Editor's note: This post was featured on Healthkicker but we thought the Momaroo community would be interested as well. 
I was talking to my cousin the other day, and she was telling me how difficult it was to do her Economics problem set. She mentioned her "focusing" problem to her therapist, and he said that she had a textbook case of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). He recommended that she see someone about it.
"I mean I take Adderall anyway to study. But it feels good to know I have a serious problem. This explains so much!" she started to say.
I was pretty furious. I don't want to offend anyone. I do believe that ADD exists, and it's a serious problem, but I don't believe that half the people who are diagnosed with ADD actually have it. I don't think you should be diagnosed with ADD if you simply tell someone that you have a hard time focusing on something. I have a hard time focusing on Economics problem sets too -- that's because they're boring. I have never seen her have a hard time focusing on the latest episode of the Hills.
Then someone told me that Sesame Street is to blame for the ADD epidemic because all their episodes are shot in two-minute fragments. Seriously? I hear a lot of people say that ADD is a "modern" disease, and back in the day when we didn't have technology and a hundred different distractions, it simply didn't exist. I would have to agree. When people were fighting for survival and working eighteen hours a week, I don't think it was much of an issue.
Honestly, I feel like we toggle a very thin line between taking a break and popping a pill. I was talking to a professor about how to get over grief, and he looked at me a little confused, and simply said, "Honestly, sometimes you just have to suffer."
Whatever happened to taking your sorrow, distractions, and occasional hardship in stride, and knowing that it'll get better?
Do you think that ADD is being over-diagnosed and that too many people take Adderall when they don't really need it? Have you ever had to make the decision of whether or not to put your child on medication such as Adderall?
Comments (25)
i hate people that complain about having ADD, when they obviously don't.
it's way overdiagnosed. i would probably be diagnosed with it.
I'm sure I'd be diagnosed with it.
Good thing my parents have common sense, and know I'm just a teenager not interested in math, and with a lot of things to say.
I'm sure that they over diagnose it. My cousin is around 8 years old and they have her on a low dose of Adderall. I find it appalling because I'm sure that once she gets older they were gradually step up her dosage. I used to take Adderall and I was never prescribed it. But honestly, the stuff is like meth. It's addictive and unsafe for our youth to be taking.
I think people believe use ADD as the "only explanation" for their (or their child's) lack of focus. I think it's just an excuse, just like how so many people are claiming to be "clinically depressed". I'm no doctor, but I do think that too many people are "diagnosed" as having ADD and it scares me to think of what sort of complications it may have down the road.
About a year ago I saw a special on CBC about children being diagnosed with ADD. I can't remember the exact details, but I do remember that it said Ontario elementary schools are provided with a significantly large sum of money for every enrolled student diagnosed with ADD, which is why more and more teachers are recommending parents have their children checked by the doctor to see if they have ADD, and pressing to get them on medication.
As a teacher, amen, amen, amen. I'm so sick of students and parents saying I need to do things differently because their child has ADD. Um, excuse me? No, your child needs to learn how to adapt and focus... regardless of what I do in my classroom the ADULT WORLD of jobs, families, and other responsibilities will not change and adapt just because somebody has ADD.
Now the problem is that I have two friends, one with her sons all diagnosed with ADD, and one who I bet will be diagnosed with ADD... none of them are "ADD." They are all unruly children (for the most part) who don't listen to the rules (even at home!). I can't speak about this to them because they consider it a real disease/diagnosis. Meanwhile their children need maybe a bit more structure and definitely a LOT more consequences for not following the rules and responsibilities at home.
ADD is also mistaken fo the traits of Indigo Children.
ADD is the byproduct of poor self discipline. Very few people have it in its true form, and if they did, you would know because the culprit is probably fairly obvious, the result of another problem. She's probably not interested in the subject.
ADHD is a hunter trait. It's why it's so often found in males.
So ADD is bullshit, but I hear adderall is cool and calming
I figure that most disorders (and things of that form) are over diagnosed. Doctors are too quick to pin something on a person. Years ago, none of this was a problem. People weren't bipolar, depressed, they didn't have ADD or anything else. And, a good percent of the time, people still don't have it. They don't see how people interact or live their lives, they only hear a few tidbits of the problems, and then they diagnose. They're going about it all wrong. A couple of kids in my family supposedly have ADD, and when you're around them you realize that they don't. By simply watching them.
