ADHA - Real or just an excuse?

[lacktheknack]

My younger brother has ?ADHD? I personally think that this is just and excuse my mum uses when he is out of control. He can get what he wants and act how he wants no matter what she or anybody says. (I have some pretty mind-boggling stories about his ridiculous behaviour if anyone?s interested.) I?ve spoken to several people about ADHD, including Doctors who don?t believe it exists.
So I was wondering what you guys think. I?d love to hear your thoughts on this and any experiences you may have had.

Oh, it exists. I have it.

That doesn't mean it's a valid reason to be wild, though. With enough concentration, it goes away, until you stop concentrating on whatever it was.

I can finish tests in school and use computers and make meals, but if you handed me a fifty-question questionnaire and pencil out of nowhere for no reason, don't expect me to finish it. There's better things to do.

It does make essay writing absolute hell, though.

 

[Gluzzbung]

To be honest, I definately think ADHD exists though I'm sure people with ADHD can control it for most of the time. For example, almost all people have heard of the arguement "say something constructive or say nothing at all" (I think it was mentionaed earlier in the thread) and that is the one thing I say to them and, if they take note of it, they can produce something workable at the least but they just seem not to listen to anyone then expect sympathy when someone has a go at them. By the way, I am speaking from personal experience here as I went to school with a person with ADHD. I didn't even know what it was before I met him.

 

[Unia]

I do believe ADD exists on chemical level. However, like with many mental disorders, it's hard to say what counts as illness and what is simply a facet of one's personality.

People are also born with different temperaments, which can be confirmed from how their brain works. Yet shyness isn't treated as a problem (unless the person themself feels that way). Makes me wonder how many mental disorders are really personality traits that inconvenience society.

Then again, I've been diagnosed with moderately severe depression. Sometimes I wonder if that's true. Yet if I forget my meds, sure enough I'm an emotional wreck in less than 48 hours.

 

[emeraldrafael]

What's ADHA exactly? Because it would be nice to know where it lies on the AD scale. Cuase supposedly ADHD is worse then ADD, so is it between, or greater/lesser then one?

OT (well... more OT): I cant really say if I've ever seen a real case. I think I have a friend with it, though the case can be made that he might not. Still, he's definitely over active, and has trouble paying attention or learning anything. You have to constantly keep him stimulated, or he just gets bored. It really sucks for him, cause he's failed out of a course before we (our other friends and I) and decided to tutor/teach him ourselves, and he has trouble holding down a coventional job (which is why I think why he likes the box storing job. He can stack boxes however he likes, and usually gets artisitic).

So I'd say its real from my personal experience with it, though I do also believe that most people are just BS-ing it more then actually have it.

ALso, I'm kinda surprised no one embedded this (at least at time of typing):
<spoiler=The South Park Way><youtube=-1ytqd4gqh8>
Though this has been a rather serious discussion, which I'm glad to see can exist on the matter here.

 

[WOPR]

My younger brother has ?ADHD? I personally think that this is just and excuse my mum uses when he is out of control. He can get what he wants and act how he wants no matter what she or anybody says. (I have some pretty mind-boggling stories about his ridiculous behaviour if anyone?s interested.) I?ve spoken to several people about ADHD, including Doctors who don?t believe it exists.
So I was wondering what you guys think. I?d love to hear your thoughts on this and any experiences you may have had.

Blunt truth

ADHD is real

but only 2% of those who are diagnosed with it really have it

why?

because your doctor dosen't have the balls to say "Your child is a dick and you're a terrible parent"

because (here at least *cough* america *cough*) the world would sooner end then someone admit that it's their fault, so they blame some disease for it

I doubt that every 9 out of 10 people I know have ADD/ADHD

It's a crock, a lie
and a real embarrassment to those who really have it
(kinda the rout aspurgers is taking)

 

[knight56]

My little sister has ADHD. However most f*cktards on the internet just use it as an excuse to be a sociopath or lazy. I had to write a paper on this in educational psychology.

