Live Chat With Dr. Sherri: "Beyond ADHD Medication"

John Welch Fitness February 9, 2012 at 12:04 pm

The photo of a child holding meds is everything wrong with society personified.

Sully February 9, 2012 at 07:33 pm

The photo is also a scare tactic. Sherri, this is sensationalizing and unprofessional. You have every right to your own views, but you owe it to anyone who listens to you to present accurate information on both sides. With the letters DR. in front of your name, you will be looked at as an expert. At this point I'd have to question your professionalism and your expertise.

casey kline February 10, 2012 at 07:12 pm

Agreed. (well said, Sully, nothing more to add)

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 10, 2012 at 09:41 pm

Presenting an image of a child with medication in this country at this time, is not sensationalizing. It's TRUTH. I didn't realize that I needed approval from you in what picture I used in my blog post. If you get me your email, I'll be glad to make sure you get to approve any future article or picture with you. I am, of course, being sarcastic here. I will once again, ask you to put your credentials up as an expert in this field before I continue to debate this with you. I am allowed my opinion, even if it is different than yours. I am also allowed to share real stories from past clients to help others. Not sure why you are so on top of my posts like this, but would be really interested to know why. Oh and btw, the Dr. in front of my name makes me an expert, as does 25 years of working with kids and families in multiple settings. That is also not sensationalizing, but truth.

Sully February 11, 2012 at 12:04 am

I'm a Ph. D, Sherri. That's truth. I also have Dr. in front of my name. That's truth too. Based on your criteria, I am an expert as well. I am on top of your posts, Dr., because you do a disservice to this profession. You post opinion as fact and that is dangerous.

WorriedParent February 12, 2012 at 02:11 pm

Seriously Sully, what is your PhD in? Patch posting? Opinions? Not answering the question? You post a lot on the Patch, your opinions. And in some cases, I agree with you. You are intelligent and articulate, yet you consistently attack people for their opinions when they don’t agree with yours and you get kind of mean.
Should we now post after your opinions that you are also doing the PhD profession a disservice when you make an opinion we don’t agree with? We are all intelligent people here who can make our own opinions from what we read.

WorriedParent February 12, 2012 at 02:19 pm

I have read these articles and postings, and nowhere does Dr. Sherri indicate that she does not believe ADHD exists, just merely states that there could be other reasons. Parents look to all kinds of experts when it comes to their children. From a doctor when they have a fever, to their teachers when the child struggles in school. There are many case studies and scientific documentation out there that shows Doctors are quick to medicate in all areas including the overuse of antibiotics as well as ADHD medication. Why wouldn’t you as a parent (if you are) want to find alternative answers to an issue when one method doesn’t work? I would think your PhD would have at least taught you that.
Did you know that 9 symptoms are shared by a child who has a vision based learning issue with that of someone who has ADD? And that 15 of the 18 symptoms are shared with ADHD? And these are documented facts by DOCTORS of Optometry and Audiology. That is what I took out of these articles.

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 12, 2012 at 04:02 pm

Thanks so much worried parent. I was having a hard time finding where in my article Sully was drawing any of his conclusions since it seemed very clear. I appreciate your comments!

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 12, 2012 at 04:51 pm

Thanks so much @me thinks 2! I am new to this whole blogging world and didn't expect a Sully. I have been disagreed with many times in my professional life and totally respect people's right to have a differing opinion from my own. I love spirited debate, but not mean sarcasm. I guess that some people think that only a Ph.D. with a certain mindset should be respected and listened to. I believe the opposite. Experts are out there to learn the knowledge and the science to help others, but I firmly believe that every parent I have met has expertise in knowing his or her own child and him or herself. An expert who talks down to a parent or anyone else for that matter about their instincts is really not doing a service for anyone. Especially when the "science" doesn't always seem based on good data or seems to have an agenda itself. I appreciate your comments!

KMC February 12, 2012 at 08:09 pm

@ Dr. Sherri, from the information on your Patch profile:
"People call me Dr. Mom since I help so many people with my professional skills and also have 3 wonderful children on my own." "I have very specialized techniques that work faster than just talk therapy and my online classes are available 24/7 to those who register for them. They are one on one and teach ways to get great behavior and processing skills for your kids so they don't get accused of having adhd when maybe they don't." "My training is very unique. Most professionals in my field have not worked in multiple severe behavior disorder facilities like I have so they don't know how to teach a parent what to do at home. I can teach that and have taught many how to do that, avoiding costly hospitalization and trauma." Can you provide evidence or proof that what you offer is effective?

