What Jobs Are Suited For People With ADD

[Outcast]

there seems to be a sh*tload more evidence to suggest ritalin does more harm than good.

 

Really not. You may want to do a search on Medline but get yourself very comfy because you'll be reading for days.

 

is a friend of mine and has seen the same results in other patients

 

If he's discovered some miraculous treatment, then he needs to be doing the studies and publishing. And having the studies verified. You don't live with the kids in question and they may not have had ADD. There are other conditions which can cause similar symptoms.

 

You'd want to check Peter Breggin at Quackwatch, too. He's got about zero credibility.

 

Are you aware that Scientology has launched an active campaign against all psychiatric meds, not to mention psychiatry itself? And that it masks itself under very very eminent-sounding organizations that are just storefronts? And that ADD is one of its targets?

 

I've met and spoken to many people with ADHD as well as professionals who deal with them. If you knew enough people with ADHD and could ask them about their experiences, I think you'd have a different take on this situation.

 

For pity's sakes, Horse HAS ADD. I think that gives him a fair bit more insight, don't you?

[Craig]

Well obviously craig, when a condition becomes more prominent, doctors are going to slap a common name onto it so the symptoms can be identified without having to look up a dozen different conditions.

I'm sorry, but you are incorrect in your assumptions. The names I gave were accepted at the time and then as people learned more about ADD/HD it's name changed. The medical establishment didn't use all the different names for ADD/HD at the same time.

 

If you think that medicinal drugs do not have a negative affect on your body, particularly the liver, then I suggest you do some reading. Yes western medicine can help, but it also comes with its side affects.

Everything has it's side effects, no? I'd rather experience the known side effects of legitimate medicine than the unknown side effects of alternative care. After all if the alternative is so good then surely someone could do a well constructed study to determine whether or not it works. But no the purveyors of miracles would rather sell you a book, tape, cd, dvd, chart, vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc. and spend their profits on themselves instead of doing legitimate research.

 

1.Breggin, Peter, "The Scapegoating of American Children", Wall Street Journal, 7th November 1989, p.1

Breggin is a quack. See quackwatch as mentioned above.

 

2.Physicians Desk Reference (PDR)

 

3.Weiss, Gabrielle, et al, "Effect of Long-Term Treatment of Hyperactive Children with Methylphenidate", The Canadian Medical Association Journal, Vol.112, No.2, 25th January 1975, p.164

A study on hyperactive children does not translate into a study on ADHD.

 

4.Kohn, Alfie, "Suffer The Restless Children", Atlantic Monthly, November 1989, p.98

An article by an education critic who is against testing, rewards, grades and competition is not a suitable reference. Those who share his sentiments can buy one of his ten books on related topics.

[Horse]

Like I said Horse, I saw two kids that are not strangers to me "get over" ADD simply by changing their diet and life style. The doctor (and no he's not a quack with a fake degree - he has a medical degree from a top uni, as well as studying chinese herbal medicine) that treated them, is a friend of mine and has seen the same results in other patients. Believe what you want Horse.

 

I think we may just have different definitions of "get over it." To me that means that it is something that you no longer have to deal (cope) with. Like when you get over the flu, you don't have to deal with the symptoms any more.

 

I believe you think these kids have found good ways to deal with ADD (minimize the symptoms) without taking drugs. There are lots of things that help. I even listed a few.

 

But, it is a logical error to think that just because something worked for two people, it will work for all people.

 

I listed a bunch of things that helped me and said:

"A good diet helps. Exercise helps. B vitamins help. Getting enough sleep helps a lot (I forgot to mention that before). Learning tools to deal with ADD helps...

 

...If you can get past it without drugs, great!.."

 

You have second hand knowledge of two cases where non-drug treatment worked... That is good for them.

 

I have first hand knowledge of one case where non-drug treatment worked to a point, but was insufficient. Adderall doesn't cure my ADD, but it does minimize the symptoms enough that I am able to get organized and get things done. I am starting to get things done that I have wanted to do for years.

 

 

The bottom line for Katie is... Get help. This is having a serious effect on your life. If you had a physical ailment that affected your life this much, you probably would have seen a doctor a long time ago.

 

Maybe your ADD could be a good thing. Maybe your job is boring and you need to find something more challenging or creative that commands your attention, but you should let something that is treatable scare you away from something that you want to do.