 

[Geekmaster]

that's a rather nice summation, and I also have it. It sucks, it's fucking insane I can't focus a lot of the time (sometimes I can) so I sit down to program, with my notepad of code snippets and prototypes and I just can't write anything for no particular reason, the code's there, but it just rushes by before I can do anything with it. and the worst part is I can't take meds for it because I'm doing something else right now >_<

Yeah, it really is frustrating when trying to do stuff like that. It's debatable whether or not I have "true" ADD, because while I had minor issues with it as a kid, it didn't get to be a major problem until later on after a head injury. If it walks like a duck and responds to treatment like a duck, that's good enough for my doctor to call it a duck, though.

It did have to go completely untreated for a while, because seizures were another fun thing I acquired by hitting my head, and stims have an annoying tendency to make those worse if they're not under control first, so I know all about trying to get work done when your brain decides to get up and wander off instead. I've finally got it mostly sorted out, and I actually managed to read a book this weekend for a change. Like, in two days, a few hours at a time, instead of in 15-20 minute chunks. I'd almost forgotten what that's like. Kind of neat to stay focused through an entire chapter instead of getting sidetracked halfway through a paragraph and forgetting how it started before reaching the end.

I can read books just fine, I guess i affects everyone differently. But I feel like it takes me a long time to read books because sometimes I get stuck in a loop where I reread the same sentence a few times, or I need to start over because I can't remember what I just read.

Exactly! I also repeat sentences and need to start over, which is a shame if you love books.

It's also a struggle for me to dedicate myself to any activity that I'm not excited about/I find interesting. That might sound lazy without context but it manifests itself in that I, for example, can quite often starve for hours because I can't make myself go cook, even though it's 30 mins of work and almost enjoyable once I finally get to it.

I'm also horrible at adjusting to new situations which has'nt exactly done any wonders for any work I'ev had or any school I've attended.

My current school was supposed to be my, now helped by medication, fresh start, but then my wife left me, two weeks in. That's irony right there. Let's hope I can force myself back while I still can.

 

[Arachon]

My younger brother has ?ADHD? I personally think that this is just and excuse my mum uses when he is out of control. He can get what he wants and act how he wants no matter what she or anybody says. (I have some pretty mind-boggling stories about his ridiculous behaviour if anyone?s interested.) I?ve spoken to several people about ADHD, including Doctors who don?t believe it exists.
So I was wondering what you guys think. I?d love to hear your thoughts on this and any experiences you may have had.

See, in these cases, it is very important to distinguish anecdotal evidence, from actual empirical data. Here, the OP's argument is thoroughly grounded in anecdotal evidence, not once citing a reliable source. A passing reference to "Doctors" are made, but once again, we find that the source has been omitted. One may think that such a claim would strengthen the argument, but I find that the opposite is true, much like "Astrologers" base their cons on pseudoscience.

Which is not to say that ADHD isn't an uncontroversial subject, a lot of issues have been raised about the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD. These concerns have however, unlike the OP's, been based on empirical studies suggesting that ADHD may indeed be over-diagnosed, and that the treatment of it may not be as effective as one would wish.

If the OP had done their research, the would have found that the American Medial Association concluded in 1998 that "the diagnostic criteria for ADHD are based on extensive research and, if applied appropriately, lead to the diagnosis with high reliability."[footnote]Goldman LS, Genel M, Bezman RJ, Slanetz PJ (April 1998) [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9546570][/footnote].

To summarise, the OP's position is poorly researched, and should be taken with a proverbial heap of salt. There is no doubt that ADHD is a disorder, the doubt (and controversy) lies in how it should be treated, and how it is diagnosed.

 

[DarthAchaeron]

What I find is that ADD/ADHD is always used as an excuse for just being a jackass (in the bullshit cases, and I'm pretty sure the cases I've seen are bullshit)
The most irritating part of it is that only immature people even bother bringing it up as an excuse for anything. People who really have it just deal with it, get on with their lives, and will occasionally ask for extra time in an exam or whatever and that's cool. And so, whilst I do understand it is a real condition, it's usually just a misdiagnosed case of parents being doormats that their kids walk all over.
For all intents and purposes I seriously think the number one cause of "ADD/ADHD" (inverted commas because this only refers to the bullshit claims) is a lack of basic discipline. The simple fact is, focus is no longer trained into kids. Mental focus should be trained like athletes training for marathons: Endurance training. As a music student, coming up to exams we were recommended to take 20 minutes a day or every couple of days to write an analysis of a short musical extract without knowing what it was. If we got one we recognized that was just good luck. The following is essentially the script of how to train someone with "ADD/ADHD" into focusing (read: an actual, valid method of revision that should enforced with a bat should the student refuse to cooperate)

