French Kids Do Have ADHD: An Interview with Elias Sarkis, MD “Dr. Sarkis returns to France on a regular basis. He said that ADHD does most certainly exist in France. Not only are there clinical studies showing the prevalence of ADHD in France, but Dr. Sarkis also has a friend, a psychiatrist, whose child has ADHD. His friend’s daughter had lifelong difficulties in school, an unplanned pregnancy, and then dropped out of school. Her mother is now watching her child so she can return to school.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-sarkis-phd/adhd-france_b_1906184.html
We provided good parenting but our daughter still needed therapy and medications. She is now 19 yo in college, working and still taking medications. She has had good doctors,therapists and teachers…..
All children and adults have lapses in in attention but it does not interfere with their education ,jobs and relationships. Those are the individuals who have ADHD.
I interviewed Elias Sarkis MD, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Assocation, to learn more about the prevalence of ADHD in France. Dr. Sarkis lived in France for 10 years, and graduated from medical school at Universite de Lille in Lille, France. He is now the medical director of Sarkis Family Psychiatry and Sarkis Clinical Trials in Gainesville, Florida. His website is http://www.sarkisfamilypsychiatry.com.
Dr. Sarkis returns to France on a regular basis. He said that ADHD does most certainly exist in France. Not only are there clinical studies showing the prevalence of ADHD in France, but Dr. Sarkis also has a friend, a psychiatrist, whose child has ADHD. His friend’s daughter had lifelong difficulties in school, had an unplanned pregnancy, and then dropped out of school. Her mother is now watching her child so she can return to school.
Dr. Sarkis said that in France there is a “strong negative cultural belief against medication” for children with psychiatric disorders. However, he said, children with ADHD continue to suffer the consequences of the disorder. Regarding the impact of undiagnosed and unmedicated ADHD in France, Dr. Sarkis said, “the reality is that there are French kids in prison, a high rate of tobacco use, and kids dropping out of school”.
Dr. Sarkis said said that if a French child with ADHD receives “excellent parenting, high structure, and clear expectations from parents” it can mitigate behaviors, However, it is “at the price of the child experiencing increased anxiety and internalizing problems”. For those children who are not able to receive excellent parenting and high structure, ADHD behaviors can be extremely impairing.
In France it is difficult for parents to get an evaluation and treatment for their ADHD child. It takes 8 months for a child to get an appointment with a specialist, and it can take another 8 months before a child is prescribed medication (Getin, 2011).
Fortunately, Dr. Sarkis said, the concept of ADHD as a serious, treatable disorder is gaining strength in France. Parents are learning more about ADHD via the Internet, and there are more centers being established to help treat this debiliating disorder. “
AA……Yes I do all the time….Before the DX of ADHD an adult should have a complete physical examination including evaluation of sleep,hearing and vision.
“Fazel stressed that the findings raised several questions and should be investigated further before any changes were recommended on prescribing SSRIs. He said it was possible that young people taking lower doses of antidepressants were not being “fully treated” for their mental disorder, leaving them more likely to engage in impulsive behavior”.
Stephen…”One of the charges leveled against psychiatry’s diagnostic categories is that they are often “politically motivated.” If that were true, the framers of the DSM-5 probably would have retained the so-called “bereavement exclusion” — a DSM-IV rule that instructed clinicians not to diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD) after the recent death of a loved one (bereavement) — even when the patient met the usual MDD criteria. An exception could be made only in certain cases; for example, if the patient were psychotic, suicidal, or severely impaired.
And yet, in the face of fierce criticism from many groups and organizations, the DSM-5 mood disorder experts stuck to the best available science and eliminated this exclusion rule.
The main reason is straightforward: most studies in the past 30 years have shown that depressive syndromes in the context of bereavement aren’t fundamentally different from depressive syndromes after other major losses — or from depression appearing “out of the blue.” (see Zisook et al, 2012, below). At the same time, the DSM-5 takes pains to parse the substantial differences between ordinary grief and major depressive disorder.
You respect Mayo Clinic AA for physical health but not mental health and they are just parroting information as if they do not have a mental health and psychiatry department…… Psychiatry & Psychology Services http://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/psychiatry-psychology
Please give some links I can read to back up your claims Stephen….
bydtransformation….not surprising that you would find ways to not agree withe article. I will leave you this. It seems that many believe in “God” yet no one can provide any evidence that he or she exists yet many continue to believe. Are you going to be critical of their beliefs an burn their bibles and churches because they cannot provide the evidence. Of course not. The brain no doubt is complicated and treating mental illness is not a perfect science but neither are all physical illnesses. Not everything in medicine is that simple and concrete
There are good doctors and there are bad doctors…..there are good therapists and bad therapists…there are good workers and bad workers and bad workers….there are good people and bad people. I do not not know for sure if this doctor just was making a flippant comment or if he was serious. As a therapist this is not an idea i would support or agree with. One cannot say that just because one doctor is bad they are all bad. There has to be a grey area……In my experience I have worked with some excellent doctors,therapists,nurses,psychologists and social workers but I can count several who were not very good at all. The people I currently work with are very compassionate about helping people recover from their mental health problems.