 

Find a doctor Like Boguns friend, who prefers to treat people without drugs. Try that for a while. Even if it isn't enough, the things that you learn about organization, diet, sleep, relaxation, exercise, your body and your mind will help.

[Horse]

Oh.. and there are more drugs than just Ritalin. Although I have not seen any compelling evidence that Ritalin causes cancer.

 

Ritalin is old school. It's half life is too short. If you take it in the morning, it will wear off by early afternoon. That may not be so bad because a lot of people turn into zombies after lunch anyway, but it would be nice not to join them.

 

Adderall is a stimulant like ritalin, but it is released into your system more gradually. Like most stimulants, the main side effects are increased heart rate and blood pressure. Before I started taking it my resting pulse was in the low 60's and my blood pressure was on the low side of normal. Now they are both normal.

 

It has also been known to cause depression in teenagers. I'm not depressed, but probably a little more irritable.

 

I eat less too. I lost about 10 pounds (from 200), but that doesn't bother me.

 

It was also banned in Canada for a while because they thought it caused heart attacks. Turns out it did contribute to heart attacks in people with serious exisitng heart conditions... Pretty much what you would expect from a stimulant that increases BP and pulse rate.

 

 

Straterra is not a stimulant, but at the dosage I had to take for it to be effective it messed with my moods and upset my stomach.

 

I wouldn't take any of them if I had high blood presure or heart problems.

 

 

All drugs and even many chinese herbs affect your liver, even aspirin, but probably not as much as all of those Jack and cokes.

 

 

I love the herbal stuff... People think that just because something is "herbal" it is less dangerous, even though they are often essentially the same compounds. A lot of modern western medicine is based on traditional natural remedies. The drug companies just figure out what part of that root or tree bark is doing the work, synthesize it patent it and charge a whole bunch of money for it.

 

Personally, I would rather pay the money and swallow a pill than suck on tree bark.

[HotCaliGirl]

"A study" isn't good enough, I'm afraid. Studies can be done incorrectly. The time to start believing is if you find SEVERAL studies all done correctly, peer-reviewed, and verified. Nobody should believe a single study - scientists sure don't.

I was in no way saying to believe in a single study...I said, quote: "I think you would agree that it doesn't hurt to read as MANY (not just once) source..." and I even capitalized MANY. That would be idiotic to read one or two or even three when making such a big decision...and again I say to do this extra reading in conjunction to getting help from your doctor.

I don't buy the 'medicine is full of conspiracies' theory. Are you saying that all the most famous medical institutions plus NIH plus all the medical associations are in cahoots? Not hardly.

I do not believe in a conspiracy, I just don't have my head in the sand and acknowledge that most of the information and treatment I get are from people whose primary objective is to make money off the treatment they are prescribing, no different than a car salesman trying to rip off a patron by selling a lemon. So since it deals with health, I tell people to not blindly follow their doctor who is a single source, but to get a second opinion always and do your own research too. Just like in any respectable profession, like in law enforcement, there is always a bad apple or someone who might simply not know too well what they are doing....even if they are wearing a white cloack and look like the smartest person you think you know.

 

And no I'm not saying that most medical institutions are in cahoots, I said in my original post, quote: "I think most doctors and people in general care about the health of others, but again it does not hurt to read opinions that differ."...

[Bogun]

If he's discovered some miraculous treatment, then he needs to be doing the studies and publishing. And having the studies verified. You don't live with the kids in question and they may not have had ADD. There are other conditions which can cause similar symptoms.

Ok I'm feeling like I'm talking to a brick wall. Some of you seem to only read what you want to read, rather than what is actually written. I never claimed that this was a miracle cure for ADD, only that these kids had been diagnosed with ADD, been prescribed ritalin, and then taken to see the doctor that advised them on the changes in their diets. I have minded the kids in question both when they were diagnosed with ADD and after they took on the changes in their diets so I saw FIRST HAND how they behaved, and the change in them. When their father told me they had been diagnosed with ADD, I suggested maybe they were just hyperactive. He told me this was unlikely as he had taken his kids to see 3 different specialists, all giving the same diagnosis. This was a year ago, and his kids have shown no signs of ADD since.

 

I only mentioned this originally because Katie said she didnt want to take the drugs.

 

As for quack watch, obviously it has a purpose and can do some good, but after reading its ignorant comments on chinese medicine, acupuncture and ayurvedic medicine, I get the impression that the site is supported by old school doctors, that have an arrogant and dismissive opinion of anything outside of the realms they were taught at university. But who knows, maybe I'm wrong.

