Why Many Boys Being Diagnosed With ADHD Actually Have Something Else Going On, with Dr. Leonard Sax

Who is the most likely person to suggest a diagnosis of ADHD? And I mean, just let that float out there for the listening audience right now. Who do you think is the most likely person to suggest this child might have ADHD? Share about my study. So I got funding from the American Academy of Family Physicians to survey all the doctors in the Washington area. So that's the District of Columbia, Montgomery, Peechee County in Maryland and Northern Virginia. And we asked them many questions, but most importantly, that question. We asked the doctors, who first suggests the diagnosis of ADHD, of attention deficit? Is it the parent, teacher, doctor, other professional, neighbor? And the doctors told it, it is most often the teacher. Now, I'm not saying the teacher did anything wrong. If this kid's not paying attention, that's a problem. It is a problem. And we need to figure out why. I have been in the classroom at parent's request to observe their son. On two occasions, the teacher did something I thought was a little inappropriate. On two occasions, the teacher said, class, Dr. Sachs is here with us today solely to observe Nicholas and see whether he's paying attention. That's terrible. Despite that fact, Nicholas is still not paying attention. He's looking out the window. He's playing with his pencil. If the teacher says Nicholas is not paying attention, you can be certain Nicholas is not paying attention. The question for the doctor is to figure out why is he not paying attention? A kid who's depressed is not paying attention. A survivor of child abuse is not paying attention. Kid who hates school is not paying attention. So I'll give you a quick line from my presentation for doctors and psychologists. How can you distinguish in a quick office visit whether this kid is not paying attention because he hates school or because he truly has ADHD? ADHD is a cognitive deficit. It means kids really cannot pay attention even if they want to. So example from my own practice. A middle school boy not doing well in school went to the psychiatrist, diagnosed ADHD, was on medication, got side effects. Parents brought him to me for a second opinion. I asked him this question. Asked this one question. What's your favorite subject at school? Emphasizing the word subject. This boy said, well, I love math and art and music but I hate reading English language arts. Okay, that's hugely helpful. He just told me he doesn't like anything involving the written word. And I determined in one visit, this kid has dyslexia. Psychiatrist made the wrong diagnosis. He doesn't have ADHD, he has dyslexia. Okay, we can get him off medication, bring in appropriate resources. He's blossomed, this was years ago, he's graduated from college, everything's fine. Another boy, also middle school, also not doing well, also diagnosed by the child psychiatrist as having ADHD. And I said to this boy, what's your favorite subject at school? And he said, lunch. Okay, if the answer is lunch or recess, you gotta take a step back. He knows lunch is not a subject. If he says that lunch is his favorite subject, he's telling you he does not respect the academic enterprise. He has no interest in school as school. Now, hating school is a big problem. But it's not ADHD, it's not a psychiatric diagnosis. And sometimes the problem is not with the boy at all, but with the school. So there's a lot of reasons why kids are not paying attention. ADHD is one of many possibilities and it's the doctor's job to figure out what's the correct diagnosis, what's the correct explanation. But in this country, and Canada, and no other country, doctors say, let's try Adderall, let's try Vyvanse and see if it helps. And it will help. So I say to parents, you have my permission. I own the copyright to Boys Adrift. Photocopy chapters four and eight from the new edition of Boys Adrift. Just be sure to photocopy all the references at the end. Take them to your doctor. Say, are you aware that the medication you wanna prescribe, Adderall, Vyvanse, damages the motivational center of the brain? An American doctor will not be aware. Even if they are a professor of child psychiatry, they're not aware of this research, I have found. That's my firsthand experience. Show them the references, ask them to read, because there are safer alternatives. There are other medications. You write about them in the book. Lobutrin, Strutera, and Tuniv that do not damage the motivational center of the brain. Ask the doctor, okay, if you're certain your son has ADHD and I've got the guidance in the new edition so you can decide, does your son truly have ADHD? If you say, yeah, I think he does meet all five criteria, then he's probably gonna need a medication, in my experience, but you can choose a safer medication. Yeah, but let's be careful about which one. But join the community by becoming a subscriber. We really, really value your input and your support. You may not always agree, but we are always gonna talk about it and respect. No BS, no agenda, no fear. Think about this, in 2006, $20,000 equaled roughly 33 ounces of gold at spot price. At today's prices, those 33 ounces would be worth about $165,000. That's why many smart Americans diversify a portion of their savings into precious metals. And that's why you should consider buying gold from Birch Gold Group. For thousands of years, gold has been a store of wealth. And today, it's a crucial part of any balance strategy. Even better, Birch Gold can help you convert an existing IRA or 401k into a tax-sheltered retirement account in gold. Just text MK to the number 989898 to receive your free info kit on gold. There's no obligation, just useful information. With an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of happy customers, let Birch Gold help you diversify with gold. Now that's peace of mind. Again, text MK to 989898 today.