Comments on: The evolution of ADHD

By: Psych 105 Student

Psych 105 Student — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:40:30 +0000

Like many others here, I have some experience with ADHD, in the sense that my younger brother was diagnosed with it early in elementary school. I agree with the Psychology Student 105 (comment 17) in saying that I don’t believe medicine is the cure-all for those with ADHD but I do think people should be open to the option of being on medication. Recently, we took my brother off the medication to test how he would do without it and the change was enormous. Every teacher who used to praise him became bewildered as to what to do. While we saw at home the effort he was making to control himself, at school it seemed that he would too often forget and end up moving off topic and calling out. The concern many have for the over-diagnosis of ADHD in school today as teachers rather work with “obedient and quiet little children” (as terrible as authoritarian that phrase sounds), is fairly valid but I do believe that his diagnosis was a proper one. As he matures more, I believe he will gain a better handle on his ADHD and not have to be on medication.

By: Psychology Student 105

Psychology Student 105 — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 01:20:03 +0000

In my personal experience with ADD/ADHD, this “problem with the dopamine reward system of the brain” is more of a burden than a blessing; fortunately I’ve been able to lessen the burden with medication. While some may argue that children who are diagnosed with ADD/ADHD should learn to deal with it without medicine, I am a firm believer in the benefits of taking drugs like Adderall and Ritolin. As someone who struggled during much of their childhood with learning disabilities, I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to constantly feel like your below the curve, just barely managing to keep your head above the water as everyone else is effortlessly floating along. I have attempted to treat my disorder with a variety of fixes, such as diet change, therapy, and a multitude of neo-wonder-solutions, but nothing really seemed to take–that is until I was put on Adderall. Within a mere three weeks I saw a tremendous improvement in my symptoms; I had a better sense of control and inhibition, I was more focused and attentive, I developed healthier habits, and I was finally able to throw myself whole-heartedly at my education. I went from being the kid the teacher was “concerned about” to the kid who was “a pleasure to have in the classroom”. I think I can safely say that I would not be at this school or any school of a similar caliber if it were not for being put on medicine.

That being said, I don’t believe that medicine’s the be-all-end-all or even that it’s the right treatment for everyone with ADD/ADHD. Everyone’s brain works differently so some people are definitely better off not taking medicine. There is also a maturity factor that definitely plays a role in learning to cope with this learning disability. For example, an eight year old may not have the maturity to learn to handle his or her ADD/ADHD, but a teenager or adult might be better suited for such an undertaking. I personally do not plan on taking medicine for my ADD/ADHD throughout my entire adult life, but, for now, I don’t think that it is necessary to make myself work so much harder than those without this learning disability to keep up in school simply because some argue that my creativity is being smothered or because my brain’s alternative wiring is being held to a certain “standard” that it shouldn’t have to.

Whether or not children should be medicated is a personal choice that a child and their parents should make together after consulting their doctor and psychiatrist. Often times, there is a lot of individual experimenting with different methods that must be done before an individual can settle on the option that works best for him or her. Overall, I think it’s important for people to keep in mind that no two brains are identical and that just because one method may work for some people, it’s not guaranteed to work for everyone.

By: Lucia

Lucia — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:18:42 +0000

This article leaves me to question what can be done to reverse the effects of higher BMI’s for children with ADHD. In the following study, (Molly E. Waring and Kate L. Lapane. “Overweight in children and adolescents in relation to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: results from a national sample” Pediatrics 122.1 (2008).), it resulted that children with ADHD are at a 1.5 times higher risk of being overweight than children without ADHD. Although mentioned i (http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/articles/2008/07/07/adhd-might-raise-kids-obesity-risk) that the medications for ADHD such as Ritalian and Adderol reverse the effects of this weight gain, it leads me to question whether there can’t be more specific drugs that target the “nomadic gene” that is associated with ADHD that perhaps is linked to higher BMIs. Although i wonder if there are any exercises or tools that kids with ADHD can learn along with awarness to control the association of this gene and prevent the negative effects of weight loss. Also, i wonder if the medications that have a side-effect a loss of appetite then make the user (subject with ADHD) become more dependent on the medication as a means not only to concentrate but alos to maintain a healthy BMI.

By: Jacqueline Palma

Jacqueline Palma — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:30:22 +0000

In today’s society ADHD is looked at as a negative disorder. Our industrialized society encourages people to control impulses and stay still. From an evolutionary perspective, I think that having ADHD in a society with no technology would have been extremely beneficial. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder in which a person finds it difficult to focus his or her attention and is easily distracted. Thus, in primitive times, rapid-movements, hyperactivity, and quick response-readiness reflexes would have been essential survival qualities for people living a lifestyle in the jungle, woods, or grasslands. The way I see it, ADHD is not a disorder, but group of qualities that had a more beneficial use for humans in the past.