 

Medical schools around the world have been making courses in alternative medicine available to budding doctors. You cant place 100% faith in any one method of healing, but the wise doctors, study and take on what other systems have to offer. It seems the doctors behind quackwatch do not have the intelligence to do this.

[Outcast]

I didn't see an indictment of ayurveda. I saw doubts about some of ayurveda's proponents and the 'miracle' drugs they flog. The NIH has set up an organization to research traditional medicines.

 

Bogun, please take Craig's points. First of all you've only seen the kids outside the home; you can't say for certain that they're better in school or in the home. Secondly, as Craig said, even if these two seem to have been helped, they could easily be an anomaly. Again, I recommend Dr. Amen. He advocates all sorts of things, not just meds. He does suggest diet change and supplements and says they can help but won't cure and won't help everyone. A lot of people like Horse find they help only a certain amount. IMHO it's a huge mistake to reject the idea of meds and fear them that much that you rule out any possibility of taking them.

[Bogun]

Bogun, please take Craig's points. First of all you've only seen the kids outside the home; you can't say for certain that they're better in school or in the home. Secondly, as Craig said, even if these two seem to have been helped, they could easily be an anomaly.

You have some ego problems Outcast, I've seen you take this kind of attitude before with other posters. You dont know the kids, you dont know me, you dont know the parents and yet you still, unbelievably, make assumptions, as if you are all knowing.

 

Ive known the kids since they were born, am good friends with the parents and along with minding them occassionally, I'm now teaching one of them piano, which was impossible before they made changes to their diets, when they were diagnosed with ADD. The parents have also told me about the improvement in the kids school work both in class (parents communicate with teachers you know), and at home. So yes, I can say for certain that they are better in school and at home, without taking one single ADD med. As for an anomaly, its possible that they may never have had a genuine case of ADD, but the change in their behaviour is none the less amazing and the doctor that advised them has given the same advice to other parents and ADD patients that do not wish to take the meds, and the results were the same except in a minority of extreme cases, where a combination of the drugs and diet has helped.

 

The doctor in question is not a quack, and does not "fear" meds, but as he told me, he and some of his colleagues do not like prescribing ADD drugs, which a patient will have to use indefinately.

 

As for quackwatch, it seems that it is a questionable source after all.....

 

http://www.canlyme.com/quackwatch.html

 

And it seems that some of the people writing articles on his site do not have the neccessary qualifications to pass judgement.

[Art_Critic]

As for quackwatch, it seems that it is a questionable source after all.....

 

http://www.canlyme.com/quackwatch.html

 

 

I'm curiuos as to why you feel this way ?

 

The link you provided is about a Defamation trial.

 

Quackwatch is not one man's views or opinions....

 

They have 152 advisors:

 

Medical Advisors (67)

Dental Advisors (12)

Mental Health Advisors (13)

Nutrition and Food Science Advisors (16)

Podiatry Advisors (3)

Veterinary Advisors (8)

Other Scientific and Technical Advisors (33)

 

As well as 30 attorneys on their Legal Advisory Board

 

I tried to find any info on that case that you suggested in the link and the only info I could find is on anti-quackwatch web pages..

Every webpage link I found was biased

 

No news feeds had that article..

 

So are you to say that all the 182 people that do the reviews on quackwatch are no good because of the loss of the Defamation case ?

[Bogun]

I'm curiuos as to why you feel this way ?

I didnt make this judgement based on that one site Art. There are many more sites mentioning quackwatch. And it seems it wasn't just one court case, but 40 that the guy has never won. Not to mention his admitting connections to the FDA, and his false qualifications. I posted it as an example.

 

When I first looked at quackwatch, I was surprised by its anti-altenative medicine stance. Particularly when some of its judgements of so called quacks, involved a single doctor going to a single dodgy practioner of the treatment, and making no effort to understand the treatment under question, and then condemning the whole treatment. It made me wonder that for all the charlatans that the site exposes, how many genuine treatments that have some success are being labelled as quacks simply because of a website so strongly against all non western treatments.

 

Heres another link, with the court documents, in which barret is found "to be biased and unworthy of credibility."

 

http://www.quackpotwatch.org/quackpots/california_superior_court_judge_.htm

 

Two sides to every story art. Its wise to question people claiming successful alternative cures, but you also need to question the people making claims against alternative therapies.

