Madam, – When psychiatrists speak or write on the subject of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), there’s an assumption that he or she is an expert on the subject and that they can ‘treat’ it.
Why would anyone want to treat or drug a child for being normal?
ADHD is being accepted on the basis of emotional and behavioural characteristics that have been unscientifically redefined.
Disruptive, inattentive and boisterous children have been around for centuries and yes, some can be more active than others.
Psychiatry however has packaged these up, duped a lot of good people and unnecessarily drugged a lot of children.
ADHD is perhaps the closest thing to the Emperor’s New Clothes since Hans Christian Andersen wrote the short tale.
A ‘chemical imbalance’ in the brain, the idea used to convince parents their children needed these drugs, has been discarded by psychiatrists in the UK.
It seems as though there was never anything therapeutic in prescribing psychiatric drugs to children.
There is however chemical restraint.
Strip away all of the psychobabble and we’re witnessing children and adolescents being chemically subdued for exhibiting behaviour that’s considered to be abnormal because a psychiatrist said so.
Despite the psychiatric dishonesty, the label continues to be used on children and adolescents.
The most alarming aspect of the entire charade is the psychiatrist continues to prescribe mind-altering drugs which produce nullifying effects that are then hailed as ‘demonstrably effective.’
All that’s happened is the child has been drugged, and is exhibiting the effects of a foreign substance in his or her body.
Real doctors look for and find the underlying cause of a given problem.
It’s a matter of sound medical fact that undiagnosed physical illness or injury can trigger emotional difficulties.
It’s important that we question ideas, especially those from the psychiatric fraternity that are based on opinions, not science.
It goes without saying that psychiatric drugs can be used to chemically restrain a person, but they won’t cure anything.
Brian Daniels.
National Spokesperson,
Citizens Commission on Human Rights (United Kingdom).
Out but not down for Rory
Madam, – I watched the five potential conservative prime ministers BBC debate on Monday. I would sum up their performances succinctly as Bungling Boris, Jumbled Jeremy, Meandering Michael Realistic Rory and Solid Sajid.
Leaving out Brexit, the effect of which no one can accurately gauge, the only candidate who faced up to the very real problems facing Britain was Rory Stewart.
He is correct to assert that the NHS, education and the police are considerably underfunded and, in the absence of a magic money tree, the only answer is to increase taxation.
I do not agree with Boris that higher rate taxpayers should benefit, rather that the entire taxation system be comprehensively looked at to try to establish a fair way of raising enough funds to ensure public services are able to function effectively.
There is so much inequality today.
A complete rethink of taxation and benefits might go some way to alleviate this state of affairs.
By the time this letter is printed Rory might have been eliminated from the contest, but I consider he is a serious future leader of the Conservative Party.
I do not say Prime Minister as it appears very unlikely a general election will throw up a clear majority for either the Conservative or Labour Party and some sort of coalition may be necessary.
Bill Watson.
Seaton Estate,
Arbroath.
Tax on workers won’t wash
Madam, – Why are we voting for these SNP MSPs?
Do they think people will stand for their latest save the planet idea of taxing us for taking our car to work and putting the onus on the council to implement it?
Our air is cleaner than it has ever been.
China creates more carbon in an hour than Scotland in a year.
Our population is smaller than most small cities of the world.
I remember the trams and the trolleybuses, which were .
They were uneconomical.
If the money used to lay down the tram tracks had been used to provide a fleet of electric buses, much of the pollution in Edinburgh by diesel buses would be eliminated.
If politicians earned their money the hard way they would not be so cavalier in squandering it. It is time we stopped voting for political parties because we are putting unemployable university clones in power.
Vote for real people who have done a job of work and independents who listen and will return our towns back to the people with town councils of townspeople.
We need to stop the march of political parties who no longer believe in democracy or the ballot box.
John G Phimister.
63 St Clair St,
Kirkcaldy.
Attack the best form of defence
Madam, – First Minister Nicola Sturgeon daily launches one attack after another on Boris Johnson and the other Tory leader candidates.
Mr Johnson doesn’t float my boat either but it’s pretty obvious Ms Sturgeon sees attack as the best form of defence.
All Tory leader hopefuls have protested strongly their pro-union credentials and their vehement opposition to the SNP’s separatist agenda.
It looks like the next PM is going to have no time for the SNP establishment’s obsession with faux grievances and relentless regurgitation of their spin-doctors’ anti-UK soundbites.
The nationalist leader was happy to talk down Theresa May’s personal and professional style, and the SNP’s opposition to Mrs May’s compromise deals certainly contributed to the current Prime Minister’s departure.
Now, as a consequence, Ms Sturgeon undoubtedly faces a very much tougher opponent in Downing St.
Martin Redfern.
Woodcroft Road,
Edinburgh.
Revealing insight of study
Madam, – A recent survey released by YouGov of Conservative membership was very revealing on how Tories think.
Sixty one per cent would accept significant damage to the economy to get Brexit.
Fifty nine per cent would be happy to see Northern Ireland leave the union to get Brexit while a whopping 63% would rather see Scottish independence than no Brexit.
So much for conservative unionism and equal partners in conservative ideology.
Bryan Auchterlonie.
Bluebell cottage,
Perth.
What about new fee income?
Madam, – The BBC tells us how much money it will lose by the over-75s not paying for a TV licence.
What it does not tell us is how much more it is getting in from all the new houses being built in every town and city in the land, each of which should be an additional licence fee.
Scott Ramage.
Oakvilla,
Coupar Angus Road,
Blairgowrie.
