Question 12 in a series answered by Dr. David Grove, Ph.D. More information about Dr. Grove is featured at the end of each post.
Q: I hear so many parents say that giving children drugs for anxiety, ADHD, OCD, and other disorders “alters the child’s true self,” or “takes away from what makes a child special or unique.” Other parents point to the idea that Einstein had OCD or ADHD, and if he had been medicated we would have missed out on all that profound knowledge. Do ADD or anti-anxiety meds really change the personality or intelligence of a person? Are we taking geniuses away from society by medicating people with these disorders?
A: I would have to say no. I believe the medications we use enhance an individual’s ability to use his or her intelligence in ways that are productive. Just think what Einstein could have done if he had been medicated. It wouldn’t have changed his thinking, it just would have clarified it for him.
Through clinical studies, we know there is clearly an improvement in a patient’s ability to use his or her intelligence with medication. And if using your intelligence — your cognitive ability — is important in the culture you live in, then it probably makes sense to enable people to do that. As long as the side effects of the medication don’t preclude that.
Most people can tolerate medication for anxiety, ADHD, and other learning disabilities quite well. I would say that the medications we are using enhance a person’s ability to utilize what they already have. It doesn’t make you any more of a different person — no more than if you drink a cup of coffee or if you work out to help you stay focused or calm. Unfortunately, the normal ways we use to change body chemistry, like working out and diet, don’t work for some people. So we add medication to help. It’s really no different than the changes some people get from exercise or diet changes. Every time you eat anything, you’re changing your body chemistry. Medication is essentially eating a combination of molecules that will enhance your ability to do certain things without hurting you in other areas.
Part of the problem is the massive drug scare with our culture — the notion that if you take drugs, it somehow makes you a bad or weak person. Which is not true, because you are perfectly fine except that you could contribute more to the welfare of others and live out your values better with medication.
I can use myself as an example. One of my deep values is to help people, listen to people, and work with people. So when I take medication, it allows me to do that more effectively without hurting other parts of my personality and intelligence. Back when I was digging ditches right out of high school, before I went to college — which is one of the experiences that made me want to go to college — I didn’t need ADD medication. I just needed to know how far to dig and how deep. But once I set foot in college, it became clear that I needed the medication in order to use my intelligence.
- Tomorrow’s Question: I recently interviewed teachers about students’ organization skills. When I asked why some students weren’t turning in homework or completing assignments, one teacher responded, “The lazy ones don’t do their work, there’s nothing I can do about that.” What are your thoughts on that statement?
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- Dr. David Grove Ph.D., diagnosed our oldest son with ADHD, OCD and dysgraphia in 2000, and continued with his behavioral therapy until he went off to college in 2010. There are not words to express how my family feels about Dr. Grove. He took a family of quirky, obsessive, attention-lacking creative types and made us realize how normal we really are, or more accurately, how there is “no such thing as normal.” Our happiness, contentment and general healthy outlook can be attributed to his ongoing guidance and support.
- Dr. Grove is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice and does not accept new patients. He also teaches college courses, works with children at a residential treatment facility, leads outpatient chemical dependency groups, and is an area school psychologist, a Head Start consultant, director of a Community Mental Health Center, and a forensic psychologist. He was selected as a finalist for the Psychologist of the Year award, honored as a Diplomat by the American Board of Psychological Specialties, and identified as an expert in Forensic Psychology. Dr. Grove also received the Volunteer of the Year Award by the Heartland Area Education Agency for his efforts to educate professionals in the area of cross-cultural counseling. This, in my mind, puts him squarely in the category of ‘expert’.