Just wondering are you a parent?…Going from own personal experience and living with my daughter who has ADD I will disagree with you. Children and adults without ADD can do the necessary boring mundane tasks like chores,managing a checkbook and taking a boring class which is disinterested but needed for graduation when they need to. On the other hand those with ADD struggle and often get distracted on to other activities which are more interesting. A healthy prefrontal cortex can turn on when it needs to do necessary but boring tasks. One is not going to be able to be successful in life with just doing things they are interested in.
1. Proper diagnosis is key to successfully treating ADD. There should be no 15 minute diagnoses in the doctor office. A child needs a complete physical exam including vision and hearing tests. If all this is clear then they child needs a thorough and complete evaluation for ADD by a trained psychologist specializing in ADD. Once the diagnosis is obtained and IEP needs to be started by special education services. Accommodations and assistance from professionals like Occupational Therapists should be included. A family should try all non medication strategies before beginning trials of medications. There are now several non stimulant medications that can be tied like Strattera. Academic struggles for a child usually begin around 2nd grade when demands for learning begin to increase.
Brian scans have looked at the ADD brian and have discovered differences but scans at this time for diagnosis are still experimental.There is a brain wave test which is FDA approved…..http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/brain-scans#ADHDDiagnosis1
Abuse in the family milieu should also be evaluated and treated with therapy and behavioral interventions.
There are potential side effects from all medications whether they are taken for physical or mental health reasons. One should continue to work wit a doctor who has expertise in ADD to get the right medication combination. My 18 year old daughter has benefited from everything I have described here and now is doing quite well in first year at college. She continues to take medication and has good insight into her diagnosis.
Maybe “B” THC would be a more acceptable treatment to you….a joint a day keeps the doctor away….hahaha. Any drug misused can be bad for you. In prescribed dosages there is no evidence to show that stimulant medication his harmful or addictive. By the way how much coffee or energy drinks with caffeine do you use? Do you know that too much caffeine can kill you?
Do you have some evidence to back up these claims Jeffrey ???
Diagnosing children in the 60’s. http://www.adhdnews.com/testforum/test219.htm ADHD did exist but is was rarely diagnosed by doctors. Many children just suffered with poor grades and just manged to get by. I had learning problems and not one of my teachers seem to notice or care when i was in school during the 1960’s. I am where I am today working as an Occupational Therapist because my mother was my life coach. Going on an on about how ADHD and other mental health problems does not help anyone. This is what is called stigma and it is a major barrier to recovery from a mental illness.
Comment removed.
“Behavioral /emotional” problems get benefit from therapy and medication…..
(ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder……..
The History of ADHD: A Timeline
Written by Kimberly Holland and Valencia Higuera | Published on February 26, 2015
Medically Reviewed by George Krucik, MD, MBA on February 26, 2015 http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/history#Overview1
The Amish community is a very closed off society and that includes the gene pool. About 90 percent attend one- or two-room private Amish schools. “Do the Amish have problems?
Yes…… They are humans and, like all human societies, have their share of problems. Sometimes rebellious youth act out and abuse alcohol or use drugs. Some marriages turn sour. There are documented cases of incest and sexual abuse in some families. Although such problems do exist, there are no systematic studies to enable comparisons with other groups or mainstream society. In general, the Amish way of life provides many sources of satisfaction for most of its members.
People with ADD do not have any trouble concentrating on things they like….it is the boring mundane tasks like math,school work and chores which they have trouble. That is why some refer to it as adrenaline deficit disorder….
French Kids Do Have ADHD: An Interview with Elias Sarkis, MD “Dr. Sarkis returns to France on a regular basis. He said that ADHD does most certainly exist in France. Not only are there clinical studies showing the prevalence of ADHD in France, but Dr. Sarkis also has a friend, a psychiatrist, whose child has ADHD. His friend’s daughter had lifelong difficulties in school, an unplanned pregnancy, and then dropped out of school. Her mother is now watching her child so she can return to school.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephanie-sarkis-phd/adhd-france_b_1906184.html
“French Kids DO Have ADHD”…..”There’s no question that French kids have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Kids all over the world have ADHD.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/pay-attention/201511/french-kids-do-have-adhd
We provided good parenting but our daughter still needed therapy and medications. She is now 19 yo in college, working and still taking medications. She has had good doctors,therapists and teachers…..
All children and adults have lapses in in attention but it does not interfere with their education ,jobs and relationships. Those are the individuals who have ADHD.
