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Schools and Teachers becoming Addicted to ADHD Drugs

According to a recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, as many as 3.8 million school children, mostly boys, have Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The disorder is characterized by a short attention span, jumpiness and impulsive behavior. Additionally, at least a million children take Ritalin and the use of the drug has risen many times more during the past few years.

Like millions of these kids, 7-year-old Kyle Carroll takes Ritalin for ADHD. And like millions of parents, Michael and Jill Carroll worry about the drug's side effects including sleeplessness and loss of appetite. But these parents keep their child on the medication, because they have something else to fear: Child Protective Services, who have threatened to take away their child if they don't give him the drug. "It's beyond the point of whether he should be on it. Now it's the point of them telling us what we're going to do," said Michael Carroll. "They're telling me how to raise my child."

Earlier this year, administrators from the school district called Albany County Child Protective Services, alleging child abuse when the Carrolls said they wanted to take Kyle off Ritalin. As a result, the Carrolls are now on a statewide list of alleged child abusers, and they have been thrust into an Orwellian family court battle to clear their name and to ensure their child isn't removed from their home.

The Carroll's dilemma is not unique. While there are no reliable statistics on the phenomenon, observers say public schools are increasingly accusing parents of child abuse and neglect if they balk at giving their children medication such as Ritalin, a stimulant being prescribed to an increasing number of students. "The schools are now using child protective services to enforce their own desires and their own policies,'' said David Lansner, a New York City lawyer who has seen cases similar to the Carrolls'.

The physician's Hippocratic Oath states, "First, do no harm.'' These drugs may work but there are safer more natural alternatives, including stress reducing techniques for parents and families, including slowing down the pace of life, rushing less, turning off over stimulating TV and computer games, and encouraging more quiet time.

For a natural alternative to drugs, in addition to the above, I recommend a combination of the herbs Hawthorn, Kava, and Grape Seed Extract. These herbs have been shown to help reduce tension, calm the senses and support the sympathetic nervous system leading to calm, focused attention and increased mental acuity without any side-effects.

In a double blind clinical trial, individuals taking a Kava extract for anxiety showed a significant reduction in symptoms, including nervousness, heart palpitations, chest pains, headache, dizziness, and feelings of upset stomach. It is free of side effects, non-addictive, and it does not create a "tolerance," or lose its effectiveness over time.

For more information on Dr. Hansen’s natural ADHD formula ACUITY, click here.