Why Kids in France Are Not Medicated For ADHD
ADHD is an acronym for a common children’s mental disorder called Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is mostly identified in schools among school children of age 4 to 17, although, experts say, it begins earlier, but only slightly perceptible at the stage.
According to the American Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC), an estimated 11% of American children are diagnosed with ADHD, and that this figure, has continued to rise in most part of Europe and America. However, many countries such as France hold an exception to this. That is, in terms of the classification of emotional problems in children, the French Federation of Psychiatry (FFP) uses a system of mental classification that is entirely different from that of the American Psychiatrists Association (APA) classification system. While FFP uses a classification system known as the Classification Françoise des Troubles Mentaux de L’ Enfant et de L’ Adolescent (CFTMEA), the APA uses an emotional classification system known as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Thus, France termed ADHD as a sociological disorder, rather than as a mental disorder as defined by the America Psychiatrists. Consequently, kids in France are never offered any medication for ADHD, because most French doctors unlike the American’s don’t consider ADHD as a medical condition, but a mental condition caused by sociological and situational factors and conditions. For this reason, France does not offer any form of medicated treatment for ADHD in their Kids, but a special treatment approach, known as psychotherapy or family counseling.
In France, once a child is diagnosed with ADHD, the cause of such disorder is what the doctors try to find out. This they do by studying the child’s distress manner and comparing it with its social situations and devising appropriate means of delivering the child out of the condition.
Also, in finding the cause for ADHD in a child, rather than prescribe medications treatment, French doctors consider the diet of the child. This is because they hold it very strongly that behavioral symptoms associated with ADHD such as high activity levels, detest of most activity or un- restfulness, among others, may be as a result of poor eating habits or dire food reactions.
Similarly, another reason for none medicated treatment for ADHD in French kids is because of cultural differences between American and French lifestyles. That is, many French parents often impose more controlled lifestyles onto their children like, corporal punishing, unrestrained scolding or enforcing strict meal times for their children, to make them more self-disciplined at a very tender age. Consequently, most French doctors consider it very unnecessary to medicate behavioral issues in any child.
Lastly, kids in France are not medicated for ADHD because; there has not been any serious campaign on the part of the pharmaceutical companies in France to promote ADHD medicines, unlike, in America, where many giant pharmaceuticals have been linked to many ADHD medicated research. In fact, there have been some notable instances where FDA have had to issue out serious warnings to some pharmaceuticals that try to promote ADHD medications because they were considered misleading and not following the French Federation of Psychiatry’s mental treatment approach and classification systems.