Counterargument to children in France with ADHD….”French Kids Do Have ADHD: An Interview” https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201209/french-kids-do-have-adhd-interview….”Moliere described ADHD in his play L’Étourdi ou Les Contretemps (The Blunderer) in 1655. However, the concept of ADHD, or “Trouble dĂ©ficit de l’attention/hyperactivitĂ©”(TDAH), as a serious disorder is still not fully accepted in France. However, ADHD impacts the functioning of 3.5% of the population of France (Lecendreux, et al. 2011). In addition, ADHD is just as prevalent in other countries as it is in the U.S. (Faraone, et al. 2003).
I interviewed Elias Sarkis MD, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist and Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Assocation, to learn more about the prevalence of ADHD in France. Dr. Sarkis lived in France for 10 years, and graduated from medical school at Universite de Lille in Lille, France. He is now the medical director of Sarkis Family Psychiatry and Sarkis Clinical Trials in Gainesville, Florida. His website is http://www.sarkisfamilypsychiatry.com.
Dr. Sarkis returns to France on a regular basis. He said that ADHD does most certainly exist in France. Not only are there clinical studies showing the prevalence of ADHD in France, but Dr. Sarkis also has a friend, a psychiatrist, whose child has ADHD. His friend’s daughter had lifelong difficulties in school, had an unplanned pregnancy, and then dropped out of school. Her mother is now watching her child so she can return to school.
Dr. Sarkis said that in France there is a “strong negative cultural belief against medication” for children with psychiatric disorders. However, he said, children with ADHD continue to suffer the consequences of the disorder. Regarding the impact of undiagnosed and unmedicated ADHD in France, Dr. Sarkis said, “the reality is that there are French kids in prison, a high rate of tobacco use, and kids dropping out of school”.
Dr. Sarkis said said that if a French child with ADHD receives “excellent parenting, high structure, and clear expectations from parents” it can mitigate behaviors, However, it is “at the price of the child experiencing increased anxiety and internalizing problems”. For those children who are not able to receive excellent parenting and high structure, ADHD behaviors can be extremely impairing.
In France it is difficult for parents to get an evaluation and treatment for their ADHD child. It takes 8 months for a child to get an appointment with a specialist, and it can take another 8 months before a child is prescribed medication (Getin, 2011).
Fortunately, Dr. Sarkis said, the concept of ADHD as a serious, treatable disorder is gaining strength in France. Parents are learning more about ADHD via the Internet, and there are more centers being established to help treat this debiliating disorder. “
AA……Yes I do all the time….Before the DX of ADHD an adult should have a complete physical examination including evaluation of sleep,hearing and vision.
Steve…. The history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder…..http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3000907/
B…..”When you have a sick corrupt system as psychiatry is”….please provide evidence to back up this statement otherwise it is just your opinion.
So is point of this article attempting to prove that Schizophrenia does not exist??? The Inside Story: Schizophrenia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVoKE7_4H-I
“Fazel stressed that the findings raised several questions and should be investigated further before any changes were recommended on prescribing SSRIs. He said it was possible that young people taking lower doses of antidepressants were not being “fully treated” for their mental disorder, leaving them more likely to engage in impulsive behavior”.
Stephen…”One of the charges leveled against psychiatry’s diagnostic categories is that they are often “politically motivated.” If that were true, the framers of the DSM-5 probably would have retained the so-called “bereavement exclusion” — a DSM-IV rule that instructed clinicians not to diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD) after the recent death of a loved one (bereavement) — even when the patient met the usual MDD criteria. An exception could be made only in certain cases; for example, if the patient were psychotic, suicidal, or severely impaired.
And yet, in the face of fierce criticism from many groups and organizations, the DSM-5 mood disorder experts stuck to the best available science and eliminated this exclusion rule.
The main reason is straightforward: most studies in the past 30 years have shown that depressive syndromes in the context of bereavement aren’t fundamentally different from depressive syndromes after other major losses — or from depression appearing “out of the blue.” (see Zisook et al, 2012, below). At the same time, the DSM-5 takes pains to parse the substantial differences between ordinary grief and major depressive disorder.
Unfortunately, the DSM-5’s decision continues to be misrepresented in the popular media”…….http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/05/31/how-the-dsm-5-got-grief-bereavement-right/
B….Are Stimulant Drugs for ADHD Addictive? http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/adhd-and-substance-abuse-is-there-a-link?page=2
As far as caffeine goes ….Is Caffeine Addictive? http://www.livescience.com/36978-is-caffeine-addictive-caffeine-addicts.html
Stephen… Another prestigious medical clinic in the US ….Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity_Disorder
You respect Mayo Clinic AA for physical health but not mental health and they are just parroting information as if they do not have a mental health and psychiatry department…… Psychiatry & Psychology Services http://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/psychiatry-psychology
Please give some links I can read to back up your claims Stephen….