As a teacher, I am also amazed at how many children are classified as ADD, when it's obvious they just need to learn to deal with the fact that some things in life are boring and will be hard to focus on.
I have an adult friend who claims to be ADD. Her treatment when she was in school? Her father's belt! Drugs we not around for it back then. It kept her in line for the most part. She's a Ph.D. now!
But what bothers me more is when these children are prescribed the drugs and then think it is an excuse for their misbehavior. They need to realize the drug is not going to "cure" them but is meant to make it easier (or possible) for them to learn coping skills to handle and control their disability..
While I agree it exists, it is way over diagnosed. I don't know anyone who has NOT had a hard time focusing once in awhile, especially when it's something that is boring.
i'll have to censor myself, but to be succinct, i disagree with many of the opinions presented in the comments for this particular blog entry.
as a college student, i have witnessed several peers turn to attention deficit disorder and adderall as a solution to their inability to focus, despite clear indications that they are merely falling susceptible to common distractions combined with boring subject material. however, being genetically predisposed for both bipolarity and add, and having witnessed their combined effects impair the intellectual development of close family [supported by brain scans showing clear regions of the brain affected by these disorders], i cringe to think people are convinced that add and depression are myths, that these disorders are the manifestation of an inability to cope with various facets of reality. i agree that attention deficit disorder is becoming overdiagnosed and this is a problem, but i have just as much of a problem imagining that there are people out there genuinely afflicted with these disorders, given the sole recompense of just 'dealing with it'.
They tried to tell my mom that my brother had ADD when he was younger. She refused to have him tested because she knew he was just an active boy. My boyfriend was diagnosed with ADD, and put on medication for it. After talking about what the medication felt like to him (his mind kept moving at 100 miles an hour, but he felt he didn't have control of his body and couldn't do what he wanted), we would probably not choose to medicate our children (if we have any in the future).
It's WAY overdiagnoised. Honestly, half the people that 'have' ADD don't. I know some really do. On of my brothers do. But, there are TONS of other reasons and often they are overlooked. I have something called Asperger's Syndrome. Everyone at first look says "ADD" but that's not the case. ADD is something doctors throw around to put a name to something, when in fact it could be something else. Maybe she just doesn't like that class or maybe she had other things on her mind. Or simply she was bored and didn't want to do it. Going to a doctor and the first visit they say "ADD" and slap some pills in you doesn't mean you have it. It means it was an easy fix for them.
xx
I actually was diagnosed ADHD at nearly 30 years old. This was after years of a diagnosis as Bipolar II with major depression. That something was wrong outside the "norm" was plainly clear but obviously there is some disagreement as to what. I tend to favor the ADHD diagnosis as it explains much including the mood swings which never got to a true manic state. Keep in mind here that ADHD does not start suddenly so I had symptoms for years and years (this is part of why the diagnosis was finally changed). I can pin point some for you and others are harder to define as clearly a real problem requiring a diagnosis of anything but being a teenager.
The thing is that I graduated 3rd in a class of nearly 500 high school students. I have a Master's degree and am nearly finished with a second Bachelor's degree (completed online with none of the normal classroom controls of time). High school was certainly boring at times, my mother kept a very short leash on my sister and I. While I did and still do feel that some of it was excessive, that tight control on time, behavior, and work ethic made me successful with no diagnosis much less drugs. I did have a very rough patch when the depression kicked in but once I found the "right" major, I succeeded with all A's and B's. My time management was awful even so. I can only take one online class at a time or I get overwhlemed but I do it with only one C so far (and that was without taking one test I managed to forget about).
It all fell apart for me as an adult with a premature and reluctant to sleep child. I was still in college and I just couldn't seem to hold things together any more. I am now a teacher and as I was telling one of my kids the other day, my desk is in "turmoil" (a vocab word). I am scattered, inefficient, and horribly forgetful. But that early training in ethical behavior, specifically when it comes to meeting obligations, has served me very well. I have tried drugs and they do help. But in the end, I am too distracted most of the time to remember taking them so I don't bother any more. It's not fun much of the time but my scatteredness works for me on some levels, like when I need a new idea now with little or no planning time. My house is a mess and I have to schedule my bill payments to go automatically so I don't miss them. My kids are used to having no real schedule (other than bed time), and while I think they need more structure, they don't seem to be suffering so far. We'll revisit when they get a little older and have homework. Basically, I embrace some of the wackiness and have learned to compensate for some of it so that it does not destroy my life.
