What Every Parent Needs to Know About ADHD

If your child’s mental wellness is affected by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, the first thing you need to know as a parent is that it is not your fault. You are not a “bad parent”; your child simply has a mental health issue that is as non-preventable as any other health problem. Once you understand this, you can move on to improve your child’s behavioural and mental wellbeing.

 

So what is ADHD? The condition is believed to be caused by low levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, which are responsible for carrying messages from one neuron to another, and particularly associated with attention, organisation and managing emotions. However, the causes of ADHD are still not fully known. The term ADHD describes three types of behavioural problem in children; overactive behaviour/hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour and difficulty in paying attention.

 

The difference between your child and other energetic, restless children is that your child also has a range of other problem behaviours that can make them very difficult to care for, manage and teach. However, an important thing to remember is that ADHD is in no way related to intelligence – children at all levels of ability can have ADHD. While some children may grow out of it, two out of five ADHD sufferers continue to have problems in adolescence and beyond. If your child does not receive help, they may still see their main symptoms of ADHD, such as attention difficulties, improve with age, but other behavioural problems like disobedience or aggression may get worse.

 

Therefore, it is important to get your child help as early as possible, to protect them from social and emotional problems later on in life. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help your child manage their behaviour. For example, you can attend a behaviour management programme. These are run by professionals to help parents learn ways of talking, playing and working with your child that can improve their attention and behaviour. You might want to bring other people along, such as other carers and friends, as these techniques are useful for everyone to know. You may also want to try stimulant medication for your child, as this can reduce your child’s difficulties.

Categories: adhd children, Causes, Parents

Are YOU Mentally Ill? - Who Decides?

Perhaps you are like me and check your email every thirty minutes or less?  This internet addiction could well be defined as a mental disorder before long. Or are you subject to outbursts of temper?  Or do you eat more than you should 12 times in a three month period?

 

According to the latest edition of the DSM, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V, (just published at a bookshop near you!), the above scenarios could be signs of new mental disorders and treatment with psychiatric drugs will be the norm. The book I am referring to is the standard manual in the USA for psychiatrists and mental health specialists when diagnosing patients. Have they all gone mad, you may ask?

 

A scary scenario

 

There has been a storm of protests and fierce controversy as to how mental illness is diagnosed and treated and this had gained momentum with the latest edition of the DSM V. The sad fact is that there is more than enough evidence that the psychiatric profession is hand in glove with Big Pharma.

 

The increase in both the enormous quantities of psychiatric drugs prescribed and the galloping inflation of labels associated with previously unheard of so called mental disorders is more than enough to raise red flags.

 

We are now getting to the stage where any slight irregular or unconventional human behavior is going to have some disorder label slapped on the sufferer. The following are under scrutiny as being over diagnosed and hyped up to a disturbing level:-

 

• temper outbursts in children


• ADHD


• eating disorders


• shy children


• defiant children


• bipolar disorder

 

The scary scenario is that all or most of these conditions will be treated with psychiatric drugs. The scariest fact of all is that the vast majority of the USA school shooters (90%!) were being treated with either antidepressants, stimulants or some other type of psychotic drug!

 

What do official bodies say?

 

It depends which one you look at. Let us take the UK’s Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) as an example. This body has 10,000 members (psychologists and psychiatrists) so presumably they know what they are talking about. Let me sum up their main worries and concerns about how mental illness is diagnosed and treated. They say that:-

 

1. Diagnosis is often stated as a fact.


2. The reality of any diagnosis is subjective and rarely can be objective


3. Diagnosis of ADHD , schizophrenia  and bipolar disorder are often not reliable


4. Many diagnosis are of doubtful validity.

 

Are anti depressants helpful?

 

To add fuel to the fire, the British Medical Journal has published an article recently which states that only one in seven people will benefit form taking anti depressants! They also make the point that 75% of those who have been involved in defining mental illness have close connections with the pharmaceutical industry in one form or another.

 

In defence of the DSM

 

Many bodies have argued in favour of the contents and principles of the DSM. They defend their position by saying that the guidelines in it are merely tools to help in the whole procedure and that they look at many factors besides the biological ones. For example:-

 

• Guidelines and questionnaires in the DSM are useful pointers


• They do look at the whole person


• They consider social and psychological causes of the disorder or disease.


• They consider biological causes and treatments as just one element in a very complicated equation

 

The debate will rage on.

 

There is no easy answer here except to be aware that we urgently need to change our perception of mental illness. Above all, we should be wary of easy prescriptions when lifestyle changes and other complementary treatments should be actively considered. This is especially true in the case of ADHD children where an ADHD friendly home and active support can often be more effective than dosing them with psychostimulants.

 

Now, before you check your email for the umpteenth time today, why not switch off your computer and go for a walk instead?

 

About the author

Robert Locke MBE is an award winning author and has written extensively on ADHD and related child health problems. His new book on ‘Facts about ADHD Children – Tips on ADHD Parenting’ has just been published. Visit his Problem Kids Blog to get more details of how you can get a FREE copy from June 1 through June 3.

Categories: adhd children, anti-depressants, bipolar disorder, latest edition, Mental disorders, Mental Health, mental illness, psychiatric drugs, psychiatrists, scary scenario