Derek Lowe diagnosed with ADD

[Beckett95]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2397789

 

not really surprised at all. He could be a mental case on the mound some games.

[YanksHater213]

IMO everyone has ADD. This is a carefully thought out opinion by myself and one of my friends. Both myself and her came up with this one day when we were trying to get something done, but we kept getting distracted, and yeah, it was just a f***ing disaster. But yeah, everyone has ADD, its just not as bad in some people as others.

[Goalstopper]

I heard, i know it's bad to laugh at it but it's funny.

[Sox fan in Tex]

I'll never laugh at the guy. What he did in the postseason for us in 2004, was brilliant. (I will laugh at Damon, though.)

[yeszir]

So what? Half of this country is diagnosed with ADD.

[sarasoxfan]

apparently he should belong to AA as well.

[Strawman]

Well, it's important to note that while a vast vast number of people have been diagnosed with ADD, a very small number of them actually have it. I know that it's kind of a joke syndrome because kids who misbehave and have parents that are too dumb or lazy to do anything about it get diagnosed, but there actually is a condition like this. The percentage of people that have it out of the people who are diagnosed with it may be incredbily small, but still.

[mtbykr]

Well, it's important to note that while a vast vast number of people have been diagnosed with ADD, a very small number of them actually have it. I know that it's kind of a joke syndrome because kids who misbehave and have parents that are too dumb or lazy to do anything about it get diagnosed, but there actually is a condition like this. The percentage of people that have it out of the people who are diagnosed with it may be incredbily small, but still.

 

 

I agree with you to a point--i am still on the fence i guess as to whether or not ADD is just a bogus take to get more kids hopped up on drugs. I think it that the world today (our country anyway) doesn't like to dicipline their kids (whether in school or at home) and ADD is a quick fix so they don't have to deal with the real issue. My uncle works as a teacher and has for quite a while---and he thinks ADD is bogus. He says that teachers (especially women) can't control the students (mostly boys) and that they just send them to the nurse or whoever and tell them they are out of control and need to be doped up. My uncle has those same kids and has no problems with them--------it's more a copout than anything else.

 

Now there may be a genuine problem with a few people (i am still out on that though), but this IMHO is true for the vast majority!

[Strawman]

Yeah, I agree with you. I have actually met a person with actual ADD and he treats it like any other clinical disorder: with medication and self-determination. But as far as I know, he could be the only actual case out of the millions diagnosed.

 

Alternately, it might be that it was just a little something doctors found imbalance wise and since nobody blows things out of proportion better than the American media, suddenly we have Tom Brokaw, like a concerned but not-wishing-to-be-overbearing grandparent, drawling out, "Are your children overactive and seem to have no concentration? Then it's probably ADD."

[mtbykr]

Ya-i had a friend growing up who was diagnosed with ADD and when he was on the meds he was def better. I just wonder what the cuase was---instead of treating the problem let's find out what caused it and fix that. I forget what i heard, it could have been ADD, ADHD, or ALS (or all three) but they were pointing out the fact that there is no medical evidence needed to diagnose these conditions-----------everything was "at the discretion of the doctor". So if that's the case, all you need is a doctor in the pocket of a drug company to start the snowball rolling. I am not trying to drum up a conspiacy theory---just pointing out interesting things i heard!

[Strawman]

Conspiracy theory nothing, my ex-roomemate's mom works for a drug rep company and they do stuff like all the time with drugs that don't need extensive testing for a diagnosis. Whoever invented (or I guess I should say, whoever owns the inventor of) ritalin was very pleased.

[bagwell368]

my older son has ADD. We went to 6 different providers, including Children's Hospital, read many books, got lost on both sides of the debate - new age vs. drug companies - on the web.

 

his behavior was way out of line in 1st grade. we decided to dose him, that was 7 years ago. five times (by mistake) he has gone to school w/o it, and five times we had calls within :90 minutes. He is going into High Schoo, taking honors everything except math, is one of the most popular and probably nicest of the boys we know in town. he also plays travel baseball and basketball. He's a great kid. It isn't a death sentance and it isn't a joke. My younger son doesn't have it. He's not as nice or kind, although he is exceptionally talented mentally and physically.

 

at the same time he was going through his testing I was getting my own. I took the ADD med once and was like a ferret on speed. it turned out I have something else which I takes meds for, and I'm a lot better for it.

 

I'm not a mental case, nor is my son, we have chemical imbalances which can be treated. However, unlike say something like asthma, we cannot "come out" unless we want to be "burned at the stake" in a social sense.

 

I am not BTW concerned in the least about Lowe's ADD. His women beating when in the Seattle system is something else again.

[greenwell39]

I agree with you to a point--i am still on the fence i guess as to whether or not ADD is just a bogus take to get more kids hopped up on drugs. I think it that the world today (our country anyway) doesn't like to dicipline their kids (whether in school or at home) and ADD is a quick fix so they don't have to deal with the real issue. My uncle works as a teacher and has for quite a while---and he thinks ADD is bogus. He says that teachers (especially women) can't control the students (mostly boys) and that they just send them to the nurse or whoever and tell them they are out of control and need to be doped up. My uncle has those same kids and has no problems with them--------it's more a copout than anything else.

 

Now there may be a genuine problem with a few people (i am still out on that though), but this IMHO is true for the vast majority!

 

As a teacher (a female one at that) I have a few things to respond to...first of all, until you have worked with young children (I work in an elementary school) and have seen what a kid who REALLY does suffer from ADD/ADHD is like on and off medication you will never grasp the realm of what goes on with these little ones in their day to day life.

Two, I think it is definitely something that is highly overdiagnosed. Gosh, if you saw the test these kids had to go through you would be diagnosed as ADD/ADHD as well. But, there are a % of children and adults who truly suffer and need some sort of medication, change in diet, etc.

And third, I'd like to know who your uncle works with when he says that it is mostly women who can't deal with behavior issues. The majority of woman I have worked with do a superb job with classroom management (and I, myself, get the large % of "behavior issues" because I have always done so well with these children and they respond well to me). It may not be that your uncle doesn't have issues with these kids because he's a man, it could be a personality conflict or that he is someone who lets a lot of things slide. Many possibilities.

I can count on one hand the number of students I have truly thought are ADD/ADHD in my 7 years of teaching. You can't just send them to the nurse and get some sort of quick fix, there is quite the behavioral screening process and paperwork, testing, etc. that needs to be done.

A bit long winded I know, but something I had to get off my chest....

[billmueller11]

he sure wasnt a mental case in the playoffs in 04 .i always liked d lowe

[bagwell368]

greenwell39,

 

interesting. my wife got her Masters after this thing with our son, and is wrapping up her 3rd year teaching 3rd grade. She's widely seen as being unusually able to handle difficult children so they give her 5-6 a year that are not on meds. She gets services for about 1/2 and the others she helps along to meet grade level by the end of the year. the problem is usually parents asleep at the wheel in that case. next year she is expecting 7-8 at risk children. It's the most important job in society IMO, if men were 90% of the teacher population, the pay would be a lot more. Strange society when men playing baseball or other pro sports can make north of 10 mil a year, and wickedly talented and dedicated teacers are under 50k.

 

W