Month: August 2012

Hi!

Below is a “member’s only” module that I have just created for the members.

Members get .mp3, .pdf, and ipod video downloads of each module.

I will remove this video after a couple of days…

but first, I wanted your comments and feedback.

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If you like this information…

You can become a member too  🙂

Here’s how…

1.  Order the “3 Steps Program”  (3 steps to conquering ADD book + ADD Test + Membership) by clicking this link

2. Only the “Member’s Only Area”  by clicking this link

Please leave your comments and questions below as it relates to this specific piece of content from the member’s only area.

Most of us associate illegal drug use with shady deals being struck in the seedier parts of our major cities. This is, however, just a small part of the true picture. We are currently facing an unprecedented epidemic of drug misuse that has on the surface a much more benign profile. But that is just as dangerous. I am, of course, talking about drugs that are commonly prescribed for the treatment of ADHD. The true extent of this problem has once again been brought home to us by a study conducted by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the study a staggering one in five (or 20%) of all teenagers abuse prescription drugs. Just let that statistic sink in for a moment. One in five! Next time you see a group of five young people walking down the street think about the fact that statistically one of them will be popping pills. The CDC study does not specify what particular drugs are abused the most but it does not take a genius to figure this out. It is a well-known fact that the legal drugs favored by today’s teenagers are those that contain Methylphenidates, the active ingredient in many treatments for ADD/ADHD. It is not for nothing that these drugs are often referred to as kiddy-cocaine and that active trading networks for them exist in many high schools and on college campuses.
This development is obviously highly troubling and as people of goodwill we can certainly not sit back and simply accept the drugging of an entire generation! So how do we start attacking this disaster? I believe that a basic first step is to question the very rationale behind the existence of these drugs namely that they exist because they are supposedly very good at dealing with the symptoms of ADD/ADHD.
The fact is, however, that prescription ADD/ADHD medication does not address the core issues surrounding the condition. ADD/ADHD medications do not calm children down, instead they increase their focus and interest in a topic. Besides the long list of physical side effects associated with these medications, there are a slew of social and psychological implications that come with the prescription. Dr. Stefan Kruszewski an eminent psychiatrist states: “[Children on medication] do not learn to develop coping strategies that work as they move through different developmental stages…they learn to rely on drugs to solve problems, rather than their creative potential to solve problems on their own or with the help of family, friends, schooling, music and the arts, church, social outings, recreation and sports.”
By prescribing ADD/ADHD drugs doctors are tampering with one of the most finely tuned and sensitive systems imaginable: The human brain! Who knows what the long-term consequences will be of pumping the brain full of dangerous chemicals. Am I exaggerating about the danger levels? Sadly not: The chemical makeup of methylphenidates is very similar to that of cocaine. We should therefore not be surprised at either its addictiveness or the grim side effects.
The list of possible side effects of most ADD/ADHD drugs reads like the script of a horror movie. Patients are warned about things like irritability, sleeplessness, depression heightened risk of cardiac arrest and severe mood swings. This is just the things that they feel free to tell you. The hidden effects are, in fact, much worse. ADD/ADHD drugs have been successfully linked to suicides, homicides and severe depression. This leaves us with the question: Who in their right minds would allow their children to take such medication? The answer is clear, mostly unsuspecting parents who are told by people they trust that it is in the best interest of their children.
I see it as part of my life’s mission to break through this well-meaning but dangerous ignorance. I do this by exposing the fact that the real motive behind the actions of the drug companies is a mad dash after profits, and not a desire to make the world a better place. I am also dedicated to show that there is another way. The ‘3 Steps’ will show you a natural, drug-free, way to conquer ADD/ADHD.
We are in the middle of an epidemic. Some people would dismiss the seriousness of this by claiming that the drugs involved are essentially harmless. They are not. ADD/ADHD drugs are dangerous. Nobody should be using them, especially not our children who are still developing and run the greatest risk for side effects like depression, anxiety, heart problems, or death. Join with me in resisting their spread. Not by questioning why these drugs are so widely and easily available but by going further in asking whether they should be available at all. You can answer this question by resolving not to have any part of this widespread drug racket. So begin your resistance by doing what you should always do when offered a dangerous drug: Just say no!

