[Dec 13, 96 - 08:28] Jane Kelley of 1:138/255 wrote to Mark Probert:
JK> Then stick to them.  The FACTS are, as amply demonstrated by doctors who
JK> are specialists in addiction and related fields, that children and
JK> others with ADHD are from families with a history of alcoholism in a
JK> certain percentage of cases.
JK> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'd bet that children and others withOUT ADHD are from families with a 
history of alcoholism in a much higher percentage of cases.  Statements like 
that are not very useful.
Jane, have you ever heard the saying "To a man who only has a hammer, every 
problem looks like a nail"?  I'm afraid that's how you have come across.  It 
may be that AD(H)D is related genetically to alcoholism in some cases, I 
don't know nor do I know that anyone knows.  Doctors who are specialists in 
addiction and related fields may be justifiably concerned about the effects 
of medications on the people they treat and study, but that doesn't mean that 
patients who benefit from medication should do without.
There have been a lot of unsubstantiated claims that Ritalin is highly 
addictive, but the refutation comes readily to hand: people who use Ritalin 
for AD(H)D often have trouble remembering to take it.  That is not typically 
characteristic of an addiction.  About two years ago there was a big 
discussion of pill timers and the like here in this conference; I doubt that 
you'd ever hear anything like that in a conference for heroin users.
There was a lot of noise about "Prozac made me eat my baby" a few years ago, 
and that was apparently a well-orchestrated campaign by the Scientologists.
Overall, Ritalin and Prozac have both been studied extensively and are 
relatively benign compared to (for example) a high-fat diet.
That being said, I've been told by people in AA/Alanon that alcoholics 
shouldn't even take aspirin because they have "addictive personalities."  I 
consider that to be suspect on a number of grounds, but it is certainly a 
common belief.  My impression is that you are making the same assertion, 
basing it on biochemistry rather than the outmoded concept of "addictive 
personalities."
I just don't believe it is particularly relevant to AD(H)D, unless you can 
come up with a study showing that AD(H)D patients with a family history of 
alcoholism are prone to abusing Ritalin or other suitable medications.
Jerry Schwartz
--- Msged/386 4.00
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