I'm going to have to side with KA on this one even though MJ makes some good points. I was diagnosed with ADHD and was on various drugs for many years culminating in being prescribed Effexor for depression. After about 6 months on Effexor I stopped taking all the drugs altogether. There is a short period (about a week) of pretty awful withdrawl but after that I have never felt better. Strange that I was raised in a family which was divided on the medicines approach and one parent was a minimalist and the other had no problem giving medicines. In my post-parental-care life I have found I enjoy the former approach and I have not been sick at least three years. I don't wash my hands unless I am in a situation where that kind of thing is socially unacceptable or unhealthy for others (i.e. cooking for my house, after pooping, going out to eat, shaking hands, etc.) and I feel that this likely strengthens my immunities to the pathogens in my immediate surroundings.

As for the ADHD, the condition is mental and the solution is mental as well. You have to learn to work with it and not suppress it with drugs because the drugs do not ONLY effect the ADHD condition and there are definitely other effects! My self-esteem was affected and my appetite was suppressed (which led to some strange belittling in school, further exacerbating my insecurities). When I was on the anti-depressants I realized that by actively focusing my attention (I suppose the method is similar in practice to Buddhism) I could, not ignore or suppress, channel the wild mind into a relatively constructive form. I still have trouble following social standards (this really only applies to school, I rarely study unless I am particularly worried and I still do quite well, and I tend to do my assignments the night before, or the minute before!, class because I cannot focus on them unless I absolutely need to). This doesn't really cause me any real trouble and it is only reflected in the attitudes of others around me.

I believe that ADHD is just a result of the over-restricted system that our kids have to endure these days. There are simply personality types that DO NOT FIT in accordance to the American (and other nations) norms. There are school out there which take alternate approaches to learning (you seriously cannot believe that a standardized educational system is going to work, mj) and they can show incredible improvement to the faculties (and "scores") of some (not all, obviously!) children. I think drugs should only be used as an absolute final resort and being more actively involved in your child's mind is a better way to help understand the "adverse" conditions that are present and then it is up to the parents to adjust the environments to try to work WITH the child's tendencies instead of forcing them to adapt which will certainly lead to a social (and no doubt financial) nightmare.

That's all I have to say at the moment but I am sure there is more kicking around. This is a good thread.

Il papa caca nei legno?