After spending a weekend with Ann off her Concerta patch, I wanted to pull my hair out.
Did you know they make Concerta, a methylphenidate like Ritalin, similar to the make-up of Adderall (dextroamphetamine) and cocaine (methylbenzoylecgonine), in a discrete patch like Nicorette and birth control?
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When I arrived home last Friday night, Ann's golden locks were braided, she had doused herself in her Bath and Body Works lime and coconut spray and tried on three shirts before we decided on her outfit for the middle school dance! When I picked her up from the dance, she was electric slidin' and shakin' it like a Polaroid picture. She got her moves from her big sister, what can I say?
It was during Ann's pre-dance fashion show that I noticed the agitated skin where her Concerta patch had been. She had ripped it off because it was itchy, and it remained off all weekend.
Ann's attitude toward her constantly changing medications is subdued, at best. Mom and Dad say they have found a doctor at the top of his field, but the professional they trust with their child's health and well-being is a medication-happy guru. His latest prescription is to up Ann's dosage because she fidgets in class.
My mother received an e-mail from one of Ann's teachers a few years ago saying Ann had been a real hell-raiser in school that day. She had been more aggressive and less focused than was normal.
Mom was glad because on that particular day Ann had rushed out the door without taking her morning methylphenidate. Because Ann's teacher could tell a real difference in her behavior during a non-medicated day, Mom said, "At least we know the medicine is working."
ADHD drugs drastically alter a child's behavior, mood and appetite, and it's working.
A federal study was released Friday with evidence stating long-term ADHD medication use is ineffective and harmful. The safe, effective use of ADHD drugs is to medicate a child for no longer than two years while introducing behavioral therapy and counseling so the child learns to control him or herself in the long run, according to the study.
My little sister has been on some form of a likely addictive stimulant since kindergarten. She is stubborn, scatter-brained and defiant when un-medicated - and slightly less so when the dulling drugs are in her.
I don't live with Ann and enact the homework battle every day as do my parents, but the time has come when everyone involved needs to look beyond administering mind-altering medications.
Science now says you shouldn't medicate a child longer than three years. With the right combination of talk and behavioral therapy, the goal can be not to dull the brain in all its puzzles and wonders but to own it.
A note on my mother's bathroom mirror says, "We are in ultimate control of our actions." Ann sees these words every day. She must, sooner rather than later, learn to live them as often.
We went on a hike last Sunday afternoon, one of the better treatments for kids with Attention Deficit Disorder. Ann had been off her medication for two days. She tried to explain why moss grows on the north side of trees without stringing reasonable thoughts together at all. She got lost in the woods for a while and then came back to the car with skinned knees and arms full of shiny rocks, smooth sticks and a bird's nest.
Ann has consistently played by her own rules. She may be on the fringes of society but has always been out on the middle of the dance floor. Holler back, youngin'.
Kate E. Matthews is a senior in the School of Communication and a columnist for The Eagle. You can reach her at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