If you have been outside of the world of education for a while you can be very certain that the schoolroom that you left behind does not exist anymore. It has probably been replaced by a target driven ‘learning environment’ where so much emphasis is placed on results, tables and rankings that the normal joys of childhood (including the thrill of independent discovery) have been shifted to the periphery. Simply put, more and more are expected of our children at earlier and earlier ages.
The encounter between an ordinary parent and the ‘Brave New Classroom’ of today is brilliantly described in the influential British paper The Daily Mail. Rob Kraitt (a pseudonym) writes movingly about how is son (who did not quite fit into the target driven hothouse that is British education) was almost immediately identified as a candidate for an ADD/ADHD diagnosis. His response to this is brilliantly summed up in the title of his article: “My son’s unfocused and a fidget. Does he really have ADHD? No, it’s because he’s just five.” To which I can just say: Bravo! It is so easy to get caught up in a system that denies the importance of anything that it can measure that it takes a brave man to get up and question the very notion of highly formalized education for very small children.
Kraitt concludes his article, which describes his struggle to get a teacher to accept his son for who he is, with the following indictment: “From primary school, our children are thrust into a culture of stats and results. Teachers cannot give proper attention to those who do not perform or fit in. Nurture has disappeared from early education. And while there’s nothing seriously wrong with our boy, there is something wrong with the system.”
I agree wholeheartedly with this assessment. Forcing kids to grow up way too quickly can only lead to trouble and medicating them into submission is certainly not the solution! Recognizing the problem (massively overregulated learning environments obsessed with results) is one thing. How do we do something about it in cases where our own children are at risk of being labeled, with potentially disastrous consequences? I obviously do not have all of the answers but I can offer some basic suggestions if you are (or think you might be) faced with this kind of situation:
• Keep clear lines of communication with your child’s teacher: It has been shown again and again that parental involvement with a child’s education is one of the most reliable predictors of ultimate success. This includes regularly discussing your child’s progress (or lack of it) with the teacher. In doing so you will hopefully be able to communicate something about your child’s strengths and weaknesses. This will enable the teacher to interact with him/her in ways that are appropriate to his/her personality and abilities. Regular contact will also help to create an environment where you will be better able to have forthright discussions about the weight of expectation that is placed on your child. I recognize that some parents will feel that their child’s teacher is simply too busy for meaningful interaction with individual parents or, worse, is simply not interested. In such cases more radical action may be needed. Most parents will find, however, that simply keeping open lines of communication is a necessary first step towards protecting your child’s interests in the harsh educational environment of today.
• Make sure your child is ready for school: Your child might perhaps be a bit too far down the educational road for this advice to be useful to you personally but it could still be relevant in helping you to assist other parents in avoiding a possible disaster. In previous generations it was almost regarded as a badge of honor if your child went to school early. In the supercharged and results driven school environment of today it can quite possibly be harmful to your child. If you have a pre-schooler in the house I urge you to pay careful attention to the issue of school readiness and to take full and ultimate responsibility for the final decsion. You are the one who knows your child the best and you are also the one who can be trusted to make decisions that are in his/her best interest. If you have the slightest doubt about readiness my recommendation would be to err on the side of caution. Keeping your child out of the formal classroom environment will enable him/her to mature and to continue to utilize alternative play-based styles of learning for just a little while longer.
The two ideas listed above are two of the most basic ways in which you can help your child to survive (and thrive) in the modern educational environment. Please check back next week as we continue to explore this topic.
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To read the Daily Mail piece referenced in the article please click here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1275349/My-sons-unfocused-fidget-Does-really-ADHD-No-hes-just-five.html?ito=feeds-newsxml#ixzz0nsanIAwx

Does ADHD always equal disaster? Not necessarily! This is the verdict of Prof Michael Fitzgerald from Trinity College in Dublin. In last week’s article we focused on his historical research that investigated the lives of some great movers and shakers of the past. According to his research it is possible to retroactively diagnose ADHD in the following notable achievers: Thomas Edison, Kurt Cobain, Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron Jules Verne, Che Guevara, James Dean, Clark Gable, Picasso, Mark Twain and Sir Walter Raleigh.

