDem]

6. "Just Say No"...

...was a program offered in her schools. Her home life involved the open use of cannabis when her parents opted for the No Hypocrisy model. It was always available as an alternative that she didn't start using until her teen years.

When I argued against Ritalin in the first place, as educators they defended its remarkable success in "settling down" fidgety, un-involved students and a dysfunctional classroom. I said it will lead to personal dysfunction.....

On the plus side, she finally got to University where she is a drama major.

.