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[Lemurnator]

I would feel that on a forum such as these, where a good number of the posters are of reasonable intellegence, there would be a split between those who believe in ADD and HDHD and those who don't. Those who think it's over diagnosed and underdiagnosed at the same time if you believe it exists. A large variety of different opinions concerning the disorders themselves and the treatments used to help treat these disorders. Express those views here if you wish.

Mostly I'd like to know about those of you who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD and what your experiances have been with medications, psychologists, day to day life if you believe in what you have been diagnosed with.

Are you currently taking medication to help you with your ADD or ADHD? Does it help you? What do you take? Do you believe in mood or mind altering drugs such as Ritalin?

 

[Iceman]

The stuff (Ritalin) works in properly diagnosed cases. There are many people of all ages that are misdiagnosed (IMO). But I can't judge them on individual cases I'm simply concerned at the sheer number of cases identified.

 

[Tarazet]

Psychiatric medicine is the bane of society.

 

[IAmtheFMan]

I was a biopsych major (currently in med school) and shadowed a couple of child psych's, and I've seen kids that I believe do have legitimate attention deficit disorders. I do think that it's a tenuous disorder, that can't be diagnosed fully, i.e. it's not something that a lot of times is clear-cut that patients either do, or don't have it.

That being said, I don't think a lot of the cases that parents and professionals call "AD(H)D" are truly legitimate cases, and a lot of times it IS over-diagnosed.

 

[speedpop]

Personally I feel that ADD and ADHD are both over-blown. As a psychological science undergrad myself, I think that what those diagnosis' are, are just personality characteristics.. perhaps scarring from childhood or an experience that they have endured only to be forgotten in the recesses of the mind and then turned into what most commonly call ADD and ADHD.

Why do I think this way?

Because my 10 year old brother has been pin-pointed as having ADD when in fact I clearly know the reason why he acts like this is because;
a) his mother is a workaholic, when she does come home she resides in her room most of the time watching tapes of shows that she had recorded during the day.

and

b) his father drowned in an accident several years ago when he was 4.

Of course he craves attention because he was never poured with it like I had when I was younger. Same thing, yet different scenario, with my younger sister who is now 18. She only had 1 year during babyhood to really receive attention till my other younger brother was born.

I've also had the opportunity to be friends with someone who was diagnosed with ADD. I didn't know much about his background or anything, but he was a really nice guy. Just a shame that ADD seems to be frowned upon by quite a bit of people and many treat you differently than usual.

As for the drugs issue, I think that it may help overtime with certain characteristics that you may seem are embarrassing but as usual - just like with depression, the best way to fight through a certain disorder is by yourself, both mentally and physically.

 

[gblues]

ADD = excuse for parents to medicate their children into submission rather than, y'know, trying to be parents.

 

[impirius]

Good post.

I believe ADD is a legitimate condition. Based solely on my observation of friends and relatives and other anecdotal evidence, I think that it is probably overdiagnosed. My younger brother was diagnosed with ADD and took medication for a short time. It helped a bit, but I don't think he will improve until he learns to set firm goals and stick to them.

I would probably be diagnosed with ADD; whether I actually have it is another question, but I have a very hard time focusing on work. I've thought about seeing a doctor and at least getting some professional advice, but that seems to lead down the road to medication, which just scares me. I don't want to ever touch any mind- or mood-altering drugs; I would much rather learn to adapt to my shortcomings and learn to force myself to focus.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Do you think ritalin is a "gateway" drug? I knew a few kids that took ritalin until puberty ... then immediately got into pot and beer (these were 14 yr olds) and then onto harder stuff in High School.


I suppose it could be an extension of bad parents ... but it seemed to me, feeding kids drugs to "alter thier mood" was really teaching them a life long lesson of using drugs to cope with (minor) mental problems.

 

[Artificial Meat]

There was an article on a newspaper this week (I think Wall Street Journal, i'm not sure) that said ritalin was linked with depression later in life for those who took considerable dosage of it during childhood.

 

[Azih]

well considering people got by fine without these drugs I'd imagine that a lot of the current diagnosis is not necessary and the problems best dealt without medication. Plus I also blame Dr.Spock.

