Why I Won’t Put My Daughter On Ritalin: The Misdiagnosis of A D D / A D H D in Children (1138 hits)
"Oh, she's hyper!" I stared at this stranger who was judging my 3-year-old daughter so harshly. She had observed my daughter for a mere 30 seconds in the bathroom and had come to the conclusion that my baby girl was "hyper." Never mind that my preschooler had just sat through a 2-hour church service on a Saturday morning (a service celebrating my husband's ordination) without so much as a peep. Never mind that we'd come to the bathroom for a healthy, sugar-free quick snack of hummus and sprouted-corn tortillas. Never mind that she knew nothing about how bright, energetic, talented and loving my little girl is. To her, my daughter was "hyper."
It took everything in me to not unleash the Mama Bear on this stranger. Instead, I strengthened my resolve to not let anyone–not a teacher, not a doctor–judge my amazing daughter who is full of life and energy as "hyper." I've seen firsthand how such judgement has led to a misdiagnosis of ADD/ADHD in children.
As a college writing teacher, I've worked with students who believed they weren't good writers simply because a former teacher discouraged them. This student was different, however. She told me an elementary school teacher "diagnosed" her with ADHD because her writing was disorganized and unclear! She grew up deeply scarred and doubted her abilities.
I believe that many kids who are creative, quick learners, multi-taskers, highly imaginative, fast-talkers, and bouncing off the walls are mistunderstood! These are the kids who end up in the principals office or get in trouble for talking too much at school. They master skills almost immediately and get bored fast because they know more about the subject than the teacher. Is it that they have a pyschological condition that needs a highly addictive medication? Or is it that we as parents, educators, and doctors, don't have the patience, skill, or ability to teach them? Worse yet, are there other forces driving the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD and highly profitable prescription drugs like Ritalin like the documentary Generation Rx suggests?
Dr. Dan Naim of the Los Angeles Sleep Study Institute suggests that many of the same behaviors that lead teachers and doctors to diagnose kids with ADHD are actually signs of sleep deprivation! Not only that, but medications like Ritalin actually create insomnia, making their symptoms worse!
Instead of putting my daughter on Ritalin, I decided to use Nature's Medicine, essential oils from a company called Young Living. Since she often has trouble winding down and sleeping at night, I use Young Living's Lavender oil. According to holistic health expert, Julie Behling, Lavender has amazing anti-anxiety properties and can balance the mood. Wake Forest University did a study using this essential oil and found it helped with sleep better than other sleep aids. Young Living is the only company I trust for my family. It is a non-toxic, non-addictive, natural medicine that doesn't numb her out, dumb her out, or change my daughter's personality.
Here's my challenge: instead of misdiagnosing and drugging our kids, let's give them the family life and education they deserve!
What do you think about the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD and the use of Ritalin in children? Please share your thoughts below!
