A physician calls the ADD "total 100% fraud." A nutrition counselor offers terrific resources. Ritalin death, the Ritalin Song, and more
ADD/ADHD Conditions
http://www.nutritional-healing.com.au/content/condition.php?category=neuro&condition=ADD%2FADHD
This is a super page on Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) from nutrition specialist Blake Graham of Perth, Australia. (Note: I helped the author to put up the site a few years ago, but the content is all his.) One item that stands out for me on this page is the Pfeiffer Treatment Center's finding that approximately three-quarters of people diagnosed with ADD/ADHD have zinc deficiency. This page also includes a terrific set of books and links.
ADHD Video
http://www.adhdvideo.org/
Dr. Fred Baughman's 56-minute video is not at all flashy, but I consider this essential viewing for people concerned with ADD. Dr Baughman actually calls the ADD diagnosis a "total 100% fraud." This video is sure to raise the hackles of many mental health professionals, but I invite a complete viewing before critique. Dr. Baughman spends a large portion of the video sharing and responding to video excerpts of the 1998 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference on ADHD.
Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
http://www.chadd.org/
http://www.chadd.org/source/Orders/index.cfm?Section=AD_HD_online_Store
National Resource Center on ADHD
http://www.help4adhd.org/en/treatment/guides/nih
http://www.help4adhd.org/en/about/myths
The National Resource Center on ADHD is operated by Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). Some of the "hackles" I mention above are detailed in the Center's "myths" page. In his video, Dr. Baughman notes that CHADD is primarily funded by Ciba-Geigy, but Ciba-Geigy has since merged with another pharmaceutical company to form Novartis. I don't have more current information on the funding sources for CHADD. If you research this, please do share your findings with me. I've included a link to the online store of this organization to point you to the Educator's Manual. I'm betting it will prove to be a useful resource, even if you don't share the organization's penchant for medication.
Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
http://consensus.nih.gov/1998/1998AttentionDeficit
HyperactivityDisorder110html.htm
This is the formal statement (noted to be a decade out of date) of the 1998 NIH Consensus Conference on ADHD.
The Drugging of Our Children
http://www.familyrightsassociation.com/bin/white_papersarticles/drugging_our_children/
Dr. Gary Null notes in this well-written white paper that "millions of children are now taking psychotropic drugs." He discusses topics such as "Ritalin's Side Effects," "A Parent's Right Not to Medicate," and "Is Attention Deficit Disorder a Real Disease?" The document is 34 pages long, including 91 footnotes.
The Drugging of Our Children
http://www.ostrowandcompany.com/film_detail.php?film=The%20Drugging%20Of%20Our%20Children
http://www.completehealthnetwork.com/video/drugging_our_children.html
http://www.gnhealthyliving.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=362
Sharing the same name as the white paper, this video from Dr. Garry Null is available from multiple sources.
Attention Deficit Disorder
http://www.drday.com/attentiondeficit.htm
This boringly formatted, but well-written, two-page overview of ADD discusses best practices for treatment, and health concerns with Ritalin. (Note: I don't exactly favor author Dr. Lorraine Day's recommendations regarding the importance of reading the New Testament: Jews, Moslems, atheists, and others can also find calm!)
Mercola.com
http://search.mercola.com/Results.aspx?q=add
Ritalin is More Potent than Cocaine
http://www.mercola.com/2001/sep/26/ritalin.htm
Adults with ADHD: Don't Become the Next Drug Target ... Here's How to Treat it Naturally
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jun/26/adult_adhd_drugs.htm
Mercola.com has a font of information on ADD. Use the search link to find all the stories or start with the full articles displayed here. You may need to register with the site in order to view the content.
Ritalin Death
http://www.ritalindeath.com/ADHD-Drug-Deaths.htm
http://www.ritalindeath.com/Ritalin-Package-lnsert.htm
http://www.ritalindeath.com/Crusade.htm
Matthew Smith died at the age of 14 of a heart attack while skateboarding. The coroner found that the cause of death was his ADHD stimulant medication. This site contains tragic stories like Matthew's. Also included are helpful resources for the still-living. For instance, the Ritalin package insert notes signs of overdosage may include "vomiting, agitation, tremors, hyperreflexia, muscle twitching, convulsions (may be followed by coma), euphoria, confusion, hallucinations, delirium, sweating, flushing, headache, hyperpyrexia, tachycardia, palpitations, cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension, mydriasis, and dryness of mucous membranes."
Adventures in Ritalin
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a38e633a775d7.htm
I wasn't able to find Elizabeth Wurtzel's article on Ritalin on The New York Times website, but I did find it on Free Republic forum.
Scroll down to "New York Times, April 1, 2000, Adventures in Ritalin, by ELIZABETH WURTZEL."
Letters to the Editor
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0CE5DD113FF93BA35757C0A9669C8B63
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E0D9173FF936A35757C0A9669C8B63
Here is the expected bevy of pro-Ritalin responses to Elizabeth's Wurtzel's column above.
ADHD Information and Support
http://www.adhd.com/index.jsp
The website adhd.com is owned (of course) by a pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly.
Vyvanse: ADHD Treatment for Children
http://www.adderallxr.com/
The website design features "Consistent Kevin through the day, even through homework," a free information kit, and a voucher for a 30-day supply of Vyvanse.