 

[Tarazet]

Do you think ritalin is a "gateway" drug? I knew a few kids that took ritalin until puberty ... then immediately got into pot and beer (these were 14 yr olds) and then onto harder stuff in High School.


I suppose it could be an extension of bad parents ... but it seemed to me, feeding kids drugs to "alter thier mood" was really teaching them a life long lesson of using drugs to cope with (minor) mental problems.

I couldn't agree more. Look at the popularity of pill-based drugs...

 

[Greenpanda]

Assuming you agree that the brain and its capacity of form attention are biological systems, I don't see how you can claim that it's impossible for biological problems to interfere with attention.

 

[Sukahii16]

Personally I feel that ADD and ADHD are both over-blown. As a psychological science undergrad myself, I think that what those diagnosis' are, are just personality characteristics.. perhaps scarring from childhood or an experience that they have endured only to be forgotten in the recesses of the mind and then turned into what most commonly call ADD and ADHD.

Why do I think this way?

Because my 10 year old brother has been pin-pointed as having ADD when in fact I clearly know the reason why he acts like this is because;
a) his mother is a workaholic, when she does come home she resides in her room most of the time watching tapes of shows that she had recorded during the day.

and

b) his father drowned in an accident several years ago when he was 4.

Of course he craves attention because he was never poured with it like I had when I was younger. Same thing, yet different scenario, with my younger sister who is now 18. She only had 1 year during babyhood to really receive attention till my other younger brother was born.

I've also had the opportunity to be friends with someone who was diagnosed with ADD. I didn't know much about his background or anything, but he was a really nice guy. Just a shame that ADD seems to be frowned upon by quite a bit of people and many treat you differently than usual.

As for the drugs issue, I think that it may help overtime with certain characteristics that you may seem are embarrassing but as usual - just like with depression, the best way to fight through a certain disorder is by yourself, both mentally and physically.

Sorry about your brother. My brother was, I believe, misdiagnosed with ADHD as well. Despite this, I know that ADHD exists. I'm a psychology major as well and I help volunteer in the Multimodal Treatment and Assessment of ADHD Study, which is a huge NIH funded project to study ADHD. ADHD symptoms have distinct clinical definitions, but I think the big problem is that health care providers don't do enough research into a child when making diagnoses, as was the case with your brother and mine. There could be trauma or stress that is causing attentional problems. Regardless, this should not stop us from trying to help people who really suffer from ADHD.

 

[Sukahii16]

Assuming you agree that the brain and its capacity of form attention are biological systems, I don't see how you can claim that it's impossible for biological problems to interfere with attention.

Great point. Anything that can go wrong in the brain will go wrong and give rise to what we define as mental disorders. I admit that is a little reductionistic.

 

[slayn]

being a computer science major and that fact that I know no one with ADD, I feel that gives me all the authority on this subject in the world. That said:

I tend to believe that too often science feels some indder need to segragate and classify everything known to man. And, in the case of ADD, they have taken a perfectly normal human personality type and classified it as a disease (or whatever other negative term is used) because this personality type does not mesh well with what society deems in normal.

I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with having a personality type that matches ADD, but because its not how peopel think kids should ask, it gets classified as wrong. Much like how I think being gay is a normal and natural thing but because people don't think its normal it gets classified as wrong.

I really don't see a difference between being gay, or having ADD, or any other mental "problem." Its just who those people are and force feeding them drugs could possible destroy who they are entirely.

I seem to recall reading at one point that being left handed was once considered evil too. That society decided everyone should be right-handed and peopel that were left-handed were forced to learn to use their right hand instead. If they eventually got along well with their right hand, I doubt it was because they were somehow 'converted' but they merely learned to cope with this restriction placed upon who they were.

 

[demon]

I tend to believe that too often science feels some indder need to segragate and classify everything known to man. And, in the case of ADD, they have taken a perfectly normal human personality type and classified it as a disease (or whatever other negative term is used) because this personality type does not mesh well with what society deems in normal.

That sums up ADD perfectly. It does exist, only that second 'D' doesn't necessarily belong.

 

[Sukahii16]

That sums up ADD perfectly. It does exist, only that second 'D' doesn't necessarily belong.

