So we'll treat a broad spectrum of issues with amphetamines in order to level to playing field... got it.
My point is that we don't really know what this disorder is, or its root causes. An ECG can reveal its presence in the same way an EKG can reveal certain arrhythmia. However, in the case of EKG, you can't truly determine the cause of arrhythmia; is it cardiomyopathy, fibrosis, stenosis, a combination, etc. Now imagine trying to make the same leap of faith with the brain which is infinitely more complex, less studied, and less understood. Follow that up with a draconian treatment such as amphetamine prescription. Yikes
My prediction is that ADHD as a term will either be scrapped or used an umbrella as we learn more about the nuance and complexity of attention disorders. Making broad claims about what ADHD is and how medications can potentially treat it, at this point in time, is totally ridiculous.
Are we really going to pretend that the millions of Americans prescribed these drugs are actually suffering from ADHD to the point that pharmacology is a necessary intervention?
We treat a broad spectrum of issues linked to the developmental delay of the central nervous system and underperformance of the prefrontal cortex with rigorously studied drugs with proven benefits to patients. Just checking, you have no problem with Methylphenidates, just the one that sounds like "meth" but actually isn't? Any powerful drug can be abused. It's up to professionals to prescribe accordingly. I guess this is another case of where the US medical system gives everyone else a bad name (just not those outside the US who have good medical systems and don't suffer from the same issues).
Trying to make the case that ADHD is not well studied is plain wrong. It is incredibly well studied. The assumption that we can't possibly understand it because "it's the brain" is just wrong, there is a huge amount we know about the brain. I don't know what you're getting at with this ECG business but we've been doing EEGs on people to diagnose epilepsy for 60+ years.
ADHD is already understood as a incredibly nuanced and complex set of issues, the fact that so many people continually reduce ADHD to just "attention" or "focus" shows how little is known or understood about it by people who want to draw some tenuous observational links to... what ends... I don't know? Why do you care? A tiny number of people who actually suffer ADHD would agree with anything you are saying, forgetting the just plain false statements and leaving the opinions they were trying to reverse some support for. ADHD is about dysregulation of emotion, impulse and yes, attention but much more than that, it's about how those fundamental differences effect every damn facet of your life in the most pernicious way and require you to spend more effort and energy to keep up, or fit in, or look normal or to remove you and protect you.
I can't talk to the American system (remember there's a whole world with decent healthcare out there) but just because one country has an issue with misdiagnosis and overprescription, doesn't change anything. What's your point. There are also plenty of non pharmacological interventions. Many that I can claim back through my national health care.
You're conflating to many associated but not actually linked issues and it's unsubstantiated rants like these that perpetuate the stigmatisation of those living with ADHD. You're not helping anyone.
Diagnosing people with ADHD can still yield them treatment beyond medication. The existence of the opioid epidemic doesn't negate the very real pains and ailments that led to people getting overprescribed with painkillers, either.
Other treatments would be great, yet between the ages 6-17, of those diagnosed with ADHD, over 2/3 are prescribed meds while less than half receive behavioral treatment.
My point is that unfortunately these medications are still used as primary treatment.
Is that accurate? I thought the moral panic over ADD over-diagnosis has been around since the 90s, where the narrative was too many rambunctious boys were being given medication. "The Ritalin Generation." Are you saying this situation really hasn't improved in nearly three decades?
My point is that we don't really know what this disorder is, or its root causes. An ECG can reveal its presence in the same way an EKG can reveal certain arrhythmia. However, in the case of EKG, you can't truly determine the cause of arrhythmia; is it cardiomyopathy, fibrosis, stenosis, a combination, etc. Now imagine trying to make the same leap of faith with the brain which is infinitely more complex, less studied, and less understood. Follow that up with a draconian treatment such as amphetamine prescription. Yikes
My prediction is that ADHD as a term will either be scrapped or used an umbrella as we learn more about the nuance and complexity of attention disorders. Making broad claims about what ADHD is and how medications can potentially treat it, at this point in time, is totally ridiculous.
Are we really going to pretend that the millions of Americans prescribed these drugs are actually suffering from ADHD to the point that pharmacology is a necessary intervention?