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ADHD Experts: Bill Maher And Arianna Huffington Jump On Board The ADHD Soapbox
By Rory Stern | August 10, 2009
Welcome back!
ADHD continues to be misunderstood by so many people – particularly the media at large and anyone who has an opinion and a way to express it. Just Google “ADHD” and you’ll find results linking back to credible sources and then of course blogs and other websites where any opinion is welcome, addressed, and shared… Most of them (if NOT all) seem to have a very strong opinion… And everyone with an opinion believes they know best when it comes to ADHD.
The timing of this post is rather ironic because my wife and I were just out walking this morning — talking about how everyone feels like they have the right to their opinion…. People believe this, even without any expert training or personal experience. Nothing could be more true for ADD or ADHD.
Because there is so much popularity around this term — everyone thinks they know what ADHD is. The problem is, most people don’t know.
Case In Point:
I’ll let this article speak for itself.
Apparently Bill Maher got into a conversation about medications in America, and his guest, Arianna Huffington, took that opportunity to comment on ADHD and how it is over-diagnosed.
You all likely know this is one of the most hot-button, controversial topics when it comes to ADHD.
Bottom line, there is a lot to it. No matter what you believe, ADHD is very real. The details of it, and your beliefs, are an entirely different story…important, but different nonetheless.
Bottom Line:
The reason I wanted to share this with you today is that it is yet another example of how everyone and their mother (and television guests) have an opinion about ADHD.
I want to take this moment to caution you and remind you to be very careful about who you listen to, what advice you take, and the action you put into place as a result.
Please…please…please be very careful about who you listen to and what you allow them to have you think about ADHD and it’s impact on your life.
Topics: ADHD, Awareness, Education | 14 Comments »
August 10th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
I used to think ADHD was just a made up label and over diagnosed until I adopted a child with ADHD. From birth this boy was just not like your usual child. He is now 7 1/2 years old and my hair is almost completely gray!!! There are days I just don’t know how I am going to make it through!!!
So let me assure anyone reading this that ADHD is, unfortunately, very REAL!!
August 10th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I agree we all have opioions and we should be careful of our sources before we form them. However, my own experiences and research have lead me to see ADHD, anxiety, depression and many other disorders VERY differently. The truth is there is more to treating disorders (of any kind) then taking a pill. Many individuals are told they have to take medication and are never told about the power of diet, yeast overgrowth, dificencies, allergies, etc. The truth is all too often these things are over looked and the individual is placed on medication. Many of these individuals have one or more of the issues I mentioned. It is left undetected and untreated and they never reach their full potential. The American diet is CRAP! It is made of processed refined sugary products. I am not saying there is no such thing as ADHD, anxiety, depression, etc; however, BEFORE we impose meds on people why do we take a road they requires at bit of work (on everyone’s part-dr, parents, pt and counselors) but will produce a much healthier and great out come. Once we do these things, we may find that these disorders are not what we really thought they were. I speak this from experience and research. My own 8 y/o daughter was on 2 doses of Vyvanse, respidone and 75mg zolft daily and was NO better. She was unhappy to say the least. I was told I had to accept this was the way it was. I am not a person to just accept things until I have exhusted all my options, especially when it comes to my children. By the grace of God, I found individuals we told me of tests and options. We found my daughter was a VERY sick little girl. She had an overgrowth of yeast in her small and large intestine and in her adrenal glands. After going on a restricted diet (specific carb diet) and nystatin for the last 5 months, she is HAPPY, JOYFUL, PLAYING, REMEMBERING, LEARNING, and CONTENT!! Did I mention she is also OFF all other medication. I admit the last 5 months were not always easy but neither were the 5 years before that. Now, we are experiencing the rewards of OUR efforts. Her large intesting and adrenal gland are both yeast free. There is a small amount to tackle in the small intestine and she will be yeast free. This road has brought us even closer together, we have been a team. It has taught both of us we can do anything together and the easy way (popping pill) is not always the best way. I has taught her the rewards of working hard for something, even when others do not understand. It has also taught her the importance of a healthy diet and eating properly and she has become in tune w/her own body. So, aside from the health and behavioral benefit we’ve experienced, the rewards have been great and many. As a last note, I want to make it known that we did this with my child in a public school, a younger brother, I work full time, go to college and am a single mother w/little financial or emotional support from her father. So, it can be done regardless of your situation. You just have to be committed to your children!!
