ADD and ADHD Drugs: Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta – Linked to Sudden Death – Seek Alternatives

2.5 million out of the 4 million U.S. children diagnosed with attention-deficit disorders are being treated with stimulant drugs. ADHD drugs like Ritalin, Adderall and Concerta supposedly help your child pay attention. Yes. I would imagine drugging your child into an obedient state might work to make them more manageable for both teacher and parent, but at what risk?

These drugs can increase blood pressure and heart rate and carry warnings about risks for sudden deaths in patients with heart problems. But do you know if your child has a heart problem? Well, that was the concern of American Heart Association. In April 2008 they suggested that your child have an EKG performed if they were going to take or were already taking an ADHD drug. Once parents heard about the warning the cardiologists were bombarded with phone calls demanding the test. Others feel the test is unnecessary. I wonder who the “others’ are? Could they be the drug manufacturers who stand to lose money? It is now a controversial issue whether the test is necessary due to costs. Due to all the confusion the American Heart Association issued a “little” statement clarifying that it is not mandate (not absolutely necessary) to have this test and that each doctor should use their own judgment. The Pediatrician’s Academy backed them up and will be published in the August edition of the Academy’s Medical Journal, Pediatrics.

Please do not get me started! Too late! The number one factor here is not whether your child should be getting an EKG or not. The real issue is whether your child should be on these drugs at all. If you look at the facts about these drugs there are none. There is no scientific evidence that any chemical imbalance exists in our brains. There is no test for such an imbalance. It is all made up.

If Johnny is not listening in school or at home drugging him is not the solution. If your child is not paying attention in school he might be bored because he does not understand something or he may not be challenged enough. Let’s take a look at an example: The teacher is explaining about the layers of rock and sand in our water bodies such as creeks. She explains that the sediment (sand and loose rock) goes to the bottom. Johnny is all confused because he heard his mother say once on the phone to someone to forward her sentiments. He had asked her what that meant and she said, “Oh, that just means I am sending my best wishes to someone because their grandmother died.” Johnny mixed up the word “sentiments” with “sediment”. It would be like sending a child to a foreign language speaking school. He tries to understand, but just cannot. He eventually gives up and acts out in other ways.

Overfilled class-sizes, economic disadvantages and “learning disorders” are common. Yet underlying all of this, there are three primary barriers that keep one from successfully studying a subject. Despite all that has been written on the subject of study, these three barriers were never isolated as having such importance in effective education.

“This is not attention deficit disorder, emotional problems, or stupidity at work. This is the emotional or physical reaction a student of any age will experience when encountering one of these barriers to learning.

Students fail to learn because no one has ever taught them how to learn — how to identify the barriers to learning and how to overcome them.

What are the three primary barriers to learning? The answer is found in Study Technology, central to which is the delineation of these barriers to study. Never before recognized, these yet constitute the primary reasons for educational failures.”

© 1996-2006 Applied Scholastics International. All Rights Reserved.

To find out what these three barriers are click here: http://www.appliedscholastics.org/learning_barriers/index.php Then click “First Barrier” “Second Barrier” and “Third Barrier” to your left.

Learn how to properly taper off psychiatric drugs safely: http://www.theroadback.org/workbook.htm.

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