High Point Enterprise (North Carolina)
Pediatrician believes ADHD does not exist
Letters to the editor:
tblount@hpe.com
By Jimmy Tomlin
Oct 26,2008
HIGH POINT - If there's such a thing as an "ADHD Establishment," Dr.
Bose Ravenel stands firmly in the anti-establishment camp.
And that badge - he refers to himself as "a rebel with a cause" - is one
the 70-year-old High Point pediatrician wears proudly.
"I don't relish it," he says, "but it doesn't bother me because I'm
convinced about what we're doing."
Ravenel, who has practiced in High Point since 1988, has co-authored a
new book - with noted family psychologist John Rosemond - that likely
will make him a lightning rod for criticism from the aforementioned ADHD
Establishment.
In the book, "The Diseasing of America's Children: Exposing the ADHD
Fiasco and Empowering Parents To Take Back Control" (Thomas Nelson,
$24.99), the authors not only hold the ADHD Establishment's feet to the
fire - they toss the establishment into the fire, using such pointed
phrases as "a travesty of science," "flimsy evidence," "a scandal
waiting to erupt," and "an effort that has resulted in the manufacture
of diseases that do not exist."
Specifically, the authors contend that those "diseases that do not
exist" - namely, ADD (attention-deficit disorder), ADHD
(attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) and ODD (oppositional defiant
disorder) - are based on bad science, most likely do not derive from a
genetic brain disorder, and therefore do not require potentially harmful
medications for treatment.
They further contend that the classic ADHD symptoms such as inattention,
forgetfulness, inability to focus, hyperactivity and impulsivity can be
addressed through a behavioral treatment model rather than resorting to
drugs.
"We believe the professional literature is skewed in the direction of
overstating the effect of medications on these children and understating
the potential harmful effects," Ravenel explains.
Ironically, Ravenel admits he's a former member of the ADHD
Establishment.
"That's why I don't blame them, because I was there with them," he says.
"I never knew any different. As a busy doctor, you tend to read the
journals that are published by authors who have heavy pharmaceutical
company ties, so you're not aware of this whole alternative
perspective."
About seven or eight years ago, though, Ravenel says he began to
question the alarming rate at which children were being diagnosed with
ADHD, particularly considering the absence of the disease in previous
generations.
"That got me to begin looking seriously at those rare individuals who
would write articles suggesting that ADHD is not real - I looked at why
they said that," Ravenel recalls.
His conclusion? ADHD is B-O-G-U-S.
Ravenel and Rosemond argue in their book that in the 30-plus years since
ADHD was recognized as a behavior disorder, no objective diagnostic
criteria have been developed; no ADHD gene has been discovered; and no
ADHD biochemical imbalance has been quantified.
"We don't believe there's any evidence to support (ADHD's existence),
and there's a compelling amount of evidence to support what we're
proposing," Ravenel says. "We think everybody ought to be trying this
alternative first."
Ravenel's primary concern, he says, is the longterm impact of ADHD
medications such as Ritalin, Concerta and Adderall.
"Even establishment members would agree that no one knows what the
effects of longterm exposure to these psychotropic drugs would be," he
says.
The authors recommend a four-prong behavioral approach in lieu of
medication:
. Reframe the child's self-image from that of a person with a disabled
brain to one with great potential. That can be done, they say, through
an old-fashioned parenting approach that combines "powerful love and
powerful discipline."
. Eliminate or restrict the child's exposure to electronic media such as
TV, video games and computers. "Children get addicted to these
electronic stimuli," Ravenel says.
. Change the child's diet from the typical American diet of fast food,
processed carbohydrates and sugars to more healthy foods. Also, fish oil
supplements have been shown to benefit learning and behavior, Ravenel
says.
. De-emphasize the current educational trend that requires
kindergartners to learn what once wasn't learned until first grade,
because that trend causes more children to struggle and fail.
This approach has made believers out of numerous parents who have
brought their children to Ravenel's practice at Cornerstone Pediatrics,
he says.
"If you talk to parents whose children were faced with the prospect of
their child being on medication for the rest of their life, and then
within just a few weeks or months the problem is solved, they get really
passionate," Ravenel says. "And they can't believe other parents are not
being exposed to the same idea."
Link to story:
http://hpe.southernheadlines.com/index.cfm?section=8&story=5371
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