August 10th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Read your blog and Michael Laskoff’s piece as well. I was so glad to read his post. He gives such a good description of ADHD and what those individuals who have it deal with that most of us non- ADD individuals take for granted. I’ve dedicated myself to learning what it must be like for my son and husband so that I can be as supportive as possible in their efforts to be successful in all that they do. While Americans do take too much medicine (let’s face it – how often do we head for the medicine chest for the least little ache or pain) ADHD medications are so helpful to many who deal with ADHD. My son has spent this summer sometimes taking his meds and sometimes not. We had two really good weeks without medication only to be followed by a really awful day at camp with him being in trouble most of the day. He had difficulty dealing with frustration and appropriate responses to it that day. This lead to us discussing how ADHD inhibits thinking through to consequences of actions at times. We talked about how he feels on and off meds and that the meds help him slow down and think things through, but that he can also learn these skills. The meds just support him.
I also enjoyed reading through the comments to Michaels post. So many opinions, strategies to use and view points to consider. I like healthy debate, but do not like ask you point out – famous people who spout their opinion like it is fact and no other views should be considered. That is irresponsibility in the extreme. It’s no wonder some might say our country is in such trouble.
August 10th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Hi Rory,
Quick correction — her name is Arianna — no “d.” (That’s a 25-point hit in journalism class — ouch!)
Your email did its job in driving me here to read this blog, so now I feel compelled to return the favor and let you know what I think.
Honestly, I really don’t see what all the fuss is about. As a professional adult with ADD (no “h” for me), I encounter a lot of people who don’t believe in ADHD.
After being laid off “because of the economy” in October, I’ve done a lot of soul-searching about this so-called affliction of mine. I’ve finally made peace with it. I know what my strengths are — and they’re pretty damn good. I also readily acknowledge those areas in which I simply have no talent — like estimating time, maintaining files, and thinking on my feet. In fact, I’ve even begun telling people right up front what I can do and what I can’t… and why. If they don’t believe me, or think poorly of me because of it — well, then, I wouldn’t have wanted to work with them (or listen to them, or buy from them, etc.) anyway.
Take a few minutes to look Arianna Huffington up on Wikipedia. You’ll see that for all her notoriety and supposed influence, she’s actually a pretty scattered individual. She’s both human and flawed — just like the rest of us. Much ado about nothing.
Thanks for listening to my humble opinion. And thanks, too, for the work you do.
Veronica
August 10th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
Rory,
I think this is true of so many areas where there are real advances. I have been seeing the same cycle with brain injury and things like music therapy, http://empower2go.wordpress.com brain exercises and cognitive rehab. People are half reading journalism reports of studies rather than seeing the studies themselves and understanding them. This is a problem when an answer is really needed because therapy has to be targeted to be of real use. ADHD is often misdiagnosed as is Autism and Auditory or Visual processing disorders and dyslexia.
For one thing instead of using trained psychologists and imaging and EEG studies, institutions are going for 40 minute ‘comprehensive” computer assessments and calling them neuropsychological evaluations…I think these have their place in research studies and as an initial step in referring to appropriate specialists But that is all good diagnosis and treatment go hand in hand!
Amy Price PhD
August 10th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Love the comments everyone! Keep them coming please. You all offer such great perspective and bring a unique lens to the many facets of a complex condition / diagnosis / social debate.
Whoops on the spelling mistake!
But really…there are so many dynamic issues and topics at hand with that very well written article. I am just glad you have read it and brought even more discussion to it.
Thank you!
