[RR] What I should have said...

[clint grant]

Well, I definitely said the wrong thing! I got alot of heated responses which I probably deserve, and I understand the passion behind them. What I probably should have said is something more like this:   Is it possible...   That, while there definitely are some valid cases of chemical imbalances in children which can be corrected with proper medication,   And that,  while this would definitely NOT apply to anyone listening, reading, nor to anyone  related to or even slightly involved with those who may be doing so,   Is it possible that some of the cases in which a child is diagnosed with ADD or ADHD that the diagnosis could be wrong and that it could just be a case of WHATEVER? Whether that whatever be lack of proper discipline or parental control, hyperactivity, or any other of a myriad of causes?   The reason I ask is, that my son was diagnosed with ADD when we first enrolled him in school. Now, not to say that this is the only way to handle such a situation, nor to say that any other way is not correct or anything, but this is the way that I handled it, just in case anyone is interested.   I just didn't buy it. I sat down with my wife, my son, and I told them that this was a lie from hell and that we did not have to sign for it, just like a package from UPS. And then I faced the symptoms and behavior that prompted this diagnosis and applied alot of prayer, Word of God, and firm discipline and I did not back up for one moment. Those behaviors stopped. This is just what I felt that I needed to do and it worked for me. That does not mean that it is the right way, but I give all the credit to God, and thank Him for showing me what to do in my case.   Now,  I know Jeff Ortner and I know Kelly Gist. And I know thier kids, too. And thier kids are not what I would call discipline problems of any kind by any stretch of the imagination. Nor would I have known, had not my post of yesterday illicited the responses that they did, that these kids had ever been diagnosed with ADD, because from all that I have seen these kids are well mannered, well behaved children being raised in fine Christian homes.   And this is where I blew it. And I knew it as soon as I hit the "send" button. I thought to myself, I said: "Self, there is going to be someone out there who has a kid diagnosed with this and you are going to be in big trouble." And sure enough, I was!   Now, I do believe that there is medicine that can help to ease whatever symptoms are caused by chemical imbalances. I knew a guy named Harold Ray Dew that was as sweet as could be when he was taking his pills. But when he would quit, this man was psychotic, violent, you would think he was demon possessed. Maybe he was, I don't know, whatever. But the medicine worked. And I say, that if there is a parent out there who, for whatever reason, cannot control thier child, and the medicine helps, then give 'em the medicine. However, I do have concerns about ritalin, as I am sure alot of you do, too. Alot of doctors are all too quick to prescribe this stuff. And I believe that alot of them prescribe it when it should not be. Once a person has been prescribed ritalin, it goes on thier permanent record. They will never be able to obtain a gun permit. They will never be able to serve in our countries armed forces. They will be denied many of the rights which our constitution affords each and every individual. I hate to think of the consequences that will be suffered by many who were wrongly diagnosed and prescribed with this medicine. Those who are fighting in the halls of congress to protect our constitutional rights are in an uproar over this.   I have watched time after time as a parent allowed thier child to manipulate them with thier poor behavior. Even to the point that the parent had lost all control of the situation. It was no longer the parent who made the decisions it was the child, since the exasperated parent had lost whatever authority they had ever had. The children had no respect nor regard for the authority of thier parents. There was no discipline, whatsoever. I, myself, have been one of those children. Now, I know that this is not the case with any of you, we are all better than that. We all serve a risen Saviour and lean on Him for all of our guidance and the Holy Spirit directs our every move. We read God's Word and apply it to our daily lives. But each one of you knows at least one case in which what I am talking about probably applies. And I am certain that there are those of you who would, like myself, agree that this is becoming an epidemic. We are seeing more and more of it. And it is only getting worse.   Now my question is, in the cases which do not apply here, does anyone have a solution, apart from applying firm, loving discipline and the Word of God and prayer and consistent daily living, along with good practices and habits, to help these kids? Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com