Many, many of my school kids try to pull the ADHD card on me in my classroom. It is, they claim, the reason for all of their failures. I love it when they say, "But miss, I have ADHD." I simply smile and say, "So do I, what of it?" Most stop their complaining and start trying to work because they know I'm not letting them use that as an excuse - whether or not it is a correct diagnosis. I suspect that ADHD is way over-diagnosed. Even if it isn't, I believe that it is mishandled. You can treat with drugs all you want but eventually that child is going to have to function alone in the "real" world. If we aren't simultaneously training them with coping skills that help balance the disorder, we are dooming them to unpaid bills, lost jobs, and most likely missed opportunities as well. Kids need to understand that ADHD or not, there is a structure under which much of the world functions and they must adhere to that structure rather than hide behind some letters that are, in the end, meaningless. I've got a lot more thoughts but they won't fit here. Is ADHD a problem for some people? Yes. Do most of those diagnosed actually have this condition? Probably not. Are there things we should be doing for all children to help them cope in a distracting world? Absolutely.
There is a lot more than ADD that is overdiagnosed....ADD is a bad one though. I was diagnosed with it because I was having problems with school....then again, I was overstressed and had too little time with too much to do. And with my family, being distracted is pretty much guaranteed. Everything is sooooo subjective to the particular therapist and they can only go on what you tell them. So if you say hey, I can't focus! Then they're going to assume that's generally whenever.
@st1fle@xanga - " i cringe to think people are convinced that add and depression are myths, that these disorders are the manifestation of an inability to cope with various facets of reality....but i have just as much of a problem imagining that there are people out there genuinely afflicted with these disorders, given the sole recompense of just 'dealing with it'"
Thank you for these wise words from someone who actually has the disorder. I HATE, HATE, HATE that everyone is an expert on this disease, but not a single one of them has it, or has a child who has it!
I have dealt with these "experts" for the entire life of my 19 year old ADD son, and am so sick and tired of hearing it. If they don't have the disorder themselves, or have a child with this disorder, where do they get the expertise to tell if others have it?
Thank you for your intelligent, knowledgeable input.
I have ADD, was diagnosed when I was 5. I was supposed to be put on medication, but I have an awesome mom. Instead she spent hours after school working with me. She helped me develop strategies for working around it. Eventually she decided to homeschool me. That was the best thing ever.I didn't have to cope with classrooms again till college. By the time I got there we had strategies for dealing with the challenges I faced there and it went well. I'm a nurse now. I actually think the ADD is an asset in some ways because I notice things that others don't. My organization is a struggle sometimes, but not to the point that it's disabling.
When someone has a problem like this it just means they need to try harder in that area. So many people use it as an excuse to do poorly in school or work. It's not an excuse for failure. Everyone has challenges. You can't medicate away things just because they challenge you.
It really is overdiagnosed. I was told I had ADD, and it turned out that I actually had Absence (Petti Mal) Epilepsy!
BIG difference.
I was diagnosed with ADD when I was 16 years old. They started me on strattera and it took a few months before i saw results. It was great for a while, and I was glad that I started to finally reach my potential.
During the summer of my senior year it thought about what I was doing. Would i be taking meds for the rest of my life? I couldnt let that happen. So I stopped taking them, and began developing strategies and methods to help me during school.
I do think that ADD is EXTREMELY over diagnosed. I find it funny because people use it as an excuse. I would never use that as an excuse. I wouldn't get special treatment in the real world, so why would I want that in school?
Im also tired of the American mindset that "a pill" can completely change your life. No. Depression is a great example of this. You feel sad, you go to the doctors, they give you a pill, you expect it to make you happy. It doesn't, it make you feel nothing. Congrats, you took the easy way out.
I think its important for people to learn how to manage depression. Everyone gets depressed. Everyone had the alcoholic farther the cocaine addicting brother, or even just being depression over a break-up of a long term relationship. People need to learn how to deal themselves sometimes or theyre going to have this problem for the rest of their life.Â
There are most defiantly manic depressants who need that help, but i dont think many people can say theyre THAT depressed. Then again, what do i know? Do what you feel you need to do for yourself.
I apologize, i think I rambled a bit.