By: James

James — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:16:18 +0000

I have posted a series of articles on ADHD and Dyslexia on my website at: infoaboutadhd.wordpress.com – these articles are written from the point of view that there is nothing “wrong” with ADHD and Dyslexia at all. And the articles are written from my having both and lived with both.

I wrote these because a friend was distraught that his son was recently diagnosed with ADHD. My friend was very upset.

So, in an endeavor to show to him that nothing is wrong! ADHD and Dyslexia are not “mistakes” that need to be “fixed.” What is off is the behavior and that cannot be altered with judgmental concerns about the child’s wrongness.

And, drugs are, in my opinion, really not a good thing at all.

So, my articles show what a virtue these two conditions are and how I dealt with them… on my own as they were not identified when I was a child.

Hope you enjoy the articles.

By: Dyslexia

Dyslexia — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:07:01 +0000

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By: Casey Rice

Casey Rice — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:55:10 +0000

ADHD is seen largely by today’s society as a nuisance and a disorder than must be treated by medicine. I like this blog post, though, because it highlights some positives about ADHD that many people don’t usually associate with the trait.

Dr. Hallowell is man who actually visited Vassar who strongly believes that ADHD is not a disease, but more of a blessing. He believes it enhances creativity within an individual as long as that individual knows how to use it.

Says Dr. Hallowell: “In my opinion, ADHD is a terrible term. As I see it, ADHD is neither a disorder, nor is there a deficit of attention. I see ADHD as a trait, not a disability. When it is managed properly, it can become a huge asset in one’s life. I both have ADHD myself and I wrote a book with Catherine Corman profiling a collections of fabulously successful adults all of whom have ADHD, so I know whereof I speak.

As I like to describe it, having ADD is like having a powerful race car for a brain, but with bicycle brakes. Treating ADD is like strengthening your brakes–so you start to win races in your life.”

By: Psych 105 student

Psych 105 student — Sat, 01 May 2010 01:51:13 +0000

Such an interesting debate. And really, I can’t say where exactly my opinion falls on it. Medicating people with ADHD is complicated–some argue that it stunts creativity and out of the box thinking, and there are undeniably pretty bad side effects for some. On the other hand, knowing people personally who have struggled with unmedicated ADHD, I know that there is a reason behind medication. Honestly, I don’t think you can make a blanket statement that we should or shouldn’t medicate ADHD. For some, it works. For some, it doesn’t. (Really, this is true of a lot of conditions.) I will agree that were our society a little less rigid and more open to those who might have conditions like ADHD, perhaps there would be a lessened need for meds.

By: Info About Adhd

Info About Adhd — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:46:28 +0000

I am getting what is to me an important undercurrent in the above comments: it is that there is a “standard” which exists and that people with ADHD (and I will add dyslexia too) need to be pushed, somehow, into that standard if they are to be “normal, healthy, productive, etc.”

If you just drop the idea that the standard is appropriate and let it go, then there is not much that has to be done. ADHD/Dyslexia is another way that the brain orders itself. Just that.

I have spent a lifetime with both and from my experience, the benefits of ADHD/Dyslexia FAR outweigh the disadvantages.

And, as I see it, the “standard bearers” are the ones with the problem. There are lots of wonderful things that can be done with kids & adults with ADHD/Dyslexia that do not involve drugs.

By: Psych 105 Student

Psych 105 Student — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 07:48:29 +0000

Most people begin their ADHD treatment sometime during elementary, middle, or high, or other school. This is often because certain individuals are seen to exhibit behaviors that are counter-productive in the classroom and academic setting. Being a daydreamer, hyperactive, starting many projects, and having difficulty finishing projects are all qualities of creative thinkers. These qualities are also symptoms of individuals ADHD.

I just think the way we handle having creative, non-traditional, or outside-the-box thinkers is weird in US society. Instead of changing the ways in which classes are taught and assessed, we try to change the chemical make up of individuals’ brains that have a difficult time in school. It seems wrong that creative and unique learners (often those diagnosed with ADHD) are left to find a way to either struggle through their education, or take a drug to change the way they focus and think.

I cannot propose a method overnight to solve the issues confronted by having very different types of learners in an academic setting. I hope that the Obama Administration can take a look at this issue, and instigate change of the system in a way that accommodates every type of learner.

Bailey, E. (2007) . ADHD and Creativity. HealthCentral. Retrieved from http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/1443/16796/adhd-creativity