Doc Cady's No Bull Guide to ADD: Quackery, Misdiagnosis, "Zombies" & Other Adventures

Louis B. Cady, M.D.

In my first five years of practice in Evansville, Indiana, I have been particularly impressed with the number of extremely intelligent, probing questions asked by educated laypersons about attention deficit disorder, depression, pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder, co-dependency, and other rather easily treated mental disorders.

Generally, I have found the media - particularly the local media - especially responsible and well-balanced in its coverage.  However, there is a great deal of misinformation still "out there."  One of the marvelous things about the Internet is its great "equilibrating" influence.  Now, reasonably well-educated laypeople can "tune in" and learn the facts.  The main purpose of my website on the Internet is educational.  Some of the best education I have ever been priviliged to receive comes from the excellent and intelligent questions I've been asked.

This sub-section of my site, therefore, is dedicated to all of those intellectually bright people who have had the guts and the intellectual fortitude to actually stand up at some of my seminars and ask the so-called "dumb" questions - but questions, which, behind their lack of information, revealed a probing mind and an honest desire to better understand the issues.  It is also dedicated to my patients and their families who also ask the same honest and probing questions.  Please note that this sub-section of the website will be dramatically expanded over the next several months; I'll add essays and responses as I have the time and am able.

Happy surfing and good luck!

Here are some of the essays and answers to questions coming soon...

How do I have my child "tested" for ADD or ADHD?

Don't medicines turn kids into zombies?!

Come on, aren't all kids a little "hyper"?  Isn't all this ADD stuff just blown  out of all proportion?

My kid's teachers say he's hyper at school, but he can come home and watch T.V. or play with his Leggoes for hours... how could he possibly be "hyper" if he can focus that well?!

How do you diagnose a child (or adult) as "inattentive" or "hyper"?

Is there any such thing as a "good" medicine or the "right" medicine?

Don't kids need therapy insteady of medicine?

Don't kids, even if medication is working and appropriate, need "therapy" weekly?

Won't those "stimulants" turn my kid into a drug addict?