Pencils, Pens, Meds
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oeklein20aug20,0,6706516.story
I see that I wasn't the only one to notice "Consistent Kevin." Karin Klein writes for the Los Angeles Times about the success of direct-to-parent marketing of ADHD drugs.
ADHD Drugs Ineffective Over the Long Term
http://pubmed.org/sites/entrez/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=11762571
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/88431.php
"The extension of this placebo-controlled effect beyond four weeks of treatment has not been demonstrated."
Study Shows Methylphenidate Linked to Chromosomal Changes
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/20433.php
http://pubmed.org/sites/entrez/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&list_uids=16297714
"Researchers have found that after just three months, every one of a dozen children treated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with the drug methylphenidate experienced a threefold increase in levels of chromosome abnormalities--occurrences associated with increased risks of cancer and other adverse health effects."
Wikipedia--Methylphenidate
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylphenidate
The online encyclopedia includes information on the history, pharmacology, side effects, and dosages of Ritalin and other Methylphenidate drugs.
Ritalin and Cocaine
Krystle Colem, founder of NeuroSoup.com, is a pleasure to see. "I mean, now c'mon.... Where was the Ritalin commercial that said, cracking the egg, 'this is your brain, this is your kid's brain after Ritalin'?" I'd describe this video as "must-view."
Dr. Ted Broer--The Dangers of Ritalin
This is a 3.5-minute video, best treated as audio, because the sound is out of alignment with the movement.
The Ritalin Song
Watch a song about teachers and parents abusing Ritalin to keep kids "behaving"--at the cost of their individuality. Not an award-winning song or performance, but earnest.
Students Seek Competitive Edge by Taking Adderall, Ritalin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOihO1KFxkQ
A five-minute Fox News story.
Evan Greer--Adderall Song
Comments on this video range from, "Wow! This is awesome!!" to "Horrible, just awful." I happen to like it and will let you be your own judge. The video quality is admittedly awful. If you want to see and hear more of Evan Greer's music, visit http://musictonic.com/music/EvanGreer#vid-8ZzUI27ICkM.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5434a2.htm#fig1
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/adhdprevalence.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/adhdmedicated.htm
In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) put out a report called "Mental Health in the United States: Prevalence of Diagnosis and Medication Treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder." I find Figure 1, showing the different percentages of boys and girls in diagnosis and medical treatment for ADHD, intriguing. Also review the map showing the percentage of youths, aged 4-17, ever diagnosed with ADHD. Colorado weighed in at 5.0%, while Alabama more than doubled that at 11.1% How many were medicated? In Hawaii, just 2.7% of kids, while in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina, more than six percent of kids were on ADHD medication.
ADD Links
http://www.savvypatients.com/add.htm
This is an excellent set of links from savvypatients.com
Ritalin, Adderall, Other Stimulants: Further Resources
http://www.breggin.com/ritalin.html
http://www.breggin.com/congress.html
http://www.breggin.com/consensuswrong.html
Terrific links from Dr. Peter Breggin. Note his testimony before Congress on ADD in 2000.
ADHD: Path to Success
http://www.adhdhelp.org/
http://www.caer.com/
Learn how ADHD is not a defect, deficit, or a disorder, but a highly skilled, short-term defense mechanism that backfires in the long-run.
Treatment Follow-Up Program
http://www.caer.com/WebCAERInstructions.html
Intriguing and available only to people who've been treated by Dr. Lawrence Weathers, this webpage simulates a CAER Machine. The CAER Machine uses the technique of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprogramming to help people with ADD.
Ritalin Nation
http://www2.wwnorton.com/catalog/spring00/32025.htm
Reviews
http://www.amazon.com/Ritalin-Nation-Culture-Transformation-Consciousness/dp/0393046850
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?id=440&type=book&cn=3
http://fampra.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/16/4/447
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/extract/340/21/1693
This book by Dr. Richard Grandpre has received mixed reviews. (The New England Journal of Medicine requires a subscription to read the whole review.)
Talking Back to Ritalin: What Doctors Aren't Telling You About Stimulants and ADHD
 | Talking Back to Ritalin: What Doctors Aren't Telling You About Stimulants and ADHD~ Dick Scruggs (author)More about this product
| ||||||
http://www.breggin.com/ritalinbkexcerpt.html
Reviews
http://www.quackwatch.com/04ConsumerEducation/NegativeBR/breggin.html
http://www.bookreview.com/$spindb.query.listreview2.booknew.1578
I've included a link to excerpts of Talking Back to Ritalin, as well as a glowing review from BookReview.com and a negative one on QuackWatch.com. (I've never found QuackWatch.com to be the slightest bit credible, but good in any case to hear from a variety of viewpoints.) I think the book does a great job of exposing problems with the use of Ritalin. Regarding treatment, I personally favor approaches that address nutrition, sleep, exercise, sunshine, allergies, and metabolic issues, and these are typically not areas of focus for Dr. Breggin. Dr. Breggin is also the author of Talking Back to Prozac, a must-read.
Metropolitan Diary
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/26/nyregion/26diary.html
Search the page ("Find" in most web browsers) for "Ritalin" for an amusing anecdote. (You may need to register at The New York Times website to view this. Registration is free.)
Marjorie Roswell
3443 Guilford Terrace, Baltimore, MD 21218
410-467-3727
A column devoted to informative integrative health resources on the Internet
by Marjorie Roswell
