Even though 1 in 6 might not seem like a huge percentage of students, it equals about 17% of the student population in America. These students are not only misusing prescription medications, they are also violating laws and could very well find themselves in the custody of the law.

The most commonly misused ADHD medications include Adderall and Ritalin. The research states that these are both “Schedule II controlled substances, placing them in the same legal bracket as substances such as cocaine and methamphetamine.” It may be true that many students don’t really know what they are getting into, but many are misusing these medications to control their brain’s ability to be stimulated.

Kari Benson from the University of South Carolina (USC), the author of the study, conducted research during her sophomore year at USC in attempts to discover a correlation for “social impairment in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder”.”  She says that during her initial research students would ask her if she could help them get Ritalin or Adderall, which is how she discovered the widespread issue.

“If you looked at individual studies, the rates of college student misuse were all over t        the place,” says study author Prof. Kate Flory. “They ranged from 2% to 43%.” As a result, the authors conducted a meta-analysis of data from 30 papers…The researchers found that 17% of college students misuse stimulant medications for ADHD, either taking medication without a prescription or taking a larger amount than prescribed.”

ADHD Medications for Learning Improvement

Ironically, there have been absolutely no positive correlations proven between taking a stimulant ADHD drug and an improved ability to learn.  Ironically, many of the studies conducted suggest the opposite. These mind altering drugs actually have been shown to have the opposite effects and may actually impair your abilities to learn and focus effectively.

ADHD Medications for Alcohol Consumption

While using these medications without prescriptions, or overusing them can be dangerous enough, some students have been found using them to help increase their alcohol consumption without feeling the effects. This is extremely dangerous.  ADHD Medications “make it possible to drink beyond the normal limit,” says Benson. “So instead of passing out drunk, you might end up in the hospital having to get your stomach pumped.”

Adverse Effects of ADHD Medication Misuse

Many students don’t consider all of the adverse effects of misusing this type of prescription drug. We have included a list of some of the side-effects this type of prescription medication abuse can have on your mind and body:

• -Malnutrition
• -Hostility
• -Paranoia
• -Serious Cardiovascular Incidences (Including Stroke)
• -Decreased ability to Learn

Don’t take our word for it though. “Last year, Medical News Today reported on a study suggesting that college-aged students who occasionally used stimulant drugs have impaired brain activity linked to anticipation”

Medication Sources and Segments of Misuse

Many students get it from friends who have ADHD  or friends and family members who can get access to these medications through jobs, or other connections.  From a study of only 30 students, it was also discovered that certain segments may abuse these types of stimulants more than others, including:

• -Fraternities
• -Sororities
• -Academically Struggling Students (Or students, such as athletes, who are pushed to perform at high levels)
• -Students who Participate in other Substance Abuse

Researchers at USC plan on doing additional research to see if they can find specific markers that identify users or potential users of drug abuse or misuse in order to create an intervention program with the help of a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Cited Studies and Resources:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/290717.php#1

https://www.promisesbehavioralhealth.com/addiction-recovery-blog/student-adderall-abuse/

https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/prescription-stimulants

https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news/20141113/adhd-stimulant-drug-abuse-common-among-young-adults-survey#1

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Straterra® is meant primarily for use in older teens and adults to control and help the effects of ADHD. However, medication is not always the best option, because of the various side-effects that may alter your mental state, and physical health in other ways. Let’s take a look at some of these side-effects and see if there is a better alternative to medications.

• Constipation
• Dry mouth
• Nausea
• Decreased appetite
• Dizziness
• Sexual side-effects
• Problems passing urine
• Long lasting erection

Children have seen different, more serious side-effects, when taking this drug, which is why it is not recommended for them. Their side-effects when taking Strattera® are as follows:

• Suicidal thoughts and actions
• Anxiety
• Agitation
• Aggressiveness
• Panic attacks
• Trouble sleeping
• Irritability
• Hostility
• Impulsivity
• Restlessness
• Mania
• Depression
• Affect his/her ability to drive or operate machinery

If your child or teenager experiences an increase or sudden change in any of these symptoms, please talk to your child’s doctor to help monitor for suicidal thoughts, and consider taking them off of the medications and moving to something more natural, including activities that can help.

