Our Readers Reveal Their ADHD Dilemmas
By Jeffrey Zaslow

Mia Perna of Washington, D.C., has four children who were diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. They're all creative, exuberant and intuitive, she says, but they struggle to stay focused, and to ratchet down their energy when society demands it. Ritalin and other ADHD drugs have helped.

Naturally, Ms. Perna was interested in my recent column titled "What if Einstein Had Taken Ritalin?" The piece explained researchers' concerns that ADHD drugs may be stifling the creativity inherent in the disorder, sapping tomorrow's work force of some of its potential genius. After reading the column, Ms. Perna sent an e-mail:

"Quite frankly, if my choice is between a seven-year-old weeping under his bed because he has to go to school, or having a child who leaves the house with confidence and joy, I'll take the risk of denying the world that future genius."

Hundreds of readers sent equally passionate comments, raising questions about the role ADHD medications play in our education system and our parenting techniques. Combined with last week's news that Canadian regulators have suspended sales of the ADHD drug Adderall XR because of safety concerns, the mail blitz was a reminder that we're far from a consensus on the issue.

Many readers were grateful they weren't put on Ritalin as kids, though they recognize how exasperating they were (and are) to those around them. "My ADHD has been a constant source of frustration" for my family and teachers, "but it's also been a critical component of my success as a graphic designer in today's high-velocity, quick-response, multi-tasking business environment," wrote Bob Zeni of LaGrange Park, Ill.

A Boston businessman wrote that both he and his son have ADD. His son took medication briefly as a boy, but it made him lethargic so he refused to continue taking it. The son forced himself to be organized and to set priorities. He ended up at Harvard and was a third-round draft pick in the National Hockey League. "His ADD enables him to compete in high-speed sports with the unfair advantage that chaos seems normal to him," says his father.

The father, though, recently began taking it, and likes the results. "It removes the static in my head," he says.

Many in favor of medication say that people who don't have ADHD can't understand it. "It is incredibly difficult to live in a world where everyone talks and thinks so damn slow," wrote Glenn Silver of Walla Walla, Wash. Parents told of how painful it is to watch their children get ostracized by kids, yelled at by teachers and dumped by romantic partners.

Mary Solanto, director of the ADHD Center at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, wrote that she believes ADHD prevents creative people from expressing their talents: "It takes concentration and focus to compose a piece of music, to create a work or art or write a novel."

Dr. Solanto conducted a study in 1989 looking at whether Ritalin impairs creativity. Children with ADHD were asked to name alternate uses for common objects. A response that a brick could be used "to build a house" was less original than, say, "for weight-lifting." Her study showed that the children on Ritalin gave more creative answers than those on placebos.

Some readers argued that today's Einsteins and Edisons are too coddled and need Ritalin. "We tolerate far too much from creative genius types," wrote one reader.

Other readers, however, faulted educators for suggesting that so many children be put on ADHD drugs. One woman said her son went to a school near San Diego that was dubbed ADD Elementary, because almost half of the kids were medicated. Some parents suspect standardized tests used to measure school districts' success rates are the reason behind the drugging. These parents charge that conformity, obedience and rote learning are prized over creativity. "Schools are production lines with a need for efficiency," wrote Rich Pinkowitz of Newton, Mass.

Some readers argued that kids with borderline ADHD need patience, discipline and encouragement rather than drugs. One reader complained that his daughter's first-grade teacher refuses to repeat directions. Rather than give his daughter a little extra attention, the teacher is recommending the girl be examined for ADHD. "We'll refuse to consider Ritalin," the father says.

A mother in Maine wrote: "One doctor said that depriving our son of Ritalin was like depriving a diabetic of insulin." She found that a noncarb diet and massages helped her son focus better. Though the boy still forgets his homework, he's outgoing, musically talented and still maintains his "spark," she says. "It took a leap of faith to reject the doctor's wall of degrees and trust our intuitive knowledge of our son."

From the Feb. 17, 2005 editions of The Wall Street Journal : www.wsj.com

Jeffrey Zaslow writes the Moving On column in The Wall Street Journal, and the Moving On Mailbox column on CareerJournal.com. Both columns focus on life transitions -- whether losing a job, finding a new one, moving into retirement, handling success or failure, or coping with a personal loss. He welcomes input from readers in transition. Contact him at jeffrey.zaslow@wsj.com.

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Story reprinted by HopeToHealing.com
with permission of Jeffrey Zaslow.
© 2005 Jeffrey Zaslow