Well people with ADHD face higher rates of peer rejection in school because everyone thinks they're jerks (at least boys, girls with ADHD act out differently). Peer rejection leads to a lot of problems later in life. Most people don't understand that ADHD isn't just spacing out and getting distracted a little bit, it's way overboard. If attention was a normal curve, ADHD individuals would be located at the 2 percent tail-end. You can imagine how destructive this can be. These kids and adults have a really difficult time focusing and interacting socially. Ignoring the problem is only going to hurt people. I do agree that overmedication and misdiagnose is a potential problem though. But with proper assessment, this should be reduced and people will genuinely benefit from it.

 

[Drozmight]

I don't have ADD but I take Adderall every once in a while. Woo.

 

[Sukahii16]

Thank you. That's what I was going to say.

Where do we draw the line between normal variation and disorder? At what point do we start prescribing drugs to "correct" the variation? Is throwing drugs at mental differences really the best solution? Do we even need a solution?

I believe drugs should be a last resort in these cases. I'm just not comfortable with the idea of messing about with the brain, even in a good cause. I'm not convinced that it's necessary to people's health most of the time.

Some dysfunctions are clear-cut, are harmful, and are obviously non-normal. Things like aphasias, alexia, Parkinson's or Huntington's. In these cases there is something wrong with the brain that is causing it to lose normal function. In things like ADHD, there's nothing clear cut. They may be caused by a difference in the balances of chemicals, but it's a matter of degree. ADHD is qualitative rather than quantitative.

Anyway, to actually answer the question: ADD is way overdiagnosed. People should try other solutions before falling back on drugs as a last resort.

You can draw the line at normal variation and disorder when the variation is so far from the norm that it causes the individual dysfunction in some way. Children with ADHD face a statistically signficant higher risk of peer rejection. Social interaction in the formative years of elementary school are as important as reading, writing, and arithmetic. I respect your apprehensions toward medication though. When it is used, it should be in conjunction with behavioral therapy so people are able to understand their condition and fulfill their full potential. One problem with this ideal solution is that it's cheaper for HMOs to prescribe a drug than it is to offer therapy.

 

[Red Dolphin]

ADD = excuse for parents to medicate their children into submission rather than, y'know, trying to be parents.

Exactly. 95% of cases are kids who are undisciplined little shits who's parents are are no-hopers!

Basically it's waaaaay over-diagnosed. I actually do think there is such a condition but it's all too easy for parents to put the kids on medication instead of being responsible parents and bringing up their kids properly.

 

[hooded pitohui]

Well the thing about ADD is that- hey a pony!!

 

[Drozmight]

Exactly. 95% of cases are kids who are undisciplined little shits who's parents are are no-hopers!

Basically it's waaaaay over-diagnosed. I actually do think there is such a condition but it's all too easy for parents to put the kids on medication instead of being responsible parents and bringing up their kids properly.

Right on.

 

[MoccaJava]

While there are people who are misdiagnosed and should try other things first, there are also people that naturally grow out of ADD as well.

 

[borghe]

Psychiatric medicine is the bane of society.

ADD = excuse for parents to medicate their children into submission rather than, y'know, trying to be parents.

well considering people got by fine without these drugs I'd imagine that a lot of the current diagnosis is not necessary and the problems best dealt without medication. Plus I also blame Dr.Spock.

I tend to believe that too often science feels some indder need to segragate and classify everything known to man. And, in the case of ADD, they have taken a perfectly normal human personality type and classified it as a disease (or whatever other negative term is used) because this personality type does not mesh well with what society deems in normal.

IAWTP

ADD CANNOT objectively and scientifically be determined. That right there should say something significant. The vast majority of ADD cases are a result of a family structure that is incapable of correctly raising, disciplining, and instilling values on children.

Now I'm not saying there aren't genuine cases out there where children are beyond control and it is a definite chemical reaction in their brains causing this... this has been true since time began.. and it is great that there is a drug out there that can help curb this instead of the "schools" these kids would have been sent to 100+ years ago.

Unfortunaltey because it is subjective and entirely at the discretion of the parents, kids will continue to be medicated for a wide variety of things that years ago would have gotten me a beating after which I never did it again.

