As you read every word of this report you will become shocked when you learn the truth that there is no proof that attention deficit disorder - (ADD) exists at all.

You don't realize it yet, but at the conclusion of this report, you will feel that there is a real dificiency in our medical knowledge about this mysterious mental illness.

Just picture what it would be like if you were told without a shadow of a doubt that attention deficit disorder was nothing more than a misleading diagnosis that is the very very big engine for pharmaceutical profits?

You'd be outraged!

But Look here!

You and I cannot be subjective in this serious matter. A logical and clear dissection of the evidence is required rather than buying into the hype and rigmarole of sensationalistic magazine article.

In January 2002, I happened to read an article with concern to a gigantic proliferation in recent years in the use of psychiatric drugs on young adolescents who are apparently afflicted with a brain disease called ‘attention deficit disorder - (ADD)'.

If you want to read the original Medical Journal of Australia report from which that newspaper article was derived at visit my blog (adhdgift.com) and I'll send it to you.

My interest is in working with children and I'm on my way to become a pediatrician. In the meantime, I've observed hundreds of children at close range on a regular basis - at toddler groups and playgroups, in preschools, primary schools and high schools, in public and social situations and in my own home.

In all this time, I’ve never encountered a single young child whose behaviour has suggested to me that they could have a brain disease called ‘Attention Deficit Disorder (Add)’.

Being a medically minded person and having multiple personal encounters with the so called Adhd I was suitably curious.

All the kids I've met I knew as spirited, energetic, playful etc but never did I consider it a brain disorder.

Does ADHD actually exist? Perhaps that is the wrong question.

Let's dissect the numbers first.

“According to neurologist Dr. Fred Baughman, 500,000 children in the USA were diagnosed ADHD in 1985 and between 5 and 7 million were today.

Strong growth has also been reported in Australia, a country of just 19 million people, where it's estimated that at least fifty thousand kids are now on drugs prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

"University of Queensland figures show that legal use of dexamphetamine in Australia has risen from 8.3 million capsule prescribed in 1984 to 38.4 million medications in 2001. Over the same period Ritalin prescriptions rose from one point five capsule to 19.3 million."

Is that distressing, or what?

Hyperactivity

Well, over the past eleven months, I’ve done some ‘due diligence’ on the subject of ‘Attention Deficit Disorder - (Add)’, as much as I can handle, in fact. It’s a massive subject and frought with heated debate.

Now I’m returning to my world of positive, creative parenting, where the sun is shining and the sky is blue and the inhabitants believe in the power of true love, so here is a parting overview of my enquiries into the life and times of ‘Attention Deficit Disorder (Add)’.

By the way, my use of the phrase ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd)’ and its acronym ‘ADHD’ throughout my articles should be taken to include and also represent the phrase ‘Attention Deficit Disorder (Add)’ and its acronym ‘ADD’ and ALL the variations of these phrases in common usage.

I strongly recommend that you read the original documents from which I’ve extracted information for use in this report, not only because there is usually a lot more information to be obtained from them, of course, but also to understand the context of the information. It can often be very important, sometimes crucial.

DON’T TAKE MY WORD FOR ANYTHING. Think for yourself! Be as skeptical as you like. At the end of my article series, I’ll give you my PERSONAL opinion of ‘ADHD’ – which you are welcome to agree with, disagree with or ignore, as you so desire! In the meantime, please read the next article and discover something of what I’ve discovered...