Sound familiar?
Is it just me or does everyone sometimes feel like a broken record?
This week is child protection week, yet everywhere we turn there are stories about child aggressors.
In Nambour, teenage girls drunk and high on glue were caught stealing charity donations from a disabled man.
A 61-year-old man on Kawana Island was bashed by 12 and 14-year-olds.
In Perth, a group of Year 7 students are facing court for the kidnap and torture of a school mate.
In London, a 14-year-old girl has stabbed and killed her older sister in a fight over a boyfriend.
And the broken record whines: Where are the parents? Who is failing these children?
I got a new perspective this week. Dr Philip Bird is lead physician at the Gosforth Clinic in Maroochydore. He specialises in the research, diagnosis and treatment of ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
I know you’re all familiar with ADHD kids: anti-social, restless, reckless, seemingly incapable of eye contact, quick to anger, always in trouble, never able stick at anything.
Well, here’s the kicker. According to Phil, ADHD is not something you necessarily “grow out of”.
Adults have ADHD, too, and the pattern continues – poor social skills, anger management issues, broken relationships, a string of lost jobs, restlessness, recklessness, possible drug problems and ultimately very poor parenting skills.
According to Phil, before the age of 25, some 75% of untreated ADHD patients are diagnosed drug users.
By comparison, in the general population, it’s just 20% of people under the age of 25.
You see, if you’ve got ADHD, the drugs really do work.
Any stimulant acts like the prescription drug Ritalin, calming the thoughts of the ADHD sufferer.
Phil tells the story of a patient who took speed before going to a nightclub with mates. Under the influence of the drug, the young man’s mind cleared and for the first time, he was able to look around and see the mess his unit was in, so he stayed home and cleaned up.
Others say they just fall asleep while their mates party around them.
Untreated, ADHD sufferers under 25 are twice as likely to get a speeding ticket, four times as likely to crash their car and seven times as likely to crash their car more than once.
Phil says it’s taking a long time to get the message out that people don’t grow out of ADHD just because they go to Schoolies Week.
The good news, however, is that once diagnosed, ADHD is treatable. In fact, among medicated ADHD adults, the incidence of illicit drug use drops to just 21% – very close to the community average.
The message for people who work with troubled kids is simple: take a look at the parents and see if you recognise the symptoms.
ADHD exists in only about 4.4% of adults, so it’s not the answer to every crap parent, I know that, but when it comes to protecting children, it’s got to be worth a try.
If you want to find out more, phone the Gosforth Clinic on 5451 1800.
This week is child protection week, yet everywhere we turn there are stories about child aggressors.
In Nambour, teenage girls drunk and high on glue were caught stealing charity donations from a disabled man.
A 61-year-old man on Kawana Island was bashed by 12 and 14-year-olds.
In Perth, a group of Year 7 students are facing court for the kidnap and torture of a school mate.
In London, a 14-year-old girl has stabbed and killed her older sister in a fight over a boyfriend.
And the broken record whines: Where are the parents? Who is failing these children?
I got a new perspective this week. Dr Philip Bird is lead physician at the Gosforth Clinic in Maroochydore. He specialises in the research, diagnosis and treatment of ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
I know you’re all familiar with ADHD kids: anti-social, restless, reckless, seemingly incapable of eye contact, quick to anger, always in trouble, never able stick at anything.
Well, here’s the kicker. According to Phil, ADHD is not something you necessarily “grow out of”.
Adults have ADHD, too, and the pattern continues – poor social skills, anger management issues, broken relationships, a string of lost jobs, restlessness, recklessness, possible drug problems and ultimately very poor parenting skills.
According to Phil, before the age of 25, some 75% of untreated ADHD patients are diagnosed drug users.
By comparison, in the general population, it’s just 20% of people under the age of 25.
You see, if you’ve got ADHD, the drugs really do work.
Any stimulant acts like the prescription drug Ritalin, calming the thoughts of the ADHD sufferer.
Phil tells the story of a patient who took speed before going to a nightclub with mates. Under the influence of the drug, the young man’s mind cleared and for the first time, he was able to look around and see the mess his unit was in, so he stayed home and cleaned up.
Others say they just fall asleep while their mates party around them.
Untreated, ADHD sufferers under 25 are twice as likely to get a speeding ticket, four times as likely to crash their car and seven times as likely to crash their car more than once.
Phil says it’s taking a long time to get the message out that people don’t grow out of ADHD just because they go to Schoolies Week.
The good news, however, is that once diagnosed, ADHD is treatable. In fact, among medicated ADHD adults, the incidence of illicit drug use drops to just 21% – very close to the community average.
The message for people who work with troubled kids is simple: take a look at the parents and see if you recognise the symptoms.
ADHD exists in only about 4.4% of adults, so it’s not the answer to every crap parent, I know that, but when it comes to protecting children, it’s got to be worth a try.
If you want to find out more, phone the Gosforth Clinic on 5451 1800.
posted by Caroline Hutchinson at 10:00 AM
1 Comments:
In the acronym ADHD, the H stands for hyopOactivity, not hypERactivity.
It's caused by the sufferer having an underactive mind - hence the constant restlesness (their brains are starving for something to do).
That's why stimulants help.
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