Rory
August 10th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
there so many people and even proffessionals that dont understand a person young or old that have add/adhd that often blame them for not completeing tasks. I have a 25 year old daughter who is so discouraged now and labeled with so many different disorders that she has become so quiet/afraid to do anything because she might not do it right so why do it at all, they had put her on albilified and she had a siever(bad) reaction to which caused parkinson symptoms of which she will have for six months and because she wasnt able to complete all the tasks the county workers wanted her to do she lost her daughter which has thrown her into a deep depression. she talk to me but know is very queit and stated to me she’s not sure what to say cause everyone mixes it up. any suggestion would help. thank you for sharing all that you have. This has brought separation in my family to the point that my oldest daughter wont let her children around my youngest. “I don’t want them around that” is her comment. She feels that she is protecting them. What can I do? I love them both
August 11th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I hold the same prospective as Amy Price. I have three adult children with ADD/ADHD. One of my sons has ADD, and I, my eldest Son and daughter have ADHD. We all have similar symptoms but exihibit differently. Mild depression genetically runs on my side of the family, and Biopolar genetically runs on their fathers side of the family. Two of my children struggle with depression and ADD/ADHD. One is also bipolar. One is not yet fully diagnosed accurately. Issues of denial/this one has mood swings, fits of temper and depression, and mild paranoia, not so much euphoria. This adult-child has difficulty developing a trusting long-term bond with a therapist, as does the bipolar adult child.
Because ADD/ADHD often is a co-diagnosis, I think it is very dangerous to brush it with a simplistic paint brush of how to deal with it, as there may be more going on then the ADD/ADHD, but how would one know without a complete diagnostic examination over time? Then there is the hormonal factor at play(as well as poor diet-fastfood)when they are teenagers which can muddy a therapist/doctors interpetation. Not to mention the dabbling at drugs in teen years. Diagnosis and treatment are very individual specific in my opinion, but a good diet and supplements can help considerably.
August 11th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Oh, and I forgot to mention that I have an auditory processing disorder in addition to my ADHD, and my obsessive-compulsivity keeps me on task when I really need too, although it drives everyone around me to distraction. Just no simple answers here.
August 11th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I agree that alot of people are over diagnosed and over medicated these days. In some ways I could say with kids, its sometimes the parents fault. Parents sometimes forget that theyre in charge of their kids and when a teacher says that they need to do something they just do it. If the parents dont think they need to be medicated then they shouldnt do it. If they see that their kids arent acting ‘normal’ on a certain medication, they need to say something. I have 4 children, one with ADHD, we went through 3 different kinds of meds until we found the right one and 2 different dosages. One kind of med was making his heart beat faster and the other was making him mean and hateful towards his brothers, third was a charm. First dosage was making him tired so we cut it back a little. Its perfect now. He sits quietly while the teach is talking, does his school work and is socializing with other kids.
I agree with you Rory, when you have a scheduled, non-stressful enviroment with a good diet, it is alot easier deal with. I knew that having a schedule made my son easier to focus but then I added the easy going enviroment and a better diet in with it and things really started to change. I dont like to medicate unless hes in school or were going out somewhere so that helped out alot. He still bounces off the walls alittle and is kinda loud, but while hes not in school, its nothing medicate over.
August 11th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Hi, Thanks you for your very informative material. I couldn’t agree with your more that there are a lot of people out there who spount off about ADHD, usually in a very judgemental way, with little to no knowledge. I am a retired special education teacher who worked for many years with both pre-school and secondary students with mild to severe emotional /behavior problems. i also have what’s called a non-verbal learning disorder, which is probably also the basis for attentional and organizational problems I have.I am a cracker-jack behavior modification expert, and mostly this is simply not enough. For students who repond well to medication, the results are miraculous. I would not hesitate to recommend medications to any parent. (that is if I were legally allowed to!)T he negative self-beliefs and misery these children live with blemishes their lives and can severely affect their ability to make a successful adjustment to adulthood. What I said is true for medications for psychotic conditions. I tutor two boys with ADHD who suffered for a long time because their father with ADHD had somehow tuffed it out and is now a very successful person; for a long time he thought they should do this too. These were good hearted kids who were so frustrated they often had temper tantrums. After starting medication, we were able to complete 3-4 times as much work, without the resistanct behavioral issues and their good traits and self-confidence grew. They’ve been off medication this summer. They did maintain their learning gains, but were back to their great difficulty focusing and we got little done.
Because of my life-long struggle with cognitive difficulties, I know will-power is not enough. My problem is probably related to two head injuries I had at 3 and 5. I alsays knew something was wrong with the way my brain worked; I diagnosed my self when I was talkng a graduate class in teaching the brain injured. (this was subsequently confirmed by neuropscych testing and a functional EEG) I was fortunate to be blessed with very high verbal and higher learning skills. I learned many adaptations using my strengths to accomplish what I couldn’t otherwise.