 

[demon]

The fact that people keep using words like "disciplining" and "control" when talking about ADD (that's ADHD, folks) shows they really know very little about ADD and are forming laughably uninformed opinions on the matter. ADD (not ADHD) doesn't even have anything to do with laziness, intelligence, rambunctiousness, or whatever. It's simply a difficulty with focusing one's attention as much as the average person. That's it. There's a reason why there's a lot of debate surrounding the 'Disorder' in 'ADD'. In fact, it's not even necessarily a Deficit of attention, rather- again- an inability to focus attention on a single thing.

 

[slayn]

You can draw the line at normal variation and disorder when the variation is so far from the norm that it causes the individual dysfunction in some way. Children with ADHD face a statistically signficant higher risk of peer rejection.

I would simply say that that means there are certain personality types where the person just is naturally a jackass, but we felt the need to call it a disorder. Being a jackass isn't a disorder... its just being a jackass. Its just who they are. They=jackass. And obviously someone who is naturally a jackass is going to have statistically significant social problems.

 

[borghe]

The fact that people keep using words like "disciplining" and "control" when talking about ADD (that's ADHD, folks) shows they really know very little about ADD and are forming laughably uninformed opinions on the matter. ADD (not ADHD) doesn't even have anything to do with laziness, intelligence, rambunctiousness, or whatever. It's simply a difficulty with focusing one's attention as much as the average person. That's it. There's a reason why there's a lot of debate surrounding the 'Disorder' in 'ADD'. In fact, it's not even necessarily a Deficit of attention, rather- again- an inability to focus attention on a single thing.

what the hell does that have to do with discipline? So ADD kids can't be disciplined or have values instilled into them?

When my daughter was under one but eating (sort of) with utensils, she accidentally stabbed me with a fork in the throat. It didn't break skin or anything but I guarantee you it still hurts like a bitch. That right there was an epiphany to me. I mean obviously we aren't born with manners or good behaviour.. we have that stuff taught to us and instilled upon us by our parents, siblings, or any other person with constant contact in our lives. My daughter stabbed me in the throt because she didn't know she wasn't supposed to.

Same thing here. So a kid has ADD.. so what. does that excuse them from being able to throw chairs around? does that excuse them to not clean their room? Last time I checked kids, even ones with ADD, were capable of knowing that throwing chairs was wrong and that they needed to clean their room. So who is letting the kids think that this is alright? Oh yeah, the parents.

So before you jump to say "ADD is real, stop blaming the parents," I say bullshit.. START blaming the parents. Yes there are kids out there with serious and real chemical imbalance problems and whatnot... but that is not most of them. Most of them are hyper, rambunctious, improperly disciplined kids who are doing all of this crazy stuff because people are letting them get away with it.

A guy came at me once when talking about this like I am and said to me "You don't know what it's like to have your son throw a chair at you and be completely out of ideas on what to do." I asked him if he spanked his son or if he shut him in his room without any toys or anything to keep himself occupied. He looked at me like I was some kind of crazy psycho for even suggesting those. "Your kid acts like a maniac because he knows he can get away with it." Burned that bridge but the dude needed someone to tell him.

 

[darscot]

I was an Acronym kid in high school. It is total bullshit. I remember sitting in class think man am I high. It's just prescribed downers.

 

[demon]

Same thing here. So a kid has ADD.. so what. does that excuse them from being able to throw chairs around? does that excuse them to not clean their room? Last time I checked kids, even ones with ADD, were capable of knowing that throwing chairs was wrong and that they needed to clean their room. So who is letting the kids think that this is alright? Oh yeah, the parents.

Once again, you're showing what is a blatant ignorance of ADD. ADD people do not "throw chairs around". That is ADHD, something that has quite different 'symptoms'. I already explained what ADD is, and when true attention deficit disorder is involved, I don't see how a lack of "discipline" is the cause.....because it's not.

You're just an example of how uneducated and ignorant and general populace is on ADD. It's almost funny.....they form these steadfast opinions on the subject and jump right in to argue their side at the mere mention of ADD when they don't even know what it is in the first place or are confusing it with something else.