4 ms·
It's real in that there are a set of behaviors which correlate reliably with each other that are described as ADHD. It's not "real" in the sense that there's a
by roflc0ptic 9y ago
It's real in that there are a set of behaviors which correlate reliably with each other that are described as ADHD.
It's not "real" in the sense that there's a single mechanism underlying ADHD. It's not real in the sense that "people with ADHD are affected differently by amphetamines, so it's okay for them to take them."
The way I think about it is that attention is a bell curve, and that at some point on the left of that curve, symptoms interfere with happy, economically productive lives. Psychiatrists try to help those people with stimulant drugs, whose efficacy have been proven in the short term, but are basically unproven in the long term. There are companies making bank on this arrangement.
In summary, I guess it's complicated. You're right, but maybe your therapist is, too. Por que no los dos?
- falcolas 9y agoDifferently, perhaps not. But the benefits for relatively small doses (5-15mg) are tremendous for those with ADHD. ADHD is, ultimately, as real as climate change. The experts say it's real; have been saying it's real for many years. The people who disagree don't trust those experts.
- roflc0ptic 9y agoOh, to be sure I’m not saying people shouldn’t take amphetamines. They improve my life substantially. There’s just an artificial line drawn between “ok to take performance enhancing drug” and “not okay to take performance enhancing drug.”
- smittywerben 9y agoNon-stimulants work too! The performance enhancers sometimes work a little better though. These drugs aren't perfect. Just don't fight genetics, they're much older than you :-)