Archive for March, 2012

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a topic that concerns and interests me, esp. since I have quite a few children who come to me for homeopathic treatment as referrals from a school counsellor. Very often, I find that the counsellor herself does not believe that these kids have ADHD but just regular behavioural issues. To prevent these kids from being put onto ADHD medication, this wise counsellor refers them for homeopathy.

Unfortunately, the schools seem to be putting the parents under a lot of pressure to have these kids seen by a psychiatrist and then put onto medication for ADHD. Initially, one of the psychiatrists even argued with the school about holding off on medication as far as possible. However, his present stand seems to be to put the kids on medication. As he tells the parents, “If your child does not have ADHD, the drugs won’t work and then you can stop medication.” From all my reading, I do not think that this is what will happen. Even if the child does not have ADHD, these drugs will show an initial improvement in the symptoms of restlessness, lack of focus and concentration, etc. These drugs will work on anyone and have some kind of initial beneficial result. Why else would the US armed forces be giving these to their cadets? It is not possible that their cadets all have ADHD!

It is sad that schools nowadays lack teachers who can cope with different children. For the sake of ease and convenience of the teachers and the school, children are being put onto medication unnecessarily so that they comply. Pharmaceutical companies promote medication in their own interests and advise doctors accordingly. It would be truly disheartening to believe that a huge number of doctors are hand-in-glove with the companies and hence medicate children. It is possible that doctors, either from being too busy or from trust in the companies, remain ignorant about the ill-effects of these drugs and the absence of any long-term benefit despite a myriad studies and experience with their patients.

In such a scenario, widespread awareness is the need of the day.

Here is an article which strikes the right chord –

http://www.naturalnews.com/023334_child_children_brain.html

Sometimes, I find such articles an exaggeration but this one seems to be spot on. Get aware.