Ask any teacher. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a pervasive behavioral syndrome in the classroom. Here in Indiana, as in many states, there are summer camps and support groups that focus on clients with ADHD. And there are a number of doctors who specialize in treatment of this problem, usually with drugs . My colleague, Don Ingwerson, writing for the July 23, 2016 edition of Blog Critics, gives readers a new perspective on dealing with these behavioral challenges. It begins with love. Here’s Don:
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to grow up relying on medications to control your behavior?
“There’s this frustration, this anxiousness, not knowing who I actually am without the medication,” says one individual. He’s been treated since childhood for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, according to reporter Madeliene Thomas. “When I go off [the medication] now, I can’t get through simple chores, errands, tasks, anything. The biggest thing I hate about it is that I’m a drug addict. If I’m being completely honest, I’m dependent on it. There’s a lot of anger and self-loathing that comes with that.”
It’s likely these feelings are shared by many who have been treated for ADHD with drugs. And while there’s no doubt that caring motives are behind the efforts of medical professionals treating these patients, some are searching for better, more compassionate solutions, including non-medical treatment options.
I think many doctors would agree with the statement that Christian healer Mary Baker Eddy, author of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, wrote over a century ago: “Narcotics quiet mortal mind, and so relieve the body; but they leave both mind and body worse for this submission.” This puts that anger and self-loathing comment in a new light….