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For this specialist, “we cannot underestimate the psychosocial impact of ADD on the child, his family, his environment, the teacher… Thanks to the treatment, these young people will have a better future, a better quality of life, etc. also their parents. Many studies have been conducted on this topic. Later they will make a very positive contribution to our society, while, without this relatively favorable treatment, they risk being discouraged in their studies and not receiving a diploma and, above all, forever retaining an image of themselves – even a extremely negative.”
Dr. Chantal de Barsy, neurologist specializing in learning disorders ©DR
What would you say about Rilatine in one sentence?
It is a medicine that does not limit the child, on the contrary, it liberates him because it allows him to express his full potential, which, without medicine, is rebuked from morning to night by his parents, his teachers and often even by others Student for anything he doesn’t do right or disrupts.
Do hyperactive children take Rilatin too quickly? “Yes, I could give up this medication, but at what cost?”
What do we know about its effectiveness?
This molecule is extremely effective. In more than 90% of children who are treated with good indications, we see a significant improvement in attention and concentration problems as well as hyperactivity. However, the ideal and optimal care certainly remains the combination of medication and psychological support for the young person and especially for their family. Unfortunately, our Belgian health system does not allow this or does not have enough child psychologists who can accompany and support them. In addition, there is no reimbursement for this purpose and therefore this psychological support is often not financially viable. Not to mention that there are far too few specialists who are familiar with this problem, which leads to long waiting lists of often more than 6 months. The situation is similar with neuropsychologists who carry out tests that help with 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. Can a stop be considered?
You can stop the treatment at any time without hesitation. In addition, it often happens that medication is forgotten, which is not a problem. However, it is indeed a long-term treatment. Since it is a disease that, like diabetes, does not go away, it makes sense to take it for many years and especially during school years. This event requires the most attention. Many young people choose daily work that is adapted to their functioning and therefore require fewer medications. They also learned compensatory measures to manage their lives despite ADHD.
Some speak of “devastating” side effects. Should we actually be wary of it?
Side effects remain very limited and no long-term effects have been described, although this drug has been available since 1937 and has been the subject of a very large number of studies in both Europe and the United States. A slight reduction in appetite is sometimes reported in the short term, but this is usually only temporary.
Are there alternatives to this molecule for ADHD or is it essential?
It is the first choice if you want to support the child more than just psychologically. Although there are alternatives, they are more expensive and are not reimbursed.
In your opinion, should we talk about overdiagnosis or underdiagnosis in our country?
At the moment we are still under-diagnosed and unfortunately every week I still meet young people who have not been diagnosed and who come to my house at the end of secondary school after a terrible school career in which they were left out of options year after year , which does not allow them to choose the college courses that they would have liked to do and that they would be capable of if they were treated well. But that is dramatic. They are also disillusioned, desperate and have an extremely negative self-image despite all of their efforts!
What do you think about the high percentage of children taking this drug?
That’s still too low a percentage for my taste. Given that it helps these children so well, it would be a shame if many more children with ADD were deprived of it! For me, the criterion for starting treatment is not the diagnosis itself, but rather as soon as there is a significant impact on the child’s well-being and/or their school curriculum. These children are often very unhappy when I see them come to counseling because they are seen as lazy, agitated, rude, stupid, troublemakers, misbehaving, not listening to what we say and not doing what they are told . asking when it is is exactly the opposite. They put in tremendous effort throughout the day and are never rewarded, instead constantly scolded. In the long term, this situation is not sustainable.
Your final message?
I would say: How fortunate that more children are being treated and recognized today than ten years ago. This is a good point for our medicine, but we need to do much better and call on the mutual societies and the authorities to reimburse the psychological support of young people and their families in ADHD, to continue improving the training of teachers and health experts about this extremely difficult problem to live with.
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