[Outcast]

Until your doctor friend does studies which prove that his theory is worthwhile, he and you are going on anecdotal evidence backed by far too few cases is all I have been attempting to say. And Barrett or not, over a hundred physicians drew up and signed a document verifying that ADHD is a medical condition. Did you look at those brain scans yet?

[Guest]

I also think it's an ego problem here. The original post has been ignored and it's become a different debate. You don't have to take medication if you have ADD, diet can help, medications do have side effects, what's the big deal??? You don't have to justify yourself if you choose any of the above! Man, she needed help with career issues that might have ADD as their source. She doesnt' do well as an Admin Asst. she got her BA in communications, you'd think she had other career goals, she feels stuck and needs advice, not ego.

[BeFree]

I agree,

 

This poor girl just wanted advice on career ideas that will work with her ADD. Her question has basically been ignored and a debate has become the thread.

 

If I had let my deslexia rule my life and be the judge of what I could achieve, I would not be as happy and fullfilled in my career. She can have a wonderful career once she finds what will motivate her and make her happy!

 

Boxes are for presents, not for people.

[Outcast]

The debate ensued because she said she didn't want to take meds and some of us suggested it would be wise to not rule them out entirely since they do help a lot of people. The OP has seen a discussion on the pros and cons of medicine (and the validity of research - or not) and can use that information in her decisions.

 

A career question isn't the sort of thing that can be answered in a few posts; she needs to consult a career counsellor, preferably one with experience with folks who have ADD - or read a book by one, which is what I suggested. Certainly some careers are completely unsuitable for some folks with ADD but you'd have to know all her strengths, interests, values and weaknesses and the full story of her symptoms, etc etc to provide any sort of useful advice. That's a job for her and a counsellor.

[Bogun]

The debate ensued because she said she didn't want to take meds and some of us suggested it would be wise to not rule them out entirely since they do help a lot of people. The OP has seen a discussion on the pros and cons of medicine (and the validity of research - or not) and can use that information in her decisions.

At last we agree on something

 

Until your doctor friend does studies which prove that his theory is worthwhile, he and you are going on anecdotal evidence backed by far too few cases is all I have been attempting to say. And Barrett or not, over a hundred physicians drew up and signed a document verifying that ADHD is a medical condition. Did you look at those brain scans yet?

I never claimed that ADHD was not a medical condition, I only pointed out that in recent years the number of people diagnosed with it has increased dramatically.

[Outcast]

I never claimed that ADHD was not a medical condition, I only pointed out that in recent years the number of people diagnosed with it has increased dramatically.

 

And that would be because until the mid-1990s, it wasn't understood that it continued on to adulthood. Also, ADD without hyperactivity was not very evident so nobody knew what to look for. It's not that there are more cases, it's that science keeps advancing so now we know what to look for.

 

I don't disagree that there are some professionals, even physicians, who are too hasty to diagnose AD/HD but the problem of flawed diagnosticians is a whole other issue and I can cite case after case of people being misdiagnosed by doctors - cancer, thyroid disease, etc etc. Which is why it's wonderful that sites like NIH and the AAFP put good information out - people can participate in their health care.

 

Anyway, my whole point is that I don't think anyone should flee or fear meds; they should be cautious, yes, get lots of information (GOOD information), yes, but not rule any one treatment out just on principle.

[katie79]

I was really just looking for advice on a suited career that fit my problems (ADD).

I'm going to see a career counselor about my options when things calm down in my personal life (too many stresses-my grandfather is very ill, wedding planning, and millions of other things).

 

But thanks for your feedback!

[Horse]

I was really just looking for advice on a suited career that fit my problems (ADD).

I'm going to see a career counselor about my options when things calm down in my personal life (too many stresses-my grandfather is very ill, wedding planning, and millions of other things).

 

But thanks for your feedback!

 

 

High school art teacher.

[HotCaliGirl]

I don't know if there is an equivelent test online, but highschools and colleges have detailed tests you can take that will determine what profession would best suit you. Maybe you should look into taking one. Some ideas for ADD jobs - dog walker, gym teacher, housecleaner, chef, fashion designer, forest ranger, wedding planner...

[Horse]

The best job for an add person is one that they find interesting or exciting. The hard part is finding one that will stay interesting for a long time. Or you can just change careers every two years.

 

 

Bogun... Does your doctor friend have any info online that I can check out? Everything that helps... helps.