ADHD: Over- Diagnosed?

Natalie Sachs-Ericsson, author and FSU psychology professor states that verbal abuse, as well as physical and sexual abuse can produce symptoms that mimic AHDH in a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders dated 6/2006. she and the co-author, Thomas Joiner found that adults who had been subjected to verbal abuse were more likely to display symptoms of panic disorder, anxiety and depression. as early as 1999, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medicial school, Dr. Martin Teicher was questioning the use of Ritalin and Adderall to treat ADHD according to an article dated 3/1999 in the Harvard Gazette. He says: "If a child behaves like we expect someone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to behave, we label the child with that disorder, then treat him or her with medication," notes Teicher. "That's not the ideal way to make a diagnosis. It fails to distinguish between children who have a diminished capacity to sit still and those who have the ability but fail to use it." Teicher also points out that Symptoms of stress, anxiety, or depression may produce behavioral disturbances resembling ADHD. Many alternatives to prescription medicine exist. However, there is a strong bias in the community, especially amongst teachers to use the prescription drugs. I believe this has more to do with the over-crowded conditions of the school and the inability of the teachers to manage an unruly child in the classroom. it is simply easier to medicate the child. There are also those in the Field of complementary Medicine who feel that therre are natural remedies available for the "hyperactive" child, like combinations of St.John's wort,Lemon Balm,Passion flower,Bacopa, 5 HTP (Griffonia Simplicifolia and possibly some other co-factors, like Zinc, and Magnesium. However, I have also noticed that some who are diagnosed with ADHD are in fact bipolar and are later diagnosed with that at a later time. However, in 2000, Dr Joseph Biederman. MGH shocked the psychiatric world by claiming that some children , even as toddlers are actually bi-polar and argued to medicate them as such. so, if you think your child has this disorder, make sure you consult an expert, and also take the time to evaluate your own parenting style. Dr. sachs-Ericsson and Dr Joiner point out that verbal abuse by a mother is more damaging than screaming by a father. This may lead to adult depression and anxiety. I have added an extremely informative video by Dr. John Breeding author of The wildest colts Make the Best Horses. He is speaking here in the video of the PBS documentary The Medicated Child, which I recommend that you watch if you didn't catch it January 8, 2008. A few yrs ago, Bill Clinton mandated that the pharmaceutical industry had to do child-oriented research and offerred an incentive. The results of that research indicated that adult proescriptions are not effective for children. Big profits for the drug industry?