Anyone who has been around children (and even some adults) and certainly those of us who have been in a classroom, have experienced someone diagnosed with ADHD. In fact, in the US today, 1 in 10 male children are being medicated for the disorder and one in eight children in school are now said to suffer from some sort of mental disorder! The New York Times recently reported that from 2008 to 2012 the number of adults taking medications for ADHD increased by 53% and that among young American adults, it nearly doubled.

Shockingly, the scientific father of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Leon Eisenberg, confessed on his deathbed that, “ADHD is a prime example of a fictitious disease.”  Eisenberg studied ADHD for four decades earning a great deal of wealth as a medical researcher along with several prizes for his work.

Perhaps suspicious of the exponential rise is diagnosing children with this disorder, Lisa Cosgrove, a child psychologist, looked into where The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the standard reference for psychologists in diagnosing mental disorders, was getting their funding. What she found was that every DSM board member was receiving money from the pharmaceutical industry, a clear breach of medical ethics but, more often than not, a standard practice in this day and age.

Have we lost clarity on what is “normal” childhood behavior? Are our children acting “abnormally” because they are in desperate need of more parental attention, healthier diets with less sugar, artificial colors and preservatives and allergens, less computer and iPhone time and more real human contact interaction? Are we forcing our children to “sit and behave” through medication rather than having them run around, play outside and get some healthful natural Vitamin D from the sun?

From an interesting blog post about why children fidget, the writer states that she was asked to observe an average classroom during circle time reading. The majority of children were fidgety and distracted. Testing for core strength and balance was performed and it was found that “compared to children from the early 1980s, only one out of twelve children had normal strength and balance” indicating a severe lack of physical fitness.

The writer suggests that children actually need hours of movement in order to build the vestibular (balance) system which would work wonders in controlling restlessness. Because of the great need to exert their bodies, children are having difficulty turning their brain on to learning and find it harder and harder to sit still. By increasing recess and gym time, it is believed that class time will be much more productive for all.

 
The publication Psychology Today asked why France’s children have a less than .5% ADHD diagnosis compared to the US’s epidemic 9%. What they found was that where it is believed that the disorder stems from affects the treatment. In the US, ADHD is considered a biological disorder and therefore is treated with psycho stimulant medications such as Ritalin and Adderall. In France, the condition is seen as a psycho-social and situational problem which is treated with psychotherapy and family counseling.

The French believe that the child is living with distress which causes the child to behave in a difficult manner. They seek to remedy the problem through social context. By doing this, the French avoid the “pharmacological band aide” which masks the real cause of the problem.

In addition, the French have a stronger structure while raising their children. Mealtimes are at specific hours of the day and snacking in between is not allowed. Limits are enforced and saying “no” with a follow-through is believed to help children feel safe and secure. Through this confident parenting, it is believed that children learn self-control early in their lives which carries over through adulthood.

Dr. Richard Saul, a behavioral neurologist for 50 years, just published “ADHD Does Not Exist”. Over his career, he has found that more than 20 conditions can lead to symptoms of ADHD without being ADHD and yet, people are constantly being diagnosed with the disease and medicated. He points out that the DSM now only requires 5 out of 18 possible symptoms to qualify for an ADHD diagnosis and then receive a prescription. And, he notes, that most of us have had many of these symptoms at some point or another.

However, Dr. Saul doesn’t deny that people need help with many troubling symptoms. What he has found is that all too often people are being treated for ADHD when in fact there are other causes for the disruptive behaviors. Some of these might be sleep disorders, undiagnosed vision and hearing problems, substance abuse (marijuana and alcohol in particular), iron deficiency, allergies (especially airborne and gluten intolerance), bipolar and major depressive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and even learning disabilities like dyslexia, to name a few.

Given that the stimulants used to treat ADHD have serious side effects such as sleep deprivation, appetite suppression, addiction, increased anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, erectile dysfunction and hallucinations, maybe it’s time to stop the quick fix approach to “ADHD” and bring back some basics, like more physical activity and family time.

As Dr. Saul states, he recommends that people eat right, exercise more, get eight hours of sleep a night, minimize caffeine intake in the afternoon, monitor cell-phone use and do what they are passionate about. He points out that many children act out because they are not challenged enough in the classroom and adults whose jobs are not personally fulfilling or who don’t engage in a meaningful hobby understandably become bored, depressed and distracted. In addition, today’s rising standards are pressuring children and adults to perform better and longer at school and at work.

As educators, we are on the front line for dealing with disruptive behavior. What are your feelings? Does ADHD exist? Can we give our students more physical activity? Is medicating children the best way to handle large classrooms? Please share your thoughts.