One issue increasingly mentioned by other people my age is diagnoses and medications for ADHD, known as "Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder". I think the ADHD diagnosis is relevant to inceldom because many young men are given this diagnosis, especially those who may be socially disaffected such as those who may visit this site.
Some facts about me and ADHD:
So, then, what is ADHD, and how is it treated?
Some possible counterpoints to the biological hypothesis of ADHD:
I think this is a question worth answering, because at this point there are more than 10 million people in North America on ADHD medication, and so I take interest in the issue for the sake of preserving the collective well-being.
What are your thoughts and experiences regarding this issue?
Some facts about me and ADHD:
- I was diagnosed at age 12, just six months after my parents had gotten a divorce and I had started middle school, after I got a "C" on my report card. Because of that, I was forced to take Strattera for 9 months, which made my grades much worse. My grades improved to nearly all A's after I was taken off the medication the following year.
- The greatest grades I ever had happened when I was busy 7 days a week with extracurriculars, unmedicated.
- My grades followed a rough gradual decline through senior year and college, despite consistent usage of medications on exam day.
- People with unmedicated ADHD are more likely to get into car accidents than people with the diagnosis not taking medication.
- People with ADHD are at higher risk of various issues such as substance abuse, depression, social difficulties, traumatic injury, preventable illness, and suicide compared with those without it.
So, then, what is ADHD, and how is it treated?
- You qualify for a diagnosis if you display symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity or impulsivity for more than 6 months (DSM Criteria Here).
- Research suggests the disorder stems from decreased size and activity of the prefrontal cortex area in the brain
- As well as decreased levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine (Amen, 1997).
- As a result of the deficiency of the latter, research suggests the most effective treatment for ADHD is stimulant medication.
- Research from the US CDC illustrates a clear disparity in treatments for ADHD between rich, well educated states such as Washington and Hawaii compared with states with lower average educational levels such as Tennessee, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
- The CDC did not note significant differences in the long-term outcomes of children exposed to these treatments.
Some possible counterpoints to the biological hypothesis of ADHD:
- Similar prefrontal cortex abnormalities have been identified in the brains of those with bipolar disorder,
- As well as those with PTSD,
- As well as those with borderline personality disorder.
- Children with an ADHD diagnosis are nearly three times as likely to have been sexually molested.
- They are three times more likely to have been physically abused or neglected.
- Children with ADHD are 54% more likely to have come from a single parent home.
I think this is a question worth answering, because at this point there are more than 10 million people in North America on ADHD medication, and so I take interest in the issue for the sake of preserving the collective well-being.
What are your thoughts and experiences regarding this issue?