bydtransformation….not surprising that you would find ways to not agree withe article. I will leave you this. It seems that many believe in “God” yet no one can provide any evidence that he or she exists yet many continue to believe. Are you going to be critical of their beliefs an burn their bibles and churches because they cannot provide the evidence. Of course not. The brain no doubt is complicated and treating mental illness is not a perfect science but neither are all physical illnesses. Not everything in medicine is that simple and concrete
There are good doctors and there are bad doctors…..there are good therapists and bad therapists…there are good workers and bad workers and bad workers….there are good people and bad people. I do not not know for sure if this doctor just was making a flippant comment or if he was serious. As a therapist this is not an idea i would support or agree with. One cannot say that just because one doctor is bad they are all bad. There has to be a grey area……In my experience I have worked with some excellent doctors,therapists,nurses,psychologists and social workers but I can count several who were not very good at all. The people I currently work with are very compassionate about helping people recover from their mental health problems.
“I don’t believe in “schizophrenia” though”……. The Inside Story: Schizophrenia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVoKE7_4H-I
Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder and reward deficiency syndrome http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626918/
Just wondering are you a parent?…Going from own personal experience and living with my daughter who has ADD I will disagree with you. Children and adults without ADD can do the necessary boring mundane tasks like chores,managing a checkbook and taking a boring class which is disinterested but needed for graduation when they need to. On the other hand those with ADD struggle and often get distracted on to other activities which are more interesting. A healthy prefrontal cortex can turn on when it needs to do necessary but boring tasks. One is not going to be able to be successful in life with just doing things they are interested in.
Not all children and/or adults with ADD are “drugged”….http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/medicated.html….
1. Proper diagnosis is key to successfully treating ADD. There should be no 15 minute diagnoses in the doctor office. A child needs a complete physical exam including vision and hearing tests. If all this is clear then they child needs a thorough and complete evaluation for ADD by a trained psychologist specializing in ADD. Once the diagnosis is obtained and IEP needs to be started by special education services. Accommodations and assistance from professionals like Occupational Therapists should be included. A family should try all non medication strategies before beginning trials of medications. There are now several non stimulant medications that can be tied like Strattera. Academic struggles for a child usually begin around 2nd grade when demands for learning begin to increase.
Brian scans have looked at the ADD brian and have discovered differences but scans at this time for diagnosis are still experimental.There is a brain wave test which is FDA approved…..http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/brain-scans#ADHDDiagnosis1
Abuse in the family milieu should also be evaluated and treated with therapy and behavioral interventions.
There are potential side effects from all medications whether they are taken for physical or mental health reasons. One should continue to work wit a doctor who has expertise in ADD to get the right medication combination. My 18 year old daughter has benefited from everything I have described here and now is doing quite well in first year at college. She continues to take medication and has good insight into her diagnosis.
Maybe “B” THC would be a more acceptable treatment to you….a joint a day keeps the doctor away….hahaha. Any drug misused can be bad for you. In prescribed dosages there is no evidence to show that stimulant medication his harmful or addictive. By the way how much coffee or energy drinks with caffeine do you use? Do you know that too much caffeine can kill you?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children (Mayo Clinic) http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adhd/basics/tests-diagnosis/con-20023647
Do you have some evidence to back up these claims Jeffrey ???
Diagnosing children in the 60’s. http://www.adhdnews.com/testforum/test219.htm ADHD did exist but is was rarely diagnosed by doctors. Many children just suffered with poor grades and just manged to get by. I had learning problems and not one of my teachers seem to notice or care when i was in school during the 1960’s. I am where I am today working as an Occupational Therapist because my mother was my life coach. Going on an on about how ADHD and other mental health problems does not help anyone. This is what is called stigma and it is a major barrier to recovery from a mental illness.
Comment removed.
“Behavioral /emotional” problems get benefit from therapy and medication…..
(ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder……..
The History of ADHD: A Timeline
Written by Kimberly Holland and Valencia Higuera | Published on February 26, 2015
Medically Reviewed by George Krucik, MD, MBA on February 26, 2015 http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/history#Overview1
The Amish community is a very closed off society and that includes the gene pool. About 90 percent attend one- or two-room private Amish schools. “Do the Amish have problems?
Yes…… They are humans and, like all human societies, have their share of problems. Sometimes rebellious youth act out and abuse alcohol or use drugs. Some marriages turn sour. There are documented cases of incest and sexual abuse in some families. Although such problems do exist, there are no systematic studies to enable comparisons with other groups or mainstream society. In general, the Amish way of life provides many sources of satisfaction for most of its members.
People with ADD do not have any trouble concentrating on things they like….it is the boring mundane tasks like math,school work and chores which they have trouble. That is why some refer to it as adrenaline deficit disorder….
MentalHealthChannel.TV Changing Minds……https://www.youtube.com/user/MentalHealthChannel1/featured