Susan Schaefer February 12, 2012 at 10:22 pm

Dr. Sherri, as you know I empathize with your astonishment at those who have difficulty coming to terms with the idea that different perspectives on a subject can be presented without utilizing personal attacks and mean spiritedness from those who chose to remain anonymous. many chose to use this as a forum to day things they would never say face to face, which strikes me as somewhat cowardly.
However, as unpleasant as it may be at times, it does allow honest, albeit skewed, commentary. Also, there is no law saying you need to continue blogging, although I do hope you won't give in to the bullying. that said, As I mentioned on you previous article, I think you bring up some good points. I do take issue with your use of the term "accusing" a child of having ADHD. ADHD is not something you accuse someone of having. It is a medical condition....would you " accuse" someone of having asthma? You "accuse" someone of a wrong doing, making children who have been diagnosed with ADHD feel as though they have done something bad.

KMC February 12, 2012 at 11:33 pm

Susan and Dr. Sherri, I'm only asking for evidence that what is advertised is actually effective. I'm not trying to be sarcastic or mean-spirited. Dr. Sherri is asking for payment for her services so I would hope there is some evidence that what she does works. Why would I want to risk paying without some sort of assurance that I'm getting what I pay for? That would be foolish, wouldn't it? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder runs in my family (passed down from the women in my case), and before i pay for anything I would want to know what the chances are of this treatment leading to a positive outcome.

Susan Schaefer February 13, 2012 at 12:22 am

KMC, I apologize if you though my comments were directed at you, they were not. I actually think you had a very good question.

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 13, 2012 at 04:28 am

Hi KMC, If you are asking have I kept stats on who does well with what I do, I don't. IIf you are asking if there are people who are pleased with their results & have talked to others, yes I have that. I don't advertise that I treat ADHD directly. I simply teach people about how things like diet, sleep, exercise, & mood, processing can effect those kinds of symptoms. In fact when I ask parents to modify one small habit like the amount of sleep the child gets or variables that effect sleep like drinking water with dinner as opposed to juice, a simple thing like that can create better sleep which in turn creates a happier, less moody, more patient person the next day. This is just logic & common sense. I'm certain that any adult can attest to the fact that when you get bad sleep, the next day you feel that the smallest tasks can be very difficult for you. Additionally, much of my training was done in severe behavior disorder programs that involved things like physical restraint training so when people are looking for help with their child who shoves them to the ground, I can teach them more than just how to talk about it. I have worked with some of the toughest kids from Cabrini & the West Side for years so I think it's safe to say that I do bring experience that many in my field don't have. I haven't met many people who have been through those experiences. Although I know that some others have, I believe it is a specialty that is somewhat rare in the private world. Cont...

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 13, 2012 at 04:44 am

Pt 2-sorry to be long but.I also believe firmly that much of what has been called ADHD over the years are parents who come to me with the pre-existing difficulty of having had their child on multiple meds one after another with no real fix & lots of side effects. I go by what they say to me. They are looking for something else bc they are sick and tired of the "merry go round". So I use my behavior prog which is very much similar (not completely but close) to the programs I worked in along w/exercises that train things like helping the eyes & ears work together. Fast proc. speed while doing that. Doing multiple sensory things things together. Again, common sense kinds of things that are tough for kids who have processing issues. We have subjectively seen improvements. It isn't rocket science or magic-just old fashioned training. Repetition training that creates new habits. It seems to me that this is a fast gratification world now. Even things like the cartoons & shows these days are fast images that fly by. I believe there was a study on Spongebob-that it actually caused impairment to attention span. Sesame street had a similar study. Kids are exposed to fast imformation & it becomes tough for them to sit in place & wait for tgs. Not saying that is all it is. I train the habits in increasing duration so they learn to sit with it. The combo of behavior help, exercises and daily habit changes, people seem to like what I teach. Cont...

