This is a throwaway account. This piece is outrageous. It is not about the selling of ADHD, it's about the selling of ADHD medications, which are useful for everyone. There should be a discussion about their use in the general population, for improving concentration, focus, memory, and behavior. This would not actually be a discussion about ADHD.
I hate that these news pieces gloss over the importance of understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of actual ADHD. I think we have an epidemic of ADHDDDD. ADHD Definition Deficit Disorder. If you have the following symptoms:
1. You think ADHD is not real.
2. You think everyone has ADHD.
3. You think ADHD's status as a disorder is up for debate.
4. You think ADHD is just overdiagnosed, and not also dangerously underdiagnosed.
You may be suffering from ADHDDDD.
The best way to sort all of this confusion and controversy out is to educate people about what ADHD really is, with detailed information about individual cases [1]. Let's focus on the people who are actually suffering, instead of all the people who are both inappropriately buying and selling the disease. Proper knowledge of the former would lead to a self-regulation of the latter. If people actually knew how ADHD really manifests, then we'd stop flinging and/or sullying this useful clinical label.
I have adult ADHD and am in my late twenties. I was an amazing student as a kid. I am a software engineer at Google. I have no problems with the law or with substance abuse. I do have lots of problems though. I was diagnosed recently and started treatment, so I have not been impacted by a lifetime of "selling the disease", but I have always been impacted by a lifetime of the disease itself. My life is fucking weird. I just learned how to tie my shoes. I can't eat without making a mess. I talk to myself to keep myself stimulated. I could go on and on. Most people can barely fathom some of these behaviors.
If what you or your loved ones are dealing with is not really fierce and bizarre, then you can dismiss your concerns about ADHD. Regardless, if you have problems that might be addressed with stimulants, welcome to the club.
I hate that these news pieces gloss over the importance of understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of actual ADHD. I think we have an epidemic of ADHDDDD. ADHD Definition Deficit Disorder. If you have the following symptoms:
1. You think ADHD is not real. 2. You think everyone has ADHD. 3. You think ADHD's status as a disorder is up for debate. 4. You think ADHD is just overdiagnosed, and not also dangerously underdiagnosed.
You may be suffering from ADHDDDD.
The best way to sort all of this confusion and controversy out is to educate people about what ADHD really is, with detailed information about individual cases [1]. Let's focus on the people who are actually suffering, instead of all the people who are both inappropriately buying and selling the disease. Proper knowledge of the former would lead to a self-regulation of the latter. If people actually knew how ADHD really manifests, then we'd stop flinging and/or sullying this useful clinical label.
I have adult ADHD and am in my late twenties. I was an amazing student as a kid. I am a software engineer at Google. I have no problems with the law or with substance abuse. I do have lots of problems though. I was diagnosed recently and started treatment, so I have not been impacted by a lifetime of "selling the disease", but I have always been impacted by a lifetime of the disease itself. My life is fucking weird. I just learned how to tie my shoes. I can't eat without making a mess. I talk to myself to keep myself stimulated. I could go on and on. Most people can barely fathom some of these behaviors.
If what you or your loved ones are dealing with is not really fierce and bizarre, then you can dismiss your concerns about ADHD. Regardless, if you have problems that might be addressed with stimulants, welcome to the club.
[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/tvradio/programmes/horizon/adhd_prog...