ADD is not bullshit just so everyone knows. As someone who was diagnosed CORRECTLY about having both ADD and ADHD I would know that first hand. Saying that ADD is bullshit when you don't have it is really ridiculous because its like saying Depression is bullshit. Just because everyone says they have ADD or are depressed or whatever else you want to put here doesn't mean its not a real condition. Concentration is honestly the hardest thing for me to do. I'm an intelligent person and people tell me that I just need to make myself concentrate without the help of medication. But thats honestly easier said than done, physically and mentally I cannot make myself concentrate without the help of something. If you looked at my computer screen right now you would see how I have iTunes, 4 internet windows and AIM up all at one time just because I can't concentrate on just one thing for very long. And the fact that people take Adderall doesn't mean anything against them. I take Adderall everyday and there is nothing physically or mentally wrong with me for doing so. ADD and ADHD are both very real disorders and to say they aren't makes me really upset, just because I have both of these issues and there is nothing wrong with having them. But I will agree that too many people say they have them just because they don't want to concentrate as opposed to those of us who want nothing more than to concentrate but can't do so.
You are absolutly right, and it's not just ADD/ADHD - it's the entire "autism spectrum". The schools are the worst culprit of the overdiagnosis/overclassification, I've seen it from the day my oldest (14) started kindergarden. Schools in our district get extra funding for "special needs' kids and in turn those kids don't have to take all the standardized tests that bring the school ratings down. Every time a child steps a hair out of line the school is right there saying things like "Oh he's got ADHD, I can tell, you need to get him classified". It's disgusting. And I cannot even fathom putting a child on brain altering drugs. Ever.
Yes, it is over diagnosed.
Most parents/teachers are looking for a quick fix. Your 8 year-old son/student doesn't want to sit in a desk for 7 hours straight? No fucking way! Who would've thought.
Yes, it does actually exist and can be properly diagnosed WITH THE RIGHT TESTS and then treated.
My youngest brother used to get D's and F's from 5 through 3/4 of the way through his 8th grade year. We knew he was smart - the kid can beat you in chess in less than 5 moves. But for some reason, he just didn't get the grades. About 3/4 of the way through his 8th grade year we had our family counselor test him for ADD. Our counselor said he's the freakin' poster child of the disease. He got put on adderall and graduated with B's and C's. He's in his first year of high school now and doesn't get anything below a B.
I completely agree. My roommate one year claimed to have mysteriously developed add at age 17. Later, she received extra time on exams etc because of it. One of these cases was when we were in a class together and I certainly would have appreciated more time on my final. When I got back to the room, she was bragging on how she'd just spent 4 hours tracing faeries. ADD my ass.
I'm a family practice doctor, and I can assure you that conscientious doctors do not like to diagnose ADHD, and many of us agree that it is far overdiagnosed. In my experience, I've had a lot of parents bring in kids and try to convince me that their unruly child has ADHD and needs something to calm him down. I can only think of one instance in which a blessed mom was trying to avoid the diagnosis for her son and was spending a great deal of extra time tutoring him and helping him function in school. I praised her heartily. I don't like giving meds to people that don't need them, but I do think ADHD is a real condition. (BTW, ADHD and ADD are the same thing. ADHD is the more modern nomenclature and it is supposed to be followed with one of the following designations: inattentive type, hyperactive type, or mixed type. There's always confusion about ADD vs ADHD). My point is, I get a lot of pressure from parents to slap the ADHD label on their kids and get them straightened out with some prescription stimulants. Interestingly, most people, regardless of whether they have ADHD, can get benefit in focus and concentration by using these drugs. Military pilots have been doing it for years. The blame for the overdiagnosis of ADHD is a little more complex than just bad doctors throwing out Ritalin like its parade candy. We have a culture that wants to "medicalize" every problem and make it some sort of brain chemistry or genetic problem so that none of us have to take ownership of our lack of self-discipline (and kid discipline). But at the same time, realize that there are many people that genuinely suffer from this condition and it truly can be disabling.
a friend of my mothers had a son diagnosed with ADD quite a long time ago.
once he tried to commit suicide, doctors discovered that he was actually bipolar depressive. how do you mix that up??
...yeah. I think ADD is way over diagnosed, and doctors diagnose it to give parents/ patients an answer when they don't want to take/ have the time to research to truly find out what is wrong with a person. in cases like these, it could end in death... and that's absolutely horrifying.