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 13, 2012 at 04:57 am

Last part KMC-promise! I have used a pre-test post-test format throughout the years & I could take the data from before my program & after on all of my clients & come up with a number chart/data on what kinds of improvements people have seen. I have enough past clients I could do this w/ to have a valid result. I can totally understand your desire to know & would never want anyone to spend money w/ anyone they didn't feel comfortable with including me. In the past, I have had parents talk to each other. People who have done my program & know me really well, talk to others about their experiences. Again, people who come to see me are usually people who have done the medical route & are already as unhappy w/it as they can be before they get to me. I never tell anyone to start or stop meds as it is not within my expertise. Also, you can see on the bottom of every one of my webpages that I want a Medical Doc involved w/anyone who decides to stop meds. Not my choice or expertise. I choose to work on the other areas-behavior, building up processing skills and getting the daily habits in order the right way. Sometimes that is as simple as telling an adult to stop drinking so much coffee to stop the anxiety. Sometimes it isn't that clear. I am very passionate ab what I do & helping people & am very frightened by the increasing levels of meds not just for ADHD & the fast way they are handed out. w/o evals a lot of the time. People who are happy w/ meds usually don't see s/o like me.

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 13, 2012 at 05:13 am

Hi Susan,thanks for the words of support. I think that the blog world takes some getting used to. I used to write for Lakeland Newspapers for 12 years when the paper was paper. I'm certain that some loved my writing & it ticked some off just like now, but back in those days, I only heard from the ones who agreed w/me bc they would call me to talk. The modern tech world allows us to communicate both the pos's & neg's immediately & that is new for me. I actually like it bc it gives me a way to have conversation w/the readers. I do understand your comment about the word "accusing" and will rethink it. I think the place I part w/you is in the medical condition part. I'm really not sure & I know I will probably tick some off w/this. I have read both sides of this issue & am not sure. I also grew up w/MD who also wasn't convinced that every kid who had the symptoms had the disorder. At least last time we talked about it he felt that way. I'll give you a good example. I had a client w/a 4 year old with problems. There were older kids in the house so the 4 yr old's sleep was less than a 4 year old should get. I suggested that the 4 year old needed 10-12 hours/night (acc to several MD studies I read). They made sure of that & within a couple weeks the behavior that brought them to me was gone. No more tantrums, or meltdowns. Better language development. Was it a medical condition or just a sleep deprivation problem? I don't want to label-just provide suggestions on how to change it.

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 13, 2012 at 05:30 am

Hi KMC, one last post-I know I'm probably annoying already with how many posts I am doing, but I am limited in space. I think your feedback has actually been really good for me. I do need to have some data on those results that people can see. I am going to begin to put that together in the next few weeks. There are many, many testing reports, so it will take some time. Thanks for bringing it up. I have been so used to having people just talk to each other, I really hadn't considered this. Sorry to make you read so much here and thanks again for the feedback!

Angel February 7, 2013 at 04:51 pm

I have been on many medications for ADHD since I was six, from adderall to stratera, and now concerta. I am 18 and I think I'm addicted to them. I wish I could go a day without them, but I don't feel right. my body has gotten so use to these pills, it dose not have a function without them. I'm scared, why don't the docters explain to me that I am going to become an adict. What do I do ? I have my life ahead of me

Angelica Boone February 7, 2013 at 04:52 pm

I have been on many medications for ADHD since I was six, from adderall to stratera, and now concerta. I am 18 and I think I'm addicted to them. I wish I could go a day without them, but I don't feel right. my body has gotten so use to these pills, it dose not have a function without them. I'm scared, why don't the docters explain to me that I am going to become an adict. What do I do ? I have my life ahead of me

Steve S. February 7, 2013 at 05:46 pm

Discuss this with your psychiatrist, they should be managing the meds and symptoms for you. Good luck.

Dr. Sherri Singer, Psy.D. Child and Family Psychologist February 7, 2013 at 05:55 pm

Hi Angelica, I am sorry you are feeling like this and while some people find medication to be a real help, others are just not comfortable with it. Have you talked to your Doctor about how you feel and if he or she can recommend other directions or options? Since I don't know your whole history and am not an M.D. and usually ask people to make sure they make all medical decisions with their Medical Doctor or a Medical Doctor involved, I can't give you direct advice on your situation, but I will say that it's always ok to ask for a second opinion when you feel unsure of any recommendation. There are also Medical Doctors that prefer more natural lines of treatment, to contact as well. They focus more on lifestyle issues like diet, exercise, sleep, stress etc. I also focus in that direction. Generally Osteopaths are good in that way. Their degree is D.O. A very popular one in the Northwestern Suburbs of Illinois is Dr. Joseph Mercola. He is in Hoffman Estates and has a number of professionals working in his clinic, but by no means is he the only one. I just know of him through his writing about natural alternatives to many physical issues and as I also work in those directions, I read him often. I also work with processing issues such as multi-tasking, processing speed etc. that can also be worked on with exercises, and can create more proficient processing skills, but do not deal with physical symptoms. Hope some of this helps.