Over the past thirty years, the use of ADHD meds has increased twenty-fold so that three million children are taking these drugs today.  Innocently enough, someone could assume there must be a lot of kids out there that have ADHD and it’s good that they are getting the medication they need.

Unfortunately, that is not the case at all.  In fact it’s the exact opposite as ADHD meds are not only ineffective but dangerous.  Please read on to see why it isn’t recommended to assume anything innocently enough when it comes to children and their futures.
ADHD meds are supposed to treat those symptoms of being inattentive, fidgety, restless or distracted.  The drugs are supposed to help kids focus so that their academic performance is better and their “behavior” problem is handled.  Recent studies show that kids that have taken a stimulant drug for a long time have not shown any improvement in academics or behavior.
Instead, ADHD meds can stunt the growth of the child and alter the chemistry of the child’s developing brain.  Even worse they can cause agitation, irritability, hostility and mania.  They also can produce the symptoms they are supposedly trying to treat which opens the door to incorrect dosage increases or misdiagnosis of another “mental illness,” which means more psychotropic drugs.
What is heartbreaking is that ADHD meds may make overcrowded classrooms more manageable for teachers and may make life easier for today’s overstressed working parents, but these drugs suppress brain function of children so it follows that the child is actually being suppressed as well.  The kid may be quieter and less disruptive for the benefit of the adults around him, but one can’t help but wonder what are these drugs doing to the child’s mind, his body and his personality?  What kind of effects will be experienced over time?
What is unfortunate is that there are a significant amount of parents out there that are unaware of the truth about ADHD meds.  There is a reason why.  When a parent is told his child is a “problem,” the parent is sent down the wrong road.  The days are gone when Johnny was sent to the principal’s office and his parents were called in to discuss disciplinary actions.  Today teachers, principals and school nurses pressure parents to take the child to a psychiatrist to get the “official” diagnosis and a prescription.  Parents are unaware that this is illegal.  Some schools even have events to give lectures to parents about diagnosing ADHD and ADHD meds.  No other options are offered so mom and dad go to the doctor and listen to the doctor for a few minutes while he goes over the school’s checklist.  They walk out the door with a diagnosis and a prescription.
It is appalling that this can happen.  Psychiatrists admit that they don’t know the cause of ADHD so how can they claim they know how to treat it?  ADHD is not a medical disease, so these kinds of drugs are not help or treatment.  In fact, there is no reference, test, or scientific study that proves that ADHD exists.  It has been asked for multiple times before, but the only thing heard was silence.
This is why as a parent it is important to be aware of your rights and the law about informed consent.  You as a parent will be told what the diagnosis is and the recommended treatment.  The doctor should explain the diagnosis, tell you about the side effects or any other important information regarding the drug recommended and he should tell you about other treatment options.  That way you are fully informed with the facts about your child’s condition so that you can make a sound decision.
A doctor that gives a diagnosis with a cursory look is not a doctor you want to continue seeing.  How can he know at a glance where the behavior stems from?  He should do a full medical exam.  He could consider allergies, nutrition, food sensitivities, heavy metal toxicity, thyroid disorder, or an IQ test.  The child could bored, eating too much sugar, allergic to something in the environment or allergic to a food.   Perhaps there is some sort of stress in the home environment.  If the doctor doesn’t check these out, then he is lacking in thoroughness and not treating your child as the individual that he is.
It is better to check out all the possibilities of what is causing the non-optimum behavior rather than running down the road of ADHD meds.  The drugs only cause harm and don’t help.  It also falsely puts forth to children that something is inherently wrong with them, but a pill will fix it.  As a result, that makes it sound like life’s problems are solved by drugs, so drugs are always the solution which is incorrect.  I don’t think any well meaning parent wants to contribute to drug addiction.  Get yourself informed for the sake of your kids’ health and welfare.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/29/opinion/sunday/childrens-add-drugs-dont-work-long-term.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1
 
 
http://www.onepeoples.com/current/kidsadhd.html