Additionally, Straterra® has been known to cause liver issues with some patients. Please contact your doctor if you notice any of the following in your child or teenager:

• Itching
• Right upper belly Pain
• Dark urine
• Yellow skin or eyes
• Unexplained flu like symptoms
• Heart problems – including heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Check for heart problems before putting a child – or adult – on Straterra®
• New mental and psychological problems in children

Additionally, don’t take Strattera® if you have the following health conditions – an eye problem called narrow angle glaucoma or a rare tumor called pheochromocytoma.

Quillivant®: (Side-Effects)

Quillivant XR® is the first of its kind. This once-daily extended-release formulation of liquid methylphenidate, is made specifically for those who struggle to swallow pills.

Quivillant® is a stimulant amphetamine, and as such should be monitored closely for abuse, especially since it is recommended for children and teens.

Additional side-effects in children include:

• Weight loss
• Stunted growth (long term)
• Decreased appetite
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Dyspepsia
• Dry mouth
• Vomiting
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Affect lability
• Agitation
• Irritability
• Dizziness/Vertigo
• Tremor
• Blurred vision
• Increased blood pressure/heart rate
• Tachycardia
• Palpitations
• Hyperhidrosis
• Pyrexia

Adults who have taken the recommended dosage of this medication have experienced the following dangerous side-effects:

• Stroke
• Myocardial infarction
• Priapism
• Raynaud’s Phenomenon

Additional side-effects have been recorded in less than 2% of patients, which will not be reported here.

In children with heart conditions sudden death has been known to occur. Patients with the following heart conditions should not use Quillivant®.

• Structural cardiac abnormalities
• Cardiomyopathy
• Serious cardiac arrhythmias
• Coronary artery disease

Concerta®: (Side-Effects)

Concerta is a spin-off of the ADHD medication Ritalin®. The biggest difference however, between these two drugs is the length of time it is effective in the body. While Ritalin® must be taken every 4-6 hours to remain effective, Concerta® can be effective for up to twelve.
Side-effects and the percentage of people taking Concerta® that they affect, are listed below:

• Headache – 14%
• Upper respiratory tract infection – 8%
• Stomachache – 7%
• Vomiting – 4%
• Loss of appetite – 4%
• Sleeplessness – 4%
• Increased cough – 4%
• Sore throat – 4%
• Sinusitis – 3%
• Dizziness – 2%

Other side-effects will mimic Ritalin®, which is next on our list. Also, children who have any of the following issues should not take Concerta®:

• Agitation
• Hypersensitivity to Methylphenidate
• Glaucoma
• Tics
• Children under the age of 6

Ritalin®: (Side-Effects)

Ritalin® is a medication that has most often been prescribed to children, but it is considered safe for all ages. The most frequent side-effects are found below. If any of these occur, contact your doctor.

• Fast heartbeat
• Chest pain
• Fever
• Joint pain
• Skin rash or hives
• Black, tarry stools
• Blood in the urine or stools
• Blurred vision or other changes in vision
• Convulsions
• Crusting, dryness, or flaking of the skin
• Muscle cramps
• Pinpoint red spots on the skin
• Scaling, severe redness, soreness, or swelling of the skin
• Uncontrolled vocal outbursts or tics (uncontrolled and repeated body movements)
• Unusual bleeding or bruising

Many of the medications that are used to treat ADHD are worse for the patient than ADHD itself. Please exercise extreme caution if you choose to use any of the mentioned, or any other medications to treat ADHD. There are many other, more natural methods of treating ADHD that we highly recommend. Check our next post for more information on these natural treatment methods.

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Dysgraphia, the writing disability, is perhaps the least understood of all the learning disabilities although it is probably the most common.  Too often it is misinterpreted as laziness, a lack of motivation or just a reflection of a child’s “bad attitude” towards his schoolwork.

As a result, parents frequently take a punitive approach when it comes to their child’s written assignments, often making homework time a most unpleasant experience for both child and parent alike.  If this sounds like what goes on in your household, then let’s take a step or two back from the brink, catch our breath and examine this phenomenon a little more closely.