Continue reading “The Positive Aspects of ADD/ADHD (2)”

Transcript: [spoiler]

Newswoman: The first ever prescription depressant hit the shelves today. Approved by the FDA last month, Despondex is intended as a treatment for the approximately 20 million Americans who are insufferably cheery.

Tests prove the drug is effective at reducing a range of symptoms from squealing loudly when a friend calls to use of the phrase “cool beans” and excessive hugging. Dr. Alban Way calls the drug a huge step forward in the battle against exuberance.

Alban Way: If you’re in a good mood every so often, well, that’s fine. That’s normal. This is for those that have a persistent positive outlook on life.

Newswoman: Eva Hendry of New Haven, Connecticut, began participating in a clinical trial of Despondex six weeks ago.

Eva Hendry: I was always telling people how cute their outfits were and bringing them little gifts. I’d beam at anyone who made eye contact with me. I didn’t realize life didn’t have to be like that.

Newswoman: Eva said she never knew how her annoyingly chipper attitude was affecting those around her.

Eva: Over and over again, I’d ask Jeff to ride his bike down to the botanical garden with me, no matter how many times he said no.

Jeff Hendry: And she was always smiling…

Eva: Mm-hm.

Jeff: …But, I didn’t know what to do to help her.

Eva: I used to think, why am I the only one trying to set up single friends with each other. Now I realize I was sick. I needed treatment.

Newswoman: Eva says the drug may have saved their marriage.

Eva: Now Jeff and I can just waste a night sitting on the couch watching a TV show neither of us enjoys…

Jeff: Mm.

Eva: …Like a regular couple.

Newswoman: Not everyone is convinced that Despondex is the cure-all for perkiness, however; In this week’s “Time Magazine”, Michael Michael Pielocik of UCLA argues that many patients get similar results from natural remedies, something as simple as a diet of corn syrup and white bread and a total lack of exercise. But Dr. Way disagrees.

Alban: We have to erase the stigma attached with getting chirpy people help, real medical help. I mean, do you know what it’s like to be around these people? It’s pretty fucking annoying.

Newswoman: Doctors estimate the new drug could reduce the number of costume or theme parties in the U.S. by up to 40%.

[/spoiler]

One of the most enduring debates in the world of psychology is the one dealing with nature versus nurture. In its essence this debate boils down to the question whether your psychological state (and your thoughts, feelings and behaviors) is primarily determined by your genes (nature) or your environment (nurture). This is obviously not an issue that I will be able to solve in a short article! It is, however, interesting to note how this debate plays out when it comes to ADD/ADHD. I would also like to showcase some research that is bringing the ‘accepted’ wisdom in this area into question.

Continue reading “New Study Confirms the Importance of Environmental Factors in Dealing with ADD/ADHD”

In this video my 3 year old daughter Mackenzie and I show you how to mix vitamins.

 

You will have to work up to this advanced method.

 

Note:  When I shot this video I accidentally cut off my head.  I have not had time to re-shoot the video.  Sorry.

 

Its kind of funny.  It reminds me of “Wilson” from that show “Home Improvement”

 

you know.  the neighbor who you never see his face.

 

Anyway.  I digress.

 

The video is still helpful.

 

enjoy  🙂

Continue reading “How To Mix the Liquid Vitamins Video (Advanced) – Featuring Mackenzie”

Does ADHD necessarily equal disaster? If you consult the mass media you could be forgiven if you think that this is indeed the case. Most references to the condition focus on ways in which it can make life difficult for those who have it. While there is no denying that ADD/ADHD can have some very negative outcomes, especially if it is not managed correctly, this is not all that there is to say about the condition.

Continue reading “The Positive Aspects of ADD/ADHD (1)”

It is very interesting to observe how profoundly a culture can change in the matter of a few short decades. One of the areas where this has certainly happened over the past 20 years is the public perception of smoking: As late as the 1980s smoking was still seen as a trendy, if somewhat risky, activity that clearly asserted the smokers independence and love of life. How things have changed! Massive lawsuits and some very effective public information campaigns combined to completely change this view. Even more troubling is the hard evidence that is coming in about the effects of smoking in exacerbating a range of health risks.

Continue reading “Another Reason to Quit: ADHD and Smoking”