ADD/ADHD…REALLY?

ADD/ADHD

ADD/ADHD…REALLY?

To understand the subject ADD/ADHD , and where I am coming from you have to know a little bit about temperament. So let’s start out by learning a little bit about the Sanguine Temperament. The Sanguine Temperament is very people-oriented. Sanguines love being around people, in fact they get stressed out when they are not around people.

Dr. Penewit, people are the air that I breathe

One of my sanguine friends said to me once “ Dr. Penewit, people are the air that I breathe”. I must say that I certainly understood what she was saying because I happen to be a Sanguine in one of my three areas of Temperament.

So let’s get to the subject of what we were talking about shall we?

I was diagnosed with ADD/ADHD at a very young age. I was still in grade school and the teachers told my mother that I simply could not pay attention. So off to the family doctor I went and was prescribed Ritalin. Everyone was hoping for a completely changed person but it didn’t turn out that way. It always confused me because they said I couldn’t pay attention and yet I thought I was one of the smartest people in the whole class. I must admit that at times I would look at my teachers and say to myself “how in the world did you ever get a teaching job”

Now I will admit here that I did have trouble paying attention, but it wasn’t because I didn’t understand what the teacher was saying. So let’s discuss the real reason why I had trouble paying attention.

I did have trouble paying attention, but it wasn’t because I didn’t understand what the teacher was saying

As I said Sanguines are very people-oriented, and fact people and being around people and talking with and interacting with people are really the air that we breathe. So what happens when you put a Sanguine boy or girl into a classroom with 30 other children?

If that child can’t pay attention it is not because of any brain abnormality or the inability to think or problem solve. It is because that child is more than likely a Sanguine and more than one of his temperament areas.

So what is the answer? First off I think the parent/teacher should become more aware that just because a child can’t pay attention we don’t necessarily need to medicate the child. All to often medications are used as a “baby sitter tool” . Instead we must learn WHY the child is reacting as they do

just because a child can’t pay attention we don’t necessarily need to medicate the child

At The Penewit Institute we work with parents and teach them how to deal with their Sanguine child.

We show them the benefit of exposing their children to after-school clubs, sports and other activities involving other people.

The more we expose a child like this to other people and allow them to interact with these people the more attentive they will be in a classroom.

As difficult as this all may seem it really is quite simple if you know where to start. That’s where we come in. Give us a call and let’s get started