First of all, I’m not saying that all children who resist doing their written homework have Dysgraphia.  Children not wanting to do their homework is a common enough parental complaint.  But children with Dysgraphia have distinguishing characteristics that may make their complaints more legitimate.

Let’s stop and think for a minute what goes into the act of writing.  First, you have to think of what you want to write.  Next, you have to organize your thoughts into a logical flow of ideas.  Next, you have to write these thoughts down paying close attention to the rules of grammar, punctuation and spelling.  And, finally, you have to make sure that someone reading what you’ve written will be able to understand what you’re trying to convey.  Whew! That’s a lot to keep in your mind at one time!

I sometimes think that writing is the most complex activity we ask our brains to do.  And if you’re a kid, I would think it would be that much more difficult since their brains are still developing and therefore are not as capable as that of an adult.  In fact, from brain imaging technologies we now know that effective writing requires a coordinated effort involving many different parts of the brain operating “in concert”, so to speak.  These same brain imaging technologies also tell us that when asked to write, individuals with Dysgraphia show a significant decrease in the communication patterns among the areas of the brain responsible for written expression.

If your child has trouble writing I am not suggesting that you go out and get an MRI.  I just think it’s important to realize that Dysgraphia is a “brain-based” problem and not a case of laziness on the part of your child.  And there are many easier ways that the diagnosis can be made, psychological/educational testing being the most common and cost-effective one since most school districts are capable of providing this service.

So what are the signs or symptoms of Dysgraphia that you should look for?  In early elementary school, children with Dysgraphia often have trouble forming their letters or fail to give each letter enough space.  Letters frequently run into each other and don’t stay on the line.  Children with Dysgraphia at this age often mix up their b’s and d’s, p’s and q’s, or write “was” as “saw”, or vice versa.  Adolescents with Dysgraphia often have difficulty organizing their thoughts and getting their ideas down on paper and become easily frustrated.  In addition, they commonly have trouble with grammar, spelling and punctuation.

The following is a writing sample from one of our 9^th grade patients.  The assignment was to write about the Respiratory System.  Note the misspellings and the lack of proper punctuation.  But clearly this student understands the material and actually brings to the assignment a bit of creativity although at a writing level 3 to 4 grade levels below where she should be.

 As a result of these difficulties, children with Dysgraphia either write down their thought as quickly as possible before they forget them (see above) or they produce the absolute minimum despite the fact that if you asked them to tell you their ideas instead of writing them down they can go on and on, and quite articulately, too!

So if you now suspect that all the frustrations that you and your child have been going through over their written assignments might be the result of a learning disability, get them evaluated by a psychologist competent in this area.

School systems seem to be somewhat reluctant to make this diagnosis so you may want to consult with a psychologist outside the system.

If it turns out that your child does have Dysgraphia, there are ways to improve his written performance and there are school-based accommodations that can reduce the impact of the disability.  But you have to ask; rarely, in my experience, are these issues brought to a parent’s attention by the school system.

If you are uncertain how to proceed, consider contacting the Reynolds Clinic where we have been treating children, adolescents and adults for learning disabilities for the past 20 years.  We would be happy to guide you on your journey.

The post Why Can’t/Won’t Johnny Write? appeared first on The Reynolds Clinic LLC.

Back in the 1970’s a Stanford University psychology professor set up a simple experiment.  He took a small number of children ages 4 to 6 and sat them down in a room one at a time.  In the room was a table, 2 chairs and bell and a plate with a marshmallow on it.  The psychologist then told the children that they could eat the marshmallow whenever they wanted but that if they waited until he came back they could have 2 marshmallows but if they couldn’t wait that long, they could ring the bell and the psychologist would come right back and they could then eat the marshmallow.  He would then leave for 15 minutes and if the child had not eaten the marshmallow, he would then reward them with the promised 2 marshmallows.

The children were all video-taped and those tapes are still available today.  Watching the children fidget and squirm to avoid temptation is sometimes quite entertaining.  As you might imagine some children were able to “go the distance” and earned the 2 marshmallows while others were unable to hold off from the temptation and ate the 1 marshmallow.  I guess for some of the children it was like the old saying goes, “A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush”.