Here's a sample of how to do it:
"Oh, I can't focus on anything! Woe is me! Oh well, BLAME IT ON THE ADHD" Yeah? Well sit your ass down and listen to this one minute extract of music, and in 20 minutes I want you to have a paper written for me fully analyzing it. Can't do it? Too fucking bad! Now here's some Haydn. Fuck, You even know the name of the goddamn composer! Now Analyze!. Still nothing? We'll keep going until you can spout the names and eras of all the major composers, what tells you that it's them from just listening to the musical extract, what musical techniques they have used and what these techniques do to the mood of the piece.

Note: I am doing this to make a point, not to say "go beat up your friend who says he's got ADHD, because really he doesn't and really IS just an annoying jackass" ADD/ADHD is a real thing, But it's assholes that abuse its overdiagnosis that irritate everyone and cause threads like this to even exist.

 

[ilessthanthreetea]

In my experience people use "mental illnesses" to justify their stupid behaviour.

Personally I just have no more patience for mentally ill people, real or fake. It's physically draining to be around people like that. Dementia and more serious things like that are actually very upsetting. But alas I am going off topic a bit.

Before someone flames you for being a jerk/troll is there any reason for this?

 

[Ice Car]

I take about 6 pills a day to keep myself stable. Now I believe that kids, below the age of 17, shouldn't be given ADD/ADHD meds or any other prescribed mind altering medication unless absolutely necessary. their body and brains are still developing and strong medications like that will fuck 'em over.

I was taking medications for ADHD and Bipolar since I was SEVEN, and I wasn't "fucked up" by them at all. I've been taking medications for 8 years, and have felt nothing but a positive difference in my behavior/hyperactiveness Oh, and I take I think, 4 pills in the morning and 3 at night. For 8 years.

 

[Catalyst6]

It exists, yes, it is *massively* over-diagnosed. While there are people that have a legitimate disease, far too many bad doctors simply see it as a "get out of diagnose free" card. Then the kid gets pumped full of drugs and loses his mind.

Failing at that, many people *say* that they have it when it's just a justification their parents used. Kind of like Asperger's Syndrome, which (according to the internet) is now as prevalent as a Y chromosome.

 

[badgersprite]

Both. It is real, but people do overuse it as an excuse. It seems like a lot of doctors in America don't bother to do the brain scans and tests I had to undergo before I was diagnosed with it.

And I can't stand it when I hear about ADD being used as an excuse for kids to act up and not do work, like a doctor's note telling teachers not to do anything about bad behaviour or poor performance. I have ADD, and I got prescribed medication so I could do the work and because I didn't want people thinking I was lazy anymore (teachers hadn't realised I had a learning disorder as a kid, so, because I was smart, anytime I fucked anything up they thought I did it on purpose). I didn't start taking Ritalin as an excuse to not do homework or to show up late to class; I started taking it so those things wouldn't happen anymore, and I could finally start getting the grades I was smart enough to get. Once I got medicated, I worked my ass off in school, so I think anyone else who has ADD/ADHD and is medicated damn well better do that too.

It just seems like, particularly in America, people misdiagnose disruptive behaviour or other behavioural disorders, like Oppositional Defiance Disorder, or simply a kid who doesn't perform well in school as ADD/ADHD. I guess parents would rather think their kids have a medical condition than maybe just think that they have kind of a bad or not too bright kid. But, really, if your kid is medicated, and they are still acting up while they are medicated, they probably have a different condition /Captain Obvious.

 

[Elanthil01]

So are we psychologists now or something? Just because some dumbfuck on the internet thinks ADHD doesn't exist doesn't mean that's true.

Quoted for truth.

You people are not psychologists. I should know, I fucking study it. Ironically, it's the same problem that cause it to be overdiagnosed, because people think 'oh, Psychology, that's just common sense, right? I mean, we're all experts in Psychology'. People know a lot less about Psychology than they think they do.

