Dreams and goals are those things we occupy ourselves with as life goes by. Excellent OP! I am a life-long martial artist, I own two schools. I teach anyone with disabilities at my own cost. I do not treat students who have ADHD much differently than I do the rest of the class. In the eleven years I have had schools there have been several kids that were being medicated for ADHD that were able to get off the meds, improve their behavior, get better grades and from what I could observe, kept their personalities. Heck, they even managed to improve their personalities. They became more out-going. It is wonderful to watch a child transform themselves into above the level of the same peers they were once below their level. Of course I can't claim 100% success rates and there were varying levels of success and failure alike. Those are the ones that break my heart when things are going on in their lives that cause them to regress back to unacceptable behavior. Unfortunately many of them had dis-functional parents so their home lives were not structured. Many times their parent(s)abused alcohol or drugs. Still, I am proud of the ones that are now productive citizens and have goals, as well as knowing joy in their lives while still being allowed to be who they are. I know plenty of smart successful people who are arrogant jerks. I'd sooner put up with a hyper person than a jerk any day. My grandson has ADHD. He lives about an hour's drive away so I don't get to see him much during the school year but I get him as long as he wishes in the summertime. he loves to do everything I do. Fishing, shooting rifles, and yes, martial arts. At age fourteen he is almost six foot tall with rock hard abs, has wrestled since he started school and for the amount of training he has had, has the makings of a good martial artist. I have a friend who trains him in ju-jitsu every time they meet at a tournament, seminar or some other MA function. He also competes in Taekwondo Olympic style sparring. His submission fighting record is three wins and one loss. His Taekwondo sparring and breaking record is four first places in both. He really stays focused in the ring or on the mat and I believe that has contributed to his not needing medication during the summers. This year, when he returns to school she is going to let him stay off of the meds. She never liked the idea of it though she did become convinced that some (especially) children need some form of medication at least for a period of time until they find a better way to better refine their behavior. I honestly cannot make up my mind on the issue. Of course I'd rather see someone productive and happy and not on meds, I'm saying I don't have an opinion on if/when drugs should be used to modify their behavior though the ones that have overcome their ADHD over the years would indicate it could be done to all with ADHD but because of the ones I failed to bring out their self-control enough to stay focused in their lives contradicts that indication. I deal with a lot of parents. Many over the years I have taught martial arts. Often times I can see that helping their child address ADHD would require getting the parents to, for lack of a better way, better parents. My wife, (also a martial artist, as is our my son and grandson)is a life-long Physical Education. It is her opinion that many teachers when given a chance to weigh in, tend to be a bit zealous about getting the kid medicated. I know there are many very good and caring teachers out there. My wife is one of them. But there are many who would rather medicate the child to make educating the entire class easier. As I have stated, I don't have an opinion on if/which/how long any child with ADHD should be medicated. But one thing I do know for certain is that it is possible for children with ADHD to find a way to live contently and productively without medication. Parents just need to try harder in some cases as well. In worse cases they need to CARE more. My grandson is hyper all summer long. But he channels that by doing man sized jobs like (with instruction)fixing a minor plumbing problem or mowing the seven and a-half acres we live on. He runs everyday. In class he works out very hard. I am mentoring him every summer. I am teaching him to recognize when his behavior is unacceptable, such as screaming at the mall because he espies a pair of trendy sports shoes he likes. I pay him a modest allowance for all the work he does, (without whining one bit). Sometimes he may buy the shoes and sometimes he forgets all about them as soon as a teenage girl walks by. Yes, he is hyper from the moment he awakes until he drops dead to sleep. Both my children are grown. My wife and I have gotten used to the quiet country lifestyle we live. But when my grandson is staying summers I don't mind his hyper behavior, (though I do address it) because of the way he cheerfully works so hard and especially the way he unabashedly shows his love and sense of protection for his nine year old sister. He shows affection without caring what others think. He hugs us good morning and good night and sometimes just a few times during the day just because. I'll take that over him being medicated, without energy and a subdued personality.

I'm sure that there are cases where medication might work for ADD but I and my wife (who is a teacher) have both seen kids who were put on a natural diet and exercise program that did much better. Join Xomba Get PAID to write Articles Like These Honest Online Income

Wow, that's interesting. I just take motrin when I feel that "tingle" or nerve stretch like pain down my left leg. Thankfully it is not everyday, every 4 hours anymore! : ) Just usually in the evenings when I get home from work, the bending and crawling in and out of the van causes disc swelling, then the leg pain and lower back pain. Do you experience any of that long list of side-effects and remember, "Cymbalta is not for women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant." : ) Those commercials crack me up...irritating they may be, but I laugh all the same. MJ - Sending happy thoughts and Smiles! Avatar: Betrayal and Retribution http://www.valkyrieart.com/Poser1.html