I had two people sign up for my newsletter amoung hundreds and a lot
of them came from my Yahoo groups. I think I have seen these two
listed above on yahoo. When I sent out e-mail they came back as
invalid so I am not sure they were entered correctly. If you know
who they are or they see the posting can you go to my website and
resubmit your info. Here is the newsletter in case anyone else wants
to see it. Its my first one of a montly series I am planning Thanks
************************************************

ADHD NEWSLETTER from Patrick J. Hurley

www.addcorridorcoaching.com

"Medicine or not? - Belief in ADHD"



January 2004 Volume I Issue I



------------Note if your computer has a sophisticated spam system it
may place these newsletters in spam folder, please check spam
folders for good e-mail that may have actually been sent there. I
have found some important e-mails in my AOL spam folder---

Statement: My intent in this newsletter is to express as quickly as
possible my own beliefs and opinions on matters. I have no problems
with people who disagree with my opinion and have even been swayed to
rethink my position from time to time.

Dear Friends:

One of the most common questions I am asked by people about ADHD is
about medication. I personally have no objections to herbal or
natural remedies if they make a person feel better, at the same time
I have been on medication for 8 years and it works for me.

It has always surprised me how many people don't believe in using
medication for treating ADHD. Some of these same people also do
believe in herbal and natural remedies. Others just don't believe
in ADHD at all. There are many more that believe in ADHD but think
that it is over diagnosed and used as an excuse.

I want to address the issues raised earlier.

It has always been my opinion that the brain is the most complicated
organ in the human body. People seem to be tolerant of those who
have disabilities that are outwardly obvious such as being in a wheel
chair, Cleft palate or other physical deformities. They also seem
to accept heart disease, liver and kidney problems, diabetes, poor
eye vision, hearing loss and other internal organ disorders.

Except for a person who is mentally retarded or has downs syndrome or
some other major mental challenges there seems to be less tolerance
from some for other possible less obvious mental (brain) disorders.
It seems that if your ailment is anything above the top vertebrae in
your neck you have a battle on your hands in dealing with many people.

Many people in particular see ADHD as a big excuse. Unfortunately
some people use it for an excuse, which makes everyone else that
doesn't look bad. I am a huge advocate of saying it can be used to
explain certain behaviors. But can never ever be used as an excuse.
It is counterproductive to you and all others with ADHD to do so.

ADHD is recognized by every legitimate medical association or group
in the United States as a valid disorder. So the question of whether
it exists is moot. If someone says they don't believe in it, they
are in actuality saying that cancer, diabetes and heart disease don't
exist either.

Medical treatment of ADHD has proven effective for most. If a person
is having a problem with medication they are either on the wrong
dosage or the wrong medicine. Some herbal remedies I have heard work
for some people. Just keep in mind that what is actually in those
natural medications have not been tested or approved by the rigorous
standards and testing of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

People who say they don't want to medicate their children, normally
when asked if they would give them insulin for diabetes would
say "yes". If asked if their child needs glasses would they buy them
for them…..again "yes". Chemotherapy for leukemia and the answer
is "yes" again. But to take medicine to deal with a problem in how
the brain is working seems to imply some sort of personal defect in
the patient's voluntary decision making.

All brains are not created equal and do not operate as efficiently as
others. There are a lot of non medical approaches to take. The
best is educating yourself and or your child about ADHD. If it is
me or my child and I know what I know now about the 42 years when I
was undiagnosed I would try the medication route. It is impossible
to tell you all of the things such as internal self defeating
thoughts, depression, poor self esteem and the like that might have
been avoided had people known in the 50's and 60's what they now know
about ADHD.

I believe that an undiagnosed or untreated ADHD person could possibly
be in more serious jeopardy to health and quality of life issues than
someone who has a known more common treatable disease like diabetes
or heart problems. The reason is that untreated ADHD does not just
go away, and can have a major impact in a persons life,
relationships, work, self esteem, depression and even desire to live
with its accompanying frustrations.

I talk to quite a few people who have ADHD who have considered
suicide a possible option. Some of them would have been the last
people I would have suspected of having such thoughts.

ADHD patients often mask or hide their true feelings and emotions,
especially as they get older. They may act in public like happy go
lucky, outgoing people. In reality when they are alone they feel
depressed, lazy, confused, restless, frustrated with themselves, and
know they have not reached up to their potential.

We probably have all known someone we never would have suspected of
committing suicide doing so. I believe that some of these people
were probably undiagnosed or untreated for ADHD. I think ADHD is
under-diagnosed and under-treated.

If you have family or friends in the Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois
area that may need assistance with ADHD issues feel free to have them
contact me.

Here is a link to WEBMD on Adult ADD -Controversy - Treatments you
might find interesting.
http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/78/95905.htm

If you have any comments feel free to e-mail me a "short note" (if
possible). I have ADHD too so I know how difficult it is to write
short notes.

addcorridorcoach@...

FIRST EVER Poster devoted to ADHD view at
http://www.addcorridorcoaching.com/poster.asp

If you know on anyone who might like this newsletter please forward
it to them and tell them to go to my web site
http://www.addcorridorcoaching.com and sign up.

If you wish to be taken off this mailing list click here and simply
type "remove from mailing list" in the topic box
addcorridorcoach@...

Talk to you all next month.

Patrick J. Hurley

************************************************