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What drives me to write to you is sadness from the heart. I am sad to see that our children are often introduced the world of drugs unknowingly.

I went to consult a famous child psychiatrist with my 12-year-old. The reason of this consultation was his lack of motivation and interest in school, manifested by a lack of attention. After having me tell that my son C. was fidgeting at home and quickly lacked attention in class, the child psychiatrist addressed C. directly. She said that when he had tests, all he had to do was take a pill of some "marvelous" medicine, which would "wind him up" in case of fatigue. And if he felt a lack of motivation, he would be motivated again and fit and he would not escape anymore into his dreams.

I expressed my disapproval, but it was useless, she was not addressing me anymore. "This medicine is miraculous" she said to him "but you can't talk about it with your friends and more importantly don't share it...". As soon as we left my son said : "Mum, was she offering me drugs?" I said "Yes". "Mum, I won't take them." "Of course, you won't".

My child was both reassured and disturbed by this attitude. He asked me if other children would accept them. I said they would and this is how numerous innocent children fall into the trap of drugs. "Well done, my son. You have your feet on the ground, despite what this woman doctor thought. Luckily you reacted quickly to what you were offered." As for me, my reaction was: If a child does not pay attention to his lessons, he can be stuck permanently high on Ritaline or a tranquillizer, which was my son's prescription. I allowed myself to tell you this because I am a doctor and I am well aware that we are helpless sometimes. I notice that too many of our children are quickly "healed" with tranquillizers, which makes only the doctor more tranquil. Let us remember the reason for the consultation: a lack of motivation and interest, made obvious by a lack of attention. The therapeutic route offered was methylphenidate hydrochloride. Even if this is a psychostimulant, it is also narcotic! That means that it belongs to the same pharmacological world as drugs! This is an amphetamine, as is ecstasy!!! These therapeutics decrease motivation, destroy the personality...

This is a doctor with a mother's heart who wants to alert you of this danger. Ritalin is too often part of the "treatment" of hyperactive children, who are precocious or distuptive. In the USA they are becoming more reticent about prescribing it. Do not let our children take tranquillizers or downers for any reason. If one is depressed, tired, are there not other solutions to win over these symptoms? Or are we the new slaves of middle age therapeutics that inhibits us, that prevents us from communicating and have us loose our dignity?