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On the other hand, the state threw a ADD diagnosis on me because I was bored in school, pumped me full of a methamphetamine analog and put me into classes with

On the other hand, the state threw a ADD diagnosis on me because I was bored in school, pumped me full of a methamphetamine analog and put me into classes with profoundly disabled people ruining my social life from a early age. I'd stare at the wall in my bedroom for hours due to the drugs, eventually my parents stopped giving them to me when I was at home, but that lead my dad to try them, and eventually get addicted to meth proper himself. I dropped out at 15 and taught myself computer science, so it was all provably horseshit but it sure made my life harder as a child.

eyelidlessness 4y ago
In all seriousness, I’m sorry you went through this. I also grew up with a parent and family with addiction. I’m in no place to assess anything about your life, but what you describe is consistent with the diagnosis. And unfortunately your dad taking your meds and becoming an addict is consistent too. ADHD is frequently hereditary, and substance abuse and addiction are common for people with undiagnosed ADHD. Your own story of dropping out and teaching yourself isn’t just familiar to me, it’s similar to both my brothers’ stories as well. I’m sorry you experienced this the way you did. I wish you had better medical care, and better parental guidance. I hope the life that you’ve made for yourself is joyful and prosperous, and I hope if it’s ever not you’ll find your way to that however it makes sense.
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wpietri 4y ago
As somebody who was diagnosed with ADHD in my youth and who has tried various medications, I've reached the point of suspecting that the disease model is just a poor fit here. Does my brain work differently than other people? Yes. Would this have been a problem for me in any pre-industrial society? (Which, to be clear, is most of human history?) I don't think so. Is it a problem for me when I have a fair bit of control over the work I do? Not really! I only experience it as a problem when I am expected to function in contexts with industrial-age labor models, where there's a hierarchy that expects me to labor like a robot in line with how my betters have decided how the work should be done. So I can entirely believe that authority figures over-use ADHD as a diagnosis so that their lives are easy. Reading through the DSM, it seems to me there are quite a number of diagnoses that could be used as Authority Inconvenience Syndrome. And I don't think I've ever seen one where people might need treatment for being too obedient.
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- imtringued 4y ago
  I find the idea that we are born defective to be inherently suspect. It is quite illogical but very popular because well adapted people can just talk about superior genes and how everyone else has inferior genes and they can never change anything about that except with extensive medical treatment.
  - wpietri 4y ago
    For sure. I've read some really interesting stuff under the "medicalization of deviance" label. A classic example being how homosexuality was treated as a psychological illness because the dominant group saw it as a societal offense.

eyelidlessness 4y ago

In all seriousness, I’m sorry you went through this. I also grew up with a parent and family with addiction. I’m in no place to assess anything about your life, but what you describe is consistent with the diagnosis. And unfortunately your dad taking your meds and becoming an addict is consistent too. ADHD is frequently hereditary, and substance abuse and addiction are common for people with undiagnosed ADHD. Your own story of dropping out and teaching yourself isn’t just familiar to me, it’s similar to both my brothers’ stories as well. I’m sorry you experienced this the way you did. I wish you had better medical care, and better parental guidance. I hope the life that you’ve made for yourself is joyful and prosperous, and I hope if it’s ever not you’ll find your way to that however it makes sense.

deleted 4y ago
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wpietri 4y ago

As somebody who was diagnosed with ADHD in my youth and who has tried various medications, I've reached the point of suspecting that the disease model is just a poor fit here. Does my brain work differently than other people? Yes. Would this have been a problem for me in any pre-industrial society? (Which, to be clear, is most of human history?) I don't think so. Is it a problem for me when I have a fair bit of control over the work I do? Not really! I only experience it as a problem when I am expected to function in contexts with industrial-age labor models, where there's a hierarchy that expects me to labor like a robot in line with how my betters have decided how the work should be done. So I can entirely believe that authority figures over-use ADHD as a diagnosis so that their lives are easy. Reading through the DSM, it seems to me there are quite a number of diagnoses that could be used as Authority Inconvenience Syndrome. And I don't think I've ever seen one where people might need treatment for being too obedient.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
imtringued 4y ago
I find the idea that we are born defective to be inherently suspect. It is quite illogical but very popular because well adapted people can just talk about superior genes and how everyone else has inferior genes and they can never change anything about that except with extensive medical treatment.
- wpietri 4y ago
  For sure. I've read some really interesting stuff under the "medicalization of deviance" label. A classic example being how homosexuality was treated as a psychological illness because the dominant group saw it as a societal offense.