It is most definitely real. Scroll down to 313.0x - ADHD is right there. [http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/InfancyChildhoodAdolescence.aspx] Here's it in detail. [http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=383]

I have 3 years of college level studies in psychology, sociology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, abnormal psychology, child psychology and organic chemistry, thank you very much. I also have a great relationship with my therapist, my psychologist, my psychiatrist, and my professor who is also head of the psychology department at my university. I may not know everything, but I think I have enough grounding and access to resources to make a fairly accurate statement regarding disorders that I SUFFER FROM MYSELF.

Thank you for playing, have a mudkipz!

 

[FightThePower]

So are we psychologists now or something? Just because some dumbfuck on the internet thinks ADHD doesn't exist doesn't mean that's true.

Quoted for truth.

You people are not psychologists. I should know, I fucking study it. Ironically, it's the same problem that cause it to be overdiagnosed, because people think 'oh, Psychology, that's just common sense, right? I mean, we're all experts in Psychology'. People know a lot less about Psychology than they think they do.

It is most definitely real. Scroll down to 313.0x - ADHD is right there. [http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/InfancyChildhoodAdolescence.aspx] Here's it in detail. [http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=383]

I have 3 years of college level studies in psychology, sociology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, abnormal psychology, child psychology and organic chemistry, thank you very much. I also have a great relationship with my therapist, my psychologist, my psychiatrist, and my professor who is also head of the psychology department at my university. I may not know everything, but I think I have enough grounding and access to resources to make a fairly accurate statement regarding disorders that I SUFFER FROM MYSELF.

Thank you for playing, have a mudkipz!

What the hell are you getting at me for? I'm agreeing with you; ADHD exists, quite obviously.

Most people know less about Psychology than they think they do. Most people. You are not one of those people.

 

[Elanthil01]

Sorry, I think I hit the quote button to the wrong post...I was distracted..sorry.

The reply was intended to the broad category of people claiming it doesnt exist, not aimed at you.

Again, sorry.

 

[RaffB]

I can't even express how much I hate ignorant fucks like you. Please consider fellating a shotgun, both of you.

You sir, are all class.

And the point of being polite to scum-sucking know-nothing shit-for-brains like you is?...

It is good to know that you cannot address your opinion without peppering it with ungentlemy language.

That post makes you sound like a condescending arsehole.

Even i can tell from his language that he probably has had enough of pricks like you that think if you cant see it, it doesnt exist, or if you cannot understand it, that it is not real.

There are plenty of mental disorders that are nigh-on-impossible to see, diagnose or understand, so kindly shut the fuck up and go back to your life.

That post makes you sound like a condescending arsehole.

That was the point.

Even i can tell from his language that he probably has had enough of pricks like you that think if you cant see it, it doesnt exist, or if you cannot understand it, that it is not real.

First that is no excuse to use such foul vulgarity I did not say it was not real I said that it was over diagnosed. But good job at not looking at my post.

There are plenty of mental disorders that are nigh-on-impossible to see, diagnose or understand, so kindly shut the fuck up and go back to your life.

So it is impossible to
1. see the symptoms
2. Diagnose it or understand it
Why would I assume the disorder is real? All the factors of proving a disorders a disorder exist are not there. So why would I think it exists?
3. no u

Imagine a box, inside it I have placed an object.
You can measure the box, you can see a brief shadow of what is in the box and you can observe me holding the box and the effects it has on me. However it is impossible for you to fully understand what is in there as you haven't the faintest idea how to open the box, or even if it can ever be opened. However, the box is real, as is what is inside of it.

^^ There is psychology and the human understanding of the brain in a nutshell for you

You see my point? Even to say it is over-diagnosed is a very idiotic statement as humanity still has no idea exactly how the brain functions in certain situations, for all we know it could be the normal state of the brain and we all have it, just to massively different degrees.
Add into that fact that this is a discussion of an internet message board and it is very fucking stupid to assume that an answer will appear here.

In reference to the vulgarity of the language in his and my post's, its quite obvious that in a text only form, emotions are a lot harder to display, and one of the many effective ways to portray them is with that sort of language.

And now to balance out that wall of text, holy shitting dicknipples batman!?!?!