Julie, I don’t doubt that your child’s problem was due to yeast. My training and experience suggests that a very small number of children’s ADHD originated in yeast problems, poor nutrtion, and some of the other reasons alternative health people state as cause. Having said this, i believe that better nutrition and avoiding sugar, white flour, etc. can lessen the problems caused by ADHD. I have probably spent thousands of dollars on alternative supplements, diets, etc. with no improvement in my cognitive functioning or the automimmune conditions I have. i tried the Yeast treatment and thought it was helping. I began to think that I didn’t have yeast at all, because I didn’t have the “die-off” problem. I finally concluded that the slight improvement I got was because I was not eating sweets or white flour. For whatever reason, these can make me spacy.i think it’s important to recognise that an alternative treatment that helps one may be the result of their specific situation and not the answer for all people with similar situations. I respect you for your ability and the hard work you do that has helped your child; all while doing more than most people do in a given day already. Unfortunately, everyone has their own brain processing, emotional issues, financial issues, etc. that result in their not being able to function at the same high level that you do. The food and the treatment for yeast problems can be very expensive and require a great deal of focus and energy to do. Many of the parents I’ve worked with simply would not be able to pull this off, even if they had become convinced it would work.
I’ve frequently struggled myself to remember that just because I can do something based on my own intelligence, energy, belief system and experi
ence does not mean that everyone can do this particular thing.
My understanding is that the medications work because they have a paradoxical effect on brain based problem. I’m wandering, Dr. Stern, if they could help a child whose problem is based on nutritional issues or emotional problems?
Thanks, Jean
August 13th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Hi, I just wanted to ask Julie how or who were the professionals who found the candidia growth in the intestines and how do you know your child is now free. The reason I ask is that here in England i can find NO professional who believes this candida thing, despite having had remarkable results with my eldest child (now 10) who came out of autism after i put him on a candida diet age 3.5/4. I also recovered from M.E. However he now displays symptoms of ADHD and his twin brothers have been diagnosed ADHD, and although the gluten/dairy free, low sugar, additive free diet keeps them almost manageable, thats all i’m doing ‘managing’ it. I want rid of candida etc and would love a professional to check out our bodies so I know for definate that we still need rid of candidia and then how to get rid of it!!!!!!I’m tired of doing it alone and guessing!
For anyone out there diet makes a HUGE difference-with a bit of effort you don’t need pills, and i’m also a working single mum with 3 boys and fighting against M.E!!
August 17th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Thanks for getting the word out there, Rory. My husband and I have ADD, and my daughter has a blend of her own. She is on a 504 plan in her high school. We’ve been doing our best to handle her ADD with diet and exercise since we’ve never found a medication that works well for her.
I had to bring the staff at school a brain map from the Drake Institute to prove she’s got ADD. They were convinced that she was just a slackard because she would leave the back sides of tests blank, and she would neglect to turn in work (often “lost” in her backpack). My daughter has the additional challenge of sporting an IQ somewhere in the 140s, which makes school staff even more skeptical than they are normally with ADD. The 504 plan specifies interventions that the high school teachers are supposed to take. Some read and sign it, and some don’t. A few make an effort, but most don’t. Last week (school started 7/27 here),my daughter’s AP English teacher good-naturedly teased her for “spacing out” in class. When she told him she was ADD, he laughed and said, “Yeah, that’s what they all say.” When she told him about the 504 plan, to his credit, he apologized. This is the second class she has taken with this teacher. He should have known about the 504 plan.
Here’s the point: If children are placed on an intervention plan at school, grades K-12, it is a good idea for parents to follow up with teachers, especially when instructors change at the semester.
September 1st, 2009 at 9:41 pm
Paddling? That is the answer? My, my, my. Bill Maher has made some valid points about the lack of preventive measures such as exercise and nutrition. This segment made a mockery of peole who have ADHD.
My only solution for stifling the anti-crowd is for an unequivocal test that measures genetic markers in the brain. Until then, people such as Maher will continue to chide the veracity of ADHD.