ADHD: Psychiatric Epidemic or Hype?
For teachers the perfect class is a concentrated, quiet and obedient one. Nowadays, when children stand out by what used to be called naughty, rebellious and boisterous behavior, it is much easier than before for teachers to have these children drugged with for example Ritalin or Concerta (psycho-stimulant medications). For psychiatrists, jotting down abbreviations like ADHD, PDD-NOS and ODD and subsequently prescribing drugs has become routine.
Is there a psychiatric epidemic or is there something else going on? Leading American psychiatrists (for example Dr. Allen Frances) think that ADHD (supposedly an attention and hyperactivity disorder) is severely over-diagnosed; it’s a false epidemic. Before 2000, only very serious cases were labeled with this diagnosis and only people who really needed it, were allowed to receive medication. As a consequence of the less stringent definition after 2000, the diagnosis of ADHD has increased spectacularly. Everybody now knows somebody with ADHD.
Another reason might be that qualities that used to be attributed typically to boys such as an urge for noisiness, action and forcefulness were formerly accepted, but are now regarded as a problem, especially at schools. It appears that not the boys, but the educators have changed. Boys are in essence the same as before, but the school system has become more feminine and looks upon their abundance of physical energy and enthusiasm as being an issue.
For concentration problems without hyperactivity, a separate category was devised called ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). Therefore, many girls and women were included into the diagnostic criteria. PDD-NOS (Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified) was brought in as a kind of residual category for people who don’t quite fit into other more specific categories...
For the full story, head over to CCHR International.
http://www.cchrint.org/2015/07/03/adhd-psychiatric-epidemic-or-hype/
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