I think that sums it up pretty good; except I take issue with the "neurological PROBLEMS" bit. But then, I see that I used the words "abnormally high neurotransmitter levels"; i.e. "abnormally". I should've said "wonderfully higher than usual"... Anyway, the point I want to make in this post is that it ain't a -problem-, it's a freaking GIFT. Our warped, conformist, totalitarian, and rapidly-deteriorating society is the PROBLEM. ...and the godawful parents that such a shitty society spawns. One of the sci. papers on ADD did a scan through history, and drew up a list of people for whom it could be reliably inferred that they had ADD. An -unbelievable- list of "greats"; including scientists, mathematicians, painters, composers, dancers, generals, on and on....just an UFB list of off-the-chart talent blessing our species. So it's a GIFT. Yeah, an ADD brain needs more than average stimulation....-quality- stimulation. But hell, it's a freaking CORVETTE brain dudes! Ya gotta put hi-test in a Corvette; they're -designed- for the good stuff, right? ....and lots of it too! Anyway, I see that you did kinda cover the bad-parenting aspect a little near the end; and I see more like that in the next couple posts; so I'll calm down now... As far as that "Bipolar" shit goes; give some thought to the fact that it didn't even EXIST just a few years ago. It is a MADE UP piece of bullshit used by the control-obsessed, to put anyone who's slightly outside the depressingly-poor norm into a nice tight box of "sick". Listen to the cop-radio on your scanner for a while; and you'll be a little frightened to hear how OFTEN the dispatcher tells a responding-car that the subject is "Bipolar"; or some other "sickness". Never heard that in 40 years, until the last few... It means you have "sick" on your RECORD now.....yeah...great, huh? X million are 'bipolar'.....Y million are 'blah blah', etc.. Add up all their little "sick labels" and you're talking about 30% of the population, I think it is now. Anyone really think that suddenly 100 freaking MILLION people are "sick" ?? Or is it possible instead that our academics, and especially our horrific ever-bloating "government", are the ones who are truly sick? uh-huh...
I believe I once read (maybe I have already said this in this thread) but, the Chinese do not believe in the concept of "ADHD". They say it is just a person with a higher energy "Chi" level... Therefore, they do not drug the hell out of every little kid that likes to run around with lots of energy...
adhd is grossly mis and over-diagnosed... there are parents who pay the doctor$ to "certify" their kid ADHD so she can gain an unfair handicap such as no time limits on the SATs or extra time on quizzes and exams...
yup; and another few million so-called 'parents' who eagerly get their kids drugged JUST so they can more easily ignore them and avoid the responsibility...not get diverted from their shopping and bar-hopping and yoga classes... bleahh... The chinese thing that was mentioned sounds about right. It's simply a brain built for the racetrack...bigger injectors...higher pressure fuel-line...open exhaust....it wants to GO GO GO! As a parent, the FIRST thing to do is FEED the kid's curiosity! Be DELIGHTED with it, rather than stamping on it. And feed the kid on the subject they express -interest- in....don't keep trying to regiment them into something they're not interested in at that moment. That right there is the #1 flaw in our so-called "school" system....i.e. conditioning-centers. This stupid 'system' FIGHTS against every natural tendency of children. Any parent who TRULY cares about their child would ALREADY have switched to home-schooling. It is far far FAR better for a child than public conditioning-center hell. What truer way to express your love, and to give your child the best possible chance in this deteriorating world, than to give the gift of your TIME into a -true- and -enjoyable- education ? I am so sick of hearing parents talk about how much they love their kid; while refusing to even consider any change to their lives which would get their child out of public-school hell; because it might disarrange their oh-so-perfect 'career' and convenience. The secret (really, with ANY kid), is to teach them to LOVE LEARNING...to ENJOY learning, in general. Even if it's not something on the rigid curriculum schedule. If you teach your kid to be a natural lifelong learner from pure enjoyment of it; they WILL learn the 'necessary' stuff too; and more easily than kids who hate learning. ADD or not, whatever your kid expresses interest in, ENCOURAGE it, right then and there. A little bit of that, and with even the smallest amount of work on your part; and you can easily slip in the other stuff that should be learned at that age/time/stage as well. gahhh...sorry for the length....don't get me started on so-called "parents" and "schools"....
"...Anyway, the point I want to make in this post is that it ain't a -problem-, it's a freaking GIFT." "...There is also a correlation between ADD and manic/depressive....again, a cyclical thing...." d9d is right. It is a gift with a dangerous side effect. I almost killed myselft during one of those manic/depressive cycles. The cure to manic/depressive problem cause by ADD is "understanding ADD and its side effects". After that you could actually enjoy the manic/depressive cycles .... by taking those pills. ... anyone knows Rush Limbaugh's phone number?
but 75% of the public education system is learning how to interact with others with different personalities in your daily life. You cannot teach a child this concept thru home-chooling imo
I would check into home-schooling more seriously than just reading the mainstream propaganda...errr..."media"...articles; before using that assumption as something to base plans on. Homeschooled kids EXCEL....in every study ever done. You might consider that part of good-quality homeschooling IS the inclusion of regular healthy social interactions. One of my older sisters homeschooled 3 kids, starting about...25 yrs ago I guess it would be. One of the boys is an engineer at Boeing; the girl is in the medical field; the other boy is farming, and loving it....he always had a thing with animals. All of them were great kids; and entirely sociable adults....fun folks to be around. And ya know, when the media attacks home-schooling with that 'socializing' thing; ya really gotta ask yourself just how well socialized a lot of the public 'school' kids are.... Since 99% of our population came out of public skools, and there are huge numbers of disturbed kids and criminals; the answer is "not very well"... Not that the propa-media ever mentions -that-....
Do I hear a bit of fanaticism here? If I tried to make my 13 year old daughter stay home from school she would probably kill me. So would my other kids...They love having friends at school... After school sports... ect... Home schooling is fine for those who want to do it. Trying to bash those who want to (or can't afford the time to stay home, I can't imagine for a moment home schooling while I am sitting here trading) is over the edge IMHO. This thread is now considered "Off Topic"... Or should I say "Derailed"... LOL
This is probably a bigger source of the problem than is currently recognized. I mean, my wife and I (both raised in foreign cultures) can't believe that American parents typically let their 3-year-olds drink 64oz sodas and big gulp slushies, eat fries and potato chips daily etc.
And then skip the good food that was in their dinner because they're "not hungry." But then when I tried to buy healthy foods (not health foods) in Supermarkets near Chicago it was very difficult. Much, much more difficult than in Australia, New Zealand, Eire, or England. So its hard to entirely blame the parents.