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"To be a man, a boy must see a man."  (J.R. Moehringer)

Children today are under enormous pressures rarely experienced by their parents or grandparents. Many of today's children are being enticed to grow up too quickly and are encountering challenges for which they are totally unprepared.

Being a parent of a teenager can cure a person of narcissism.

"Parents aren't the cause of ADHD, but they are part of the solution." (Kenny Handleman, M.D.)

Criticism is not a motivator.

The teenage years require a delicate balance between the young person's need to gain independence, and the parent's need to retain authority.

The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice. (Peggy O'Mara)

"Moody" and "unpredictable" are adjectives parents will often use when referring to their teenagers.

Children mimic well. They catch what they see better than they follow what they hear.

"The thing that impresses me most about North America is the way parents obey their children"    (King Edward VII , 1841-1910)

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Ritalin – the good, the bad and the ugly

Next – the ugly

The abuse potential for stimulant medications are real. When used in the doctor prescribed manner and dosage there is little danger in this regard, however when “snorted” the effects are reported to be similar to snorting cocaine. In fact cocaine and methylphenidate (Ritalin) are very closely related.

Larger doses give feelings of:

  • euphoria
  • more energy / power
  • sense of power
  • mental sharpness

As the effects wear off there is:

  • heightened fatigue
  • poor concentration
  • irritability
  • depression
  • craving for more

Persistent abuse can lead to:

  • psychotic episodes
  • paranoid behaviour
  • hallucinations
  • bizarre behaviour
  • sudden death

Most people do not view stimulant medications as potentially dangerous or unsafe because it is prescribed to children. This assumption is incorrect as there are over 150 studies documenting abuse problems with amphetamine. The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics – 1997 states “Ritalin is a highly addictive drug”

So does Ritalin use predispose an individual to later drug abuse?

There is no conclusive answer to this question as valid studies support both possible answers. What is clear however is that stimulant medications do not cure ADD / ADHD. They can reduce the symptoms as long as it remains active in the body . There is no evidence of long term improvement as a result of stimulant medication alone.

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Workshops

+ Behaviour Management (now available online)

This full day or 2 evening workshop will introduce you […]

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+ Lick Your Kids

  “Lick Your Kids” (figuratively not literally) (2 hours) First […]

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+ A Parent’s Guide to the Teenage Brain

  A teenager’s brain is not just an adult brain […]

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+ Reading Rescue

A program for children with reading problems

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+ Taming a Toddler

Many parents wonder what hit them when their sweet little baby turns into an unreasonable toddler – ideas for dealing with mealtime, bedtime, temper tanturms, toilet training, noncompliance, etc.

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See more of our workshops


Contact

2720 Rath Street, Putnam, Ontario
NOL 2BO

Phone: (519) 485-4678
Fax: (519) 485-0281

Email: info@rickharper.ca

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Parents' Comments

“I wish we had found Rick 2 years ago. We could have saved ourselves and our son a lot of trouble.”

(T.T. – Byron)