Much is to be admired about the people and kids speak series. Sadly, the last story (Title of story: the grand scheme), in the new People speak, #5 sends a terrible and dangerous message, applauding someone’s recklessness.
In the story a Rebbe is trying very hard to coax a child to take his adhd medication. The Rebbe comes up with a scheme to make the child realize there is nothing wrong with the medication and nothing to be ashamed of.
Very nice except part of accomplishing this is that the Rebbe WITHOUT doctor approval, TAKES one of the Prescribed Medications, a known controlled substance!
The story then goes on to laud the Rebbe for his caring and ingenuity. The Father of the Rebbe is so proud of his son for thinking of this ploy to help a talmid, that he actually RECOMMENDS that rebbeim/teachers with similar issues can try the same thing for their students as it worked so well and advises
“Don’t worry there is nothing wrong with taking one pill.”
Most add/adhd drugs are fairly safe. However, virtually all even in a minute amount have some immediate effect on the mood and the wrong “one”pill can actually have an undesired effect on a person similar to steroid rage. Additionally, there can be unknown drug interactions or health complications.(There is a real reason why there are different brands of stimulant and some with short and some with long acting release)
To unnecessarily take any prescription medication,without doctor oversight especially one that effects mood and then in a book to say that there is nothing wrong with it is horrible. This is doubly wrong as so many readers of people speak are preteen-teenagers who know people on adhd drugs, and might think there is nothing wrong if they have just one, or even a rebbe after reading this story might actually listen to this advice as it comes from such a respected source.
This is the type of story that induces people (especially impressionable young people)to think there is nothing wrong with prescription painkiller and adhd drugs even if they don’t have a severe enough need or do not realize due to lack of medical or mental oversight the need to treat their problem in a different fashion.
There is a reason why these are controlled substances. This story can easily be a prototypical one pill scenario that leads to a second then third pill…
Additionally, after the Rebbe demonstrates taking the pill in front of the class, some other boys in the class divulge that they are on various medications and name them as well in front of the whole class. If I were a parent of a child that needed medication regardless of issue I would not want my child to broadcast it to the entire grade. Additionally for teenagers reading this story they might get misguided. Even a teenager must first consult with parents before telling friends about health or mental issues they might have,as there reason to divulge might be shortsighted.
I do not know how they allowed this story, as it is wrong on so many fronts and can send a terrible message to the intended audience especially based on its best seller reliability.
The seforim store told me that these books are selling like hotcakes please be aware before giving the book to your kid or as a gift.
Parents please be on guard and there is no such thing as just “one pill” when it comes to illegally taking a controlled substance.
Just chill
A Rebbe A Tzaddik, The Gemarah states, Mi Shegolah Rabba Goel Imu. A Child that has to go to golus,his rebbe must go along with him.
B’H there are still teachers that feel their pain of the students & are Moser Nefesh to build their self esteem & learn torah with them at all costs. (even taking a pill to make them feel comfortable)
Ki Heim Chayenu
It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but please, get a life!
Well actually, that rebbe can be charged with a felony. Taking an ADHD pill that is not prescribed to you is seen the same as taking another controlled substance such as cocaine. I am glad they are trying to encourage children to take their meds, but this is NOT the way to do it. BTW. Someone with an undiagnosed heart condition can suffer a heart attack and die with a single ritalin or adderal pill.
if u think that this is letoeles and not lashon harah (to a high degree) then sign ur name..
You must be also very nervous when a bochur makes a lechaim at a kiddush….
If you where sooooo concerned then you would have written this impassioned plea of yours to the publisher, not on a Lakewood forum.
Just saying.
I didn’t see the full story so I can’t comment on it but I do think people in general are naive about the side effects and potential dangers of some of these mood altering drugs.If a doctor prescribes you a medicine please ask about potential side effects.
I have always believed that most of these stories are made up.
How do u know that this rabbi didn’t first consult with his Dr for an ok or a prescription to take this medicine for one time? Be a little don lchaf zchus b4 spreading this loshan hora about this man and/ or this book…
Very likely the Rebbe is also on Ritalin so it’s fine to take a pill in front of his class – in terms of his medical safety, that is. I agree 100% with the original author that this story, as described, is dangerous and irresponsible.
I would urge the writer to contact the publisher and the author. You might also want to get letters from doctors, principals etc to back you up.
(I wrote to an author regarding another book that upset me. The writer did write back to me with her view of why what she wrote was appropriate. Although I still believe she was wrong, at least I felt somewhat better that she and the publisher had heard my point of view.)
I am in chinuch myself, while being moser nefesh for your talmidim is great, the hidden message in this story is not. quite frankly, the author of this article should not and does not have to chill out. Taking prescription drugs not prescribed to you is illegal and dangerous. In a world where we are dealing with drug problems, a rebbe should not be teaching his students that “just one pill” is ok, its NOT. There is also a HUGE difference between a bochur getting drunk and a rebbe taking pills not prescribed to him. What if the rebbe died because of a severe drug interaction or allergy in front of his students, should we also praise him??
I think he’s mentioning a fair point! Granted one pill won’t do much, I don’t think this is a story to emulate from at all!
you need a few pills
lets started dealing with th estudents and working with them instead of just medicating medicating, the lazy american spoiled mehalech
i agree with the letter writer 100%. I myself take a certain medication which i don’t really need. But since i started taking it a few years ago I cannot get off of it without having tremendous withdrawal symptoms that are very unpleasant. I only started taking this medication because some therapists and doctor’s thought i should take it. I was young and stupid and didnt realize that i really didnt need the medication.
I finally found a big doctor that told me how i can get off the medication in a safe way. However the people that pushed me to take the medication in the first place kept telling me that it is safe to just stop the medication cold turkey. It is a controlled substance and it is actually very dangerous to stop it cold turkey.
This story in the book portrays controlled substance medications like a joke and like it is a normal thing for every kid to be on. I’m not against it but i think it is handed out to freely in America.
The letter writer here should write a letter to the author of the book.
chilax. pop a few pills and youll b fine. seriously-move on
Me thinks and hopes that the pillthe rebbee took was similiar in look but waas actually only a placebo. This would have been the correct way to do it or the rebee could have taken a tylenol or similiar over the counter medicine and preface that he takes it for headaches etc…
Take a chill pill
Most of these stories are out of Israel and it laws may just be different!
firstly #20 its against the law in israel as well if it was legal all my friends on drugs would have had that much more fun…but its not legal. to #2 you are simply in denial but i know no matter the response you will never change lest god forbid you experience the struggle that the usage of these pills have only then will you be able to see the dangrous message the book talks about
story was written wrong
the real story was when ever the child was acting up the rebbe sent him out to take his meds and the rebbe would take a drink as well at the same time. what was left out of the story was the kid put the pill in the rebbes drink and afterwards the rebbe said the kid acted great for the rest of the day
#18 nope just read the story after buying the book thankyou,to author of this piece I took the story out as it clearly states what is written above about just taking one pill not being a problem. This is illegal behavior!
Author is 100% correct!