Both the definition of ADHD and the treatment plan for it (in North America) are broken. In France, just 0.5% of children suffer from ADHD (opposed to ~5% in North America), and with those children they find the root cause of the issue and deal with that. They tend to shy away from medication. This is, more often than not, the proper treatment option for behavioural issues.
People need to realize the DSM, in its current state, is a massive cash cow for Big Pharma. When it comes to ADHD specifically, they needed a bigger market, welcome Adult ADHD.
Finally, I realize a lot of people suffer from attention issues. I don't disagree that these things need to be dealt with, but a catch-all diagnosis isn't really the way to do that. I'm much more interested in finding the actual problem, and fixing that.
I'm French, have ADHD and had to discover by my own at 28 years old that it was an existing condition. I guess (hope) it's better recognized nowadays but still I suspect it's underdiagnosed and also you only have access to Ritalin and Concerta as possible medication with many restrictions to fulfill a prescription.
Yet it's often presented in the media as "the obey pill that Americans give to their children".
As a coincidence there is currently a shortage of Concerta until mid-April ... great.
> In France, just 0.5% of children suffer from ADHD (opposed to ~5% in North America)
That's false. You are grossly misquoting the article.
"the percentage of kids diagnosed and medicated for ADHD is less than .5%."
Diagnosed AND medicated. The French are very much against medication for any mental condition. They also don't share the same method to diagnose, and their methods for treatment are less than desirable.
So, combining those cultural attitudes toward treatment and my experience with French doctors and pediatricians (whose first suggestion for autism treatment was literally "put him in a home and forget about him"), holding them up as a shining example is only done by those in ignorance.
I think the author of the Time article can hardly complain if people are missing the point, since his article and book have the deliberately inflammatory title of "ADHD Doesn't Exist."
People need to realize the DSM, in its current state,
is a massive cash cow for Big Pharma. When it comes to
ADHD specifically, they needed a bigger market,
welcome Adult ADHD.
If I was going to design a "cash cow" in the pharma market... well, I certainly wouldn't know how, but I wouldn't pick a diagnosis where one of the most popular drugs (Adderall) is cheaply available in generic form and can only be produced in restricted quantities due to fed regulations because it's a controlled substance.
In France, just 0.5% of children suffer from ADHD
(opposed to ~5% in North America)
Replace "suffer from" with "are diagnosed with." Remember, there are countries in the world where 0.0% of children are diagnosed with ADHD, and there are countries where depression and homosexuality "don't exist" because they're not recognized.
It certainly seems likely that it's overdiagnosed in the U.S., but we can't learn anything concrete by looking at diagnosis rates in other countries.
I'm much more interested in finding the actual problem,
and fixing that.
Amen to that, but telling people their condition "doesn't exist" (the author's words, not yours, obviously) is harmful, not helpful.
If the definition of ADHD includes 20% of all boys, then I'm inclined to believe the definition takes in too many kids. If 1 in 5 kids has it, then it is normal behavior in that age range.
I don't in anyway shape or form think 20% of boys should be diagnosed with ADHD. I think something is seriously wrong with our society if this is happening.
Both the definition of ADHD and the treatment plan for it (in North America) are broken. In France, just 0.5% of children suffer from ADHD (opposed to ~5% in North America), and with those children they find the root cause of the issue and deal with that. They tend to shy away from medication. This is, more often than not, the proper treatment option for behavioural issues.
People need to realize the DSM, in its current state, is a massive cash cow for Big Pharma. When it comes to ADHD specifically, they needed a bigger market, welcome Adult ADHD.
Finally, I realize a lot of people suffer from attention issues. I don't disagree that these things need to be dealt with, but a catch-all diagnosis isn't really the way to do that. I'm much more interested in finding the actual problem, and fixing that.