This was a study of what psychologists call “delayed gratification”, the ability of a child to postpone an immediate reward for a future payoff.  Interesting enough, right?  But the psychologist didn’t stop there.  He then went on to track down these children, now adults, to see how their lives turned out.  What he found was nothing short of astounding.  Those children who were able to delay gratification in order to earn the second marshmallow were more successful than the children who could not resist the temptation—on almost every meaningful measure of success in life.  They were described as more competent as adolescents, did better academically, had higher SAT scores (on average 210 points higher) made more money as adults and had more successful and stable careers—all because of their ability to delay gratification when they were young children.  Those children who were unable to delay gratification had more behavioral problems growing up, had trouble paying attention and had difficulty maintaining friendships.

So who says marshmallows can’t make a difference?  Actually, although it sounds so simple, we now know that a child’s ability to delay gratification is just one in a constellation of traits called Executive Functions which go a long way towards determining which children will be successful is school and later in life.  Prominent among these executive functions is the ability to plan ahead, to stay organized, to manage time well, to initiate tasks, be goal directed and to assert emotional control especially when stressed.  Lately it has become fashionable when a child is struggling with these issues for doctors to diagnose them with ADHD, medicate them and hope for the best.  But even when medication is helpful, it is never going to teach them these skills. And when they eventually stop taking the meds or the meds stop working, you’re essentially back to square one.  This is why it is so important to begin to help your child develop their executive functions, because not to do so or to expect a medication to do that for them is to squander precious time in their psychological and emotional development.

The moral of this story: be proactive. Get your child the help they need and not just help in the form of a pill.  Unless, of course, you don’t mind if your child turns into a marshmallow.

If any of what you’ve just read resonates with you, consider setting up a consultation.  Here at the Reynolds Clinic we are dedicated to helping children reach their potential, medication-free.

The post Executive Functions – Is Your Child a “Marshmallow”? appeared first on The Reynolds Clinic LLC.

If your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder or a Learning Disability, their problems are primarily neurological (brain-based) in nature.  You can make them better or worse depending upon your parenting practices, but you did not cause them and don’t let anyone (teachers, in-laws, etc.) try to convince you otherwise.  It’s easy for others to make judgement from afar but they’re not living with the problem. You are.

So what are you supposed to do?  You know your child’s behavior is running the household.  You’re tired of constantly having to repeat yourself, hate the yelling, making idle threats, sending them to their rooms.  You know punishment only goes so far but what else can you do?

First of all, stop doing what you’re doing.  If those interventions worked you would not be reading this blog.

Second, in all likelihood, your child is what I call a “WHIFM” kid—What’s In It For ME?  Now you probably don’t like the sound of that, but if you’ll stop and think about it for a minute you might begin to see how true this might be.  You would like to think that your child would do the right thing just because it’s the right thing to do or because you said so.  This may have been the case for you growing up but most likely not your child.

Third, keep it simple.  Rather than take things away (computer time, TV time, Lego time) from your child for their bad behavior, reverse it and reward them with these activities for their compliant behavior.  If they earn it they get it.  All they have to do is comply with what you ask them to do, the first time you ask, without an attitude and they earn whatever it is that motivates them.

One more thing.  If you try this, be reasonable about how quickly you want them to comply.  Many children with behavioral challenges have a tendency to react impulsively and negatively.  Give them a little time before they lose out on the chance to earn something they really want.  Set a timer for 30 seconds or so, after which they would lose the opportunity so they don’t get penalized for their impulsivity.

Lastly, whatever reward you choose, make sure that your child has no access to it except when earned.  No more using electronics as their babysitter!

So stop the yelling, no more threats.  Try some positive reinforcement.  It’s also easier on the vocal chords.

I’ll be blogging from time to time on areas related to parenting children with special needs.  Please consider signing up and tell your friends.  You will also be informed of free seminars and other tools to help you be the best parent you can be while helping your child reach their full potential.

The post Are my child’s behavioral problems my fault? appeared first on The Reynolds Clinic LLC.