Inattentive ADD vs. ADHD...going to get tested soon. Thanks to info on this site!

[jenny]

i have to say i am also a bit concerned about over-diagnosis as well. i think the link here is posted in the absolute best spirit possible, and with the best intent.

 

but, at heart, selling drugs for ADD/ADHD is still a business. this is no way discredits the process, and i am so glad that the test recommends that one see a real doctor before anything else. but i do think it's important to bear in mind that part of the purpose of these kind of sites is to build a consumer base - not the sole purpose, but a part of it.

 

this is not a flame, at all. it's great that steveb has started his journey towards recovery. but i also think some of the questions on the list are quite..well..intentionally encompassing.

 

i know this post might cause screeching, and i dread posting it for that reason, but someone has to say it. extreme caution is necessary while dealing with any business; this is no exception.

[cdn]

I thought that one of the hallmarks of LS was that people could have conflicting opinions and "agree to disagree" without digressing to name calling or belittling comments. Simply because someone's research and knowledge does not lead to your opinion does not make their conclusion uneducated, wrong or a myth. This is a bullying tactic that is inappropriate for civilized debate.

 

Perhaps Jenny's could repost her excellently worded "rules of the road" from a few weeks back... no, wait, I found it: http://www.loveshack.org/forums/t28217/

[moimeme]

Jenny

 

PLEASE speak to someone with AD/HD. PLEASE hear, for yourself, with your own ears, how that person could not cope or manage in his or her life until the meds allowed his brain to work as it should.

 

PLEASE do not buy this 'corporate drug' conspiracy BS. It is that sort of theory which stops perfectly good people from getting treatment that WORKS.

 

I am secretary of an association that adovcates for people with AD/HD. I work with professionals in the field. I know people who have it, treated and untreated. I speak from learning and experience. Not from theory based on supposition and ignorance of fact.

 

PLEASE go look at those Spect scans.

[jenny]

i have, and i do respect your research and experience. i also understand that you are afraid of under-diagnosis because any arguments against it might confuse a potential sufferer.

 

i am simply advocating caution. i think most people can hear counter-arguments and make up their own minds about the topic.

 

i, myself, would be much less nervous if the problem of false diagnosis, especially of children, was simply acknowledged and addressed rather than dismissed. or, frankly, if treatment were free. it does not hurt the cause at all to say that there are investors, and possibly a mixture of motives - the fact that drugs are a consumer product does not cancel out the benefits of them, it's just something to consider.

[VivianLee]

What is normal?? LOL!! I have no idea!! If you knew me, you'd understand why I don't know!! LOLOLOL!!

[moimeme]

or, frankly, if treatment were free. it does not hurt the cause at all to say that there are investors, and possibly a mixture of motives - the fact that drugs are a consumer product does not cancel out the benefits of them, it's just something to consider.

 

Fine - so? Why must this issue be raised ALWAYS in conjunction with meds for mental disorders? Do I see you raising this warning over birth control or pain pills or anything else? No. But when the issue of medicating for biochemical imbalances that cause mental disordrs arises, all of a sudden everyone jumps on their high horses and starts raising spectres of drug company profits, etc. etc. This does nobody a service, and in fact does a great deal of harm. No reputable physician will put any child on drugs just because a teacher thinks the kid is AD/HD. This 'overdiagnosis' is a myth. Yes, there will be some bad physicians - but the key is not to warn the public against the drugs, but rather to warn the public to be careful in choosing a physician.

 

To anybody who doesn't 'believe' in AD/HD, or thinks it's a condition invented by the drug companies, kindly write the AMA, APA, AAFP, CMA, and CPA and tell them that all the thousands of studies upon which they have based their validation of the diagnosis and treatments of AD/HD are fake and that they have all been duped by the drug companies.

 

I'm sure they'd love to hear from you.

[jenny]

it's important to remain civil, of course, and not use angry rhetoric to make our points.

 

i am glad that the site notes that the list is an unreliable indicator of the actual syndrome, and must not be relied on without a licensed and educated physician.

 

i think most people are intelligent enough to understand two sides of a debate and choose what they believe. they should hear about the amount of lawsuits filed against drug companies in this issue, and they should also hear that most of them were thrown out of court. here is an interesting link about the topic:

 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/backlash/lawsuits.html

 

i do not think it is dangerous to simply present different viewpoints on a topic, nor do i think it is necessary to try and censor any opposition by labeling it mythic or ignorant. this is, of course, once again, prejudicial language and it simply is not necessary.

 

hmm..here is a better link:

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p020801b.html

[Errol]

Fine - so? Why must this issue be raised ALWAYS in conjunction with meds for mental disorders? Do I see you raising this warning over birth control or pain pills or anything else? No. But when the issue of medicating for biochemical imbalances that cause mental disordrs arises, all of a sudden everyone jumps on their high horses and starts raising spectres of drug company profits, etc. etc. This does nobody a service, and in fact does a great deal of harm. No reputable physician will put any child on drugs just because a teacher thinks the kid is AD/HD. This 'overdiagnosis' is a myth.

 

No, overdiagnosis is NOT a myth. It DOES happen.

 

Comparing birth control and pain pills to this is apples and oranges. The analogy doesn't wash. Birth Control pills do not treat a condition - they are a choice to prevent conception. There is such a wide variety of pain pills OTC & 'script that it is impossible to lump them together in a generalized discussion.

 

so-called "mental disorders" is relatively new in medical science. We don't know enough about the physical function of the brain or how emotions are triggered or how they work in relation to behavior and attitude. Some things can be diagnosed with confidence, but not everything. Diagnosis and treatment is still largely trial and error.

 

there certainly are issued raised with any new medication or newly identified/labeled illness or condition -- whether it is physical or mental or emotional.

 

And I don't know of one drug company that operates as a non-profit organization. It is business and it has a bottom line. They advertise drugs now to stay ahead of the competition and make money. Sure there are some people who work to create new and/or better drugs because they sincerely want to help people, but business is business. The researchers and doctors and chemists don't work for free.

 

I'm not devaluing the illness. But diagnosis based on behavior/attitude alone is false.

[jenny]

is this the same in canada? or are we covered?:

 

 

http://www.amenclinic.com/ac/about/costs.asp

 

Cost and Fees

Terms and Policies

 

The Amen Clinics require payment for services at the time they are rendered. We do not bill insurance companies and are not Medicare or Medi-CAL providers. It is important to note that since we do not have an insurance department we cannot correspond with your insurance company. We encourage patients to check with their insurance providers in advance if they have questions regarding coverage. We provide walk-out receipts for patients to submit to their insurance for reimbursement.

 

Fee Schedule

 

$3,000.00 Complete Evaluation, Including Concentration and Baseline Scans

$1,000.00 Concentration Scan

$1,000.00 Baseline (Resting) Scan

$1,000.00 Follow-up Scan

$1,000.00 Intake Evaluation, Diagnostic Interview with Historian and Doctor

$400.00 Fee for Reading Outside Scans (see notation below)

 

Family Discount

1st member of the family pays full price and then a 10% discount for each additional family members being scanned.

[lostforwords]

I think Jenny we are covered, however as far as the medical insurance part, it would be up to each individual insurance company....... wow i didnt think it was so dang expensive...... lol