Something I learned from my ex-girlfriend many years ago about the labeling of mental diseases in the DSM, and insurance always stuck with me. In order to allow

Something I learned from my ex-girlfriend many years ago about the labeling of mental diseases in the DSM, and insurance always stuck with me. In order to allow doctors to bill for a consultation, or prescribe medicines, they need to code it. If it is not a cataloged disorder, no insurance, no pharma around the condition. A good reason to try and get a label for the DSM. I think there are far too many diagnoses of ADHD in America vs. say Europe, and I am even more skeptical about the actual category of ADD, ADHD and similar mental disorder acronyms. We strive to hard to label any behavior different than some statistical norm as aberrant, and in need of correction. I am not a doctor, but there are some professionals who also have this opinion [1,2]. I am not saying ADD, ADHD are not real descriptions of what people seem to identify with, or experience, but that maybe we are pulling in a lot of others in the wide net of attempting to normalize our children and society. Personally, I believe people need to identify with something, or have reasons for feelings or behaviors they can't seem to find cause for, or label. I lived and grew up in Brooklyn during the 1970s, and it was interesting to note that my friends who remained in the city after having children had their kids on some type of medication (lithium, prozac, amphetamines) compared with my kids and a few others who left for the countryside, or another country. It's not urban vs. rural, but more an American thing. After having lived overseas for 8 years, and some other odd years in other countries, I returned to the US, and when I turned on a TV for the first time in a long time, all I saw were big pharma adds for everything from spastic colon to mental disorders. Fortunately, I killed cable and only watch films, or read, or watch self-curated internet snippets of videos, news and articles. When I stay in a hotel, I see the same adds pushing cures, solutions in the guise of attractive people in bucolic settings. It's no wonder there's a rush to medicate everything. I truly feel compassionate for anyone who feels bad, or different enough to suffer mentally or physically. I know, since I have had my own battles for sure. I only hope we aren't somatizing the population of kids, and implanting the idea that something is wrong with otherwise "normal" children. [1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-theater-the-brain/201503/no-there-is-no-such-thing-adhd https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-theater-the-brai... [2] https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/features/adhd-critics#1 https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/features/adhd-... [3] https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/11/02/adhd-neither-disease-or-disorder https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/11/02/adhd-neither-d...