016: Listening, Growth, and Lifelong Resilience
Have you ever wondered why your child acts up? Is it because they really want to annoy you or because they’re trying to tell you something? In this conversation Dr. Claudia Gold helps us to understand that what we call ADHD – an extreme example of a child’s “acting up” – is not a known biological process but rather a collection of behaviors that often go together. We might call them “symptoms,” but they aren’t symptoms in the way that a cough is a symptom of pneumonia. Instead, Dr. Gold argues that by medicating the symptoms (i.e. the “difficult behavior”) we ignore the underlying problems that are causing them which ultimately doesn’t help the child – or the family. Whether your child has been diagnosed with ADHD, whether you suspect it, or whether you’re struggling with run-of-the-mill behavior problems, Dr. Gold has practical advice to help you. Reference Gold, C.M. (2016). The silenced child: From labels, medications, and quick-fix solutions to listening, growth, and lifelong resilience. Boston, MA: Da Capo Press. Read Full Transcript Transcript Jen: https://www.temi.com/editor/t/o5VQHa9On2DBcE0MFeRGw5EG6w3j34KDjnXtiPkPE7WHzYMsdFY1ObWwJ8TTSlweFd5zV35hjgpJt1Qgl7wDnvT86xQ?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=30.15 ([00:30]) Hello and welcome to the Your Parenting Mojo podcast. In today’s episode, we’re going to learn a lot about the science of what’s going on behind a child’s difficult behavior, including the behavior that is often described as a symptom of ADHD. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to my guest, Dr. Claudia Gold MD. Dr. Gold is a pediatrician and writer with a longstanding interest in addressing children’s mental health care in a preventive model. She’s practiced general and behavioral pediatrics for 25 years and currently specializes in early childhood mental health. Dr Gold’s latest book is The Silenced Child: From Labels, Medications, and Quick Fix Solutions to Listening, Growth, and Life-Long Resilience. Welcome Dr. Gold. Thank you so much for joining us. Dr. Gold: https://www.temi.com/editor/t/o5VQHa9On2DBcE0MFeRGw5EG6w3j34KDjnXtiPkPE7WHzYMsdFY1ObWwJ8TTSlweFd5zV35hjgpJt1Qgl7wDnvT86xQ?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=71.04 ([01:11]) Thank you for having me. Jen: https://www.temi.com/editor/t/o5VQHa9On2DBcE0MFeRGw5EG6w3j34KDjnXtiPkPE7WHzYMsdFY1ObWwJ8TTSlweFd5zV35hjgpJt1Qgl7wDnvT86xQ?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=72.76 ([01:12]) So you spent a while running an ADHD practice earlier in your career, right? Dr. Gold: https://www.temi.com/editor/t/o5VQHa9On2DBcE0MFeRGw5EG6w3j34KDjnXtiPkPE7WHzYMsdFY1ObWwJ8TTSlweFd5zV35hjgpJt1Qgl7wDnvT86xQ?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=77.47 ([01:17]) Well, as part of a general pediatrics practice, yes. Jen: https://www.temi.com/editor/t/o5VQHa9On2DBcE0MFeRGw5EG6w3j34KDjnXtiPkPE7WHzYMsdFY1ObWwJ8TTSlweFd5zV35hjgpJt1Qgl7wDnvT86xQ?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=80.5 ([01:20]) Okay. I wonder if you could tell us a little bit about that experience and how it contributed to your feeling the need to write this book? Dr. Gold: https://www.temi.com/editor/t/o5VQHa9On2DBcE0MFeRGw5EG6w3j34KDjnXtiPkPE7WHzYMsdFY1ObWwJ8TTSlweFd5zV35hjgpJt1Qgl7wDnvT86xQ?loadFrom=DocumentDeeplink&ts=87.06 ([01:27]) Well, um, I think it was because there were the visits allotted were generally 30 minutes long. Kids came in not with a plan to just listen to them but rather for what was termed in ADHD evaluation. So it was almost like we had decided what was the problem before we even spoke to them and it was, I found that it was really not...