“Relatin is a drug that does not lock the child in. On the contrary, it sets him free”

For this expert, “We should not underestimate the psychosocial impact of ADD on the child, his family, the people around him, the teacher… Thanks to treatment, these young people will have a better future, a better quality of life and so will their parents. . Many studies have been done on this topic. Later, they will contribute in a very positive way to our society when, deprived of this relatively cheap treatment, they risk being disappointed in their studies and not getting a diploma, and above all, they always maintain an image of themselves – even a very negative one. .“

What would you say about Relatin in one sentence?

It is a drug that does not close the child, on the contrary, it frees him because it allows him to express all his potential, which without the drug, his parents, his teachers and often even him from morning to night. Up to reprimands are given. For anything that other students don’t do right or that disturbs them.

Do hyperactive children take Relatin too quickly? “Yes, I could do this without the medicine, but at what cost?”

What do we know about its effectiveness?

This molecule is highly effective. In more than 90% of children who receive treatment for good symptoms, we see significant improvement in attention and concentration problems as well as hyperactivity. That said, a combination of medication and psychological support certainly remains the ideal and best care for the young person and especially their family. However, our Belgian health system unfortunately does not allow this or there are not enough child psychologists around and able to support them. Furthermore, no compensation is provided for this purpose and therefore this psychological support is often not reimbursable. Not to mention that specialist doctors who are familiar with this problem are very rare, which leads to long waiting lists that often last more than 6 months. The situation is similar for neuropsychologists who perform tests that aid in diagnosis.

“That day, I went home and cried for hours. Suddenly, my whole past came to light. This diagnosis changed my life”

The duration of treatment is also highlighted. What can be considered deterrence?

You can stop the treatment at any time without any worries. Moreover, the medication is often forgotten from time to time and does not cause any problems. That being said, it is really a long-term treatment although it is a condition that does not disappear, like diabetes, it means to take it for many years and especially during the school period, this phenomenon needs the most attention. On a day-to-day basis, many young people choose work that fits their work style and therefore require less medication. They also learned compensatory measures to manage their lives despite having ADHD.

Some people talk about “devastating” side effects. Should we in fact be wary of it?

Although this drug has been available since 1937, side effects remain very limited and long-term effects have not been described, and it has been the subject of a large number of studies in both Europe and the United States. In the short term, a slight decrease in appetite is sometimes noted but is usually transient.

Are there alternatives to these drugs for ADHD or are they essential?

It is the first choice when you want to support a child with more than just psychological support. However, there are alternatives but they are more expensive and not reimbursed.

In your opinion, should we talk about overdiagnosis or underdiagnosis in our country?

Even now we are underdiagnosed and unfortunately I still meet young people every week who are undiagnosed and who come to my house at the end of secondary school after a horrendous school career where they have dropped into options year after year. , which does not allow them to choose higher education courses that they like to pursue and from which they are treated well if they are capable. But this is dramatic. They are delusional, desperate, even with a very negative self-image, even though they are all working so hard!

What do you think about the large percentage of children on this drug?

This is still too low a percentage for my taste, when we assume that it helps these children so well, it would be a shame if many children with ADD were still deprived of it! For me, the criterion for starting treatment is not the diagnosis of the disease, but as soon as there is a significant impact on the child’s well-being and/or their school course. These children are often very unhappy when I see them come for counseling, because they are lazy, agitated, rude, stupid, troublesome, misbehaved, don’t listen to what we say, don’t do as they are told. not Quite the opposite. They put in tremendous effort all day long and are never rewarded, rather scolded all the time. In the long run, this situation is not sustainable.

Your message, in conclusion?

I will say: How fortunate that more children are treated and identified today than ten years ago. This is a good point for our medicine but we still need to do a lot better and we ask mutual societies and authorities to compensate the psychological support of young people and their families in case of ADHD, to further improve the training of teachers and health professionals to live with this very difficult problem.