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as a disorder; currently disorders such as ADHD can not be measured using medical instruments, experts use lists and scores based upon observable subjective symptoms in which to categorise a patient into any one or a combination of disorders. The favoured method of treatment of many diagnosed conditions are through mind altering drugs, including Ritalin.

There have been attempts to find a physical way of diagnosing ADHD by studying the brain of ADHD suffers against those of normal people; studies indicated that those with ADHD show signs of brain damage in parts of the brain, experts explain that this brain damage has occured possibly due to toxic poisoning or physical trauma to the infant before it is born, they believe this causes ADHD. There is however another body of opinion, who suggest that what the experts are seeing as damage to the brains of ADHD patients is in fact what has been caused by the drugs they have been prescribed, such as Ritalin; they say that such drugs interfere with the brain's normal functioning, the brain in order to cope with the drugs behaves abnormally, the drugs cause brain cells to die and parts of the brain to atrophy.

Case studies of ADHD children on Ritalin indicates that many do not leave school with better qualifications through taking the drug; in some cases children on leaving school are taken off the drug which results in them developing further anti-social problems and breaking the law.

There is concern that the diagnosis of ADHD is being made by unqualified non-medical individuals including teachers, school administrators and social workers; once diagnosed by such people, parents are threatened that the child will be put into special education classes unless they are prescribed drugs such as Ritalin. There have been cases when parents who have refused to allow their children to be drugged, that the child is taken into care of the authorities and the parents are charged with child neglect.

There is another concern that children are being misdiagnosed with ADHD, and are wrongly being administered Ritalin. A child who may dislike a teacher; is a bored gifted student; is suffering bullying, parental divorce, a relationship breakup with a boy or girlfriend, a house move, stress, bereavement, abuse, a new addition to the family, or any of the many other issues of life could express any of a number of symptoms on a checklist leading to a diagnosis of ADHD or other condition. Once a misdiagnosis is made, and drugs are administered, a healthy normal child can experience a spiral of problems from which they may never recover.

Why Ritalin is extremely important for children: perhaps the children do not think Ritalin is important, but those who deal with them may think it is important to the children. For the drug company Ritalin sales creates profit, which boosts shares, director bonuses and shareholder dividends. For the doctors who are offered huge incentives by the drug companies, the doctor receives a payment in the form of a service or financial resources from the drug company for prescribing Ritalin; many doctors also believe that Ritalin is a positive drug for ADHD. For the harassed teachers and the school administrators Ritalin is a wonder drug to control children who are viewed as disruptive, antisocial or problematic in the classroom. For the parent, Ritalin offers hope and a remedy for the problems their child faces. It seems the only loser in all this is the child.

Learn more about this author, Mabon Dane.
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