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Trivializing a Disorder


p99shooter

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So, I'm searching the web, looking to find an article on any major league baseball players with ADD. My son with ADD is struggling at the plate in little league now, and I was hoping to give him an example of a pro with ADD, to maybe remove some of his self-limiting beliefs.

Well, what do I find instead? Scores of articles on how after 2006, when MLB placed a ban on amphetamines, the number of baseball players that received a theraputic use exclusion for drugs like Ritalin or Adderal went up by a factor of 8! Essential, after the ban on amphetamines, pro players got doctors to diagnose them with ADD and prescribe stimulant drugs like Ritalin or Adderal. The percentage of MLB players "with" ADD is now at about 8 times the rate of the general population. So, they cheat, and trivialize ADD as a disorder at the same time.

Makes me sick, make me want to stick my head in a hole in the ground like an ostrich, and makes me want to never see another ball game again. ARRGG.

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P99

Long ago I went to a seminar where some of the leaders on ADD/ADHD research spoke about the drugs they were perscribing, and the disorders that they were continuing to do research on. Later in the evening we went out for drinks with three of these folks and I had the opprotunity to discuss at length their research. (I had a GF who was going to school and she got us access. My brother has both disorders)

One thing that struck me as sad was that most of these researchers found that the rates of diagnosis for these disorders was disproportional to what the typical population should have. IOW, there were kids being diagnosed with these disorders that really didn't have them, they were just hard to discipline, or had other disorders and were being misdiagnosed.

These drugs have potential side effects and when you have a child using them be sure to pay close attention and listen carefully to what you son says to you about how they make him feel. Also, the smallest useful dosage is widely recommended. This will put the least amount of stress on the body while providing the most help safely possible.

My heart goes out to you. It is hard to deal with this as many people have little experience and even less patience where things like this are concerned. If they haven't dealt firsthand, they probably have no clue, and much of what they say, while probably well-meaning, is usually misguided.

Be strong, love your son, stay the course, things will work out. We found that with my brother, a highly structured life, and schedule along with drugs made a huge impact on his life. Keeping him as busy as possible and on the meds with lots of supervision, made his life good.

I will be the best man at his wedding this July. He is a good man, and a talented musician. He still takes his drugs, but that's okay. They have helped him a great deal.

I hope things go well. With a father like you who is caring and involved, he will do well.

JZ

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I just found a great article about Michael Phelps, Ty Pennington, and Danielle Fisher (the youngest person ever to climb the Seven Summits). The article discusses how their moms each worked with them on their ADD. I read through it and will have to show it to my wife.

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The fact that other morons choose to abuse the medication that helps those people with special needs doesn't change the uniqueness of your exceptional son. As others have indicated, there are many great people to mention to your son that have ADD.

Google Ben Glen. This guy came to my district for an in-service and was amazing.

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Those drugs have the opposite effect on regular people than they do with ADD folks

It works like a sedative for ADD ....hard core stimulant for every body else.

Yep...thats cheating in my book...and cheaters SUCK!

Jim

That is the good news if you administer the drug you will know whether its works or not right away, you will have a calm and attentive person compared to what you had before. BTDT

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