Stopping the False Epidemic of Adult ADHD

The history of psychiatry is filled with fads. A diagnosis quickly gains momentum, is pushed by thought leaders, captures the imagination of clinicians, picks up widespread media attention, and soon attracts word of mouth buzz among potential patients. Rates escalate. New and exciting treatments are hyped. Miracle cures abound. And then it all comes apart. The miracle cures turn out to be much less than miraculous. The casualties of the new treatments get negative word of mouth notoriety. The excitement wears off and a few years later there is an epidemic of a new fad diagnosis, which temporarily lights up the firmament- before in its turn also dimming. Big Pharma is the 800 pound gorilla that separates modern fads from previous ones. It has the big bucks, marketing savvy, and political muscle to create something from nothing in a way never before experienced. Adult Attention Deficit Disorder is the current fad-du-jour. It needs to be killed before it multiplies beyond easy taming. The best person to provide insight is Keith Conners, the man who did the first studies on ADHD -- even before there was an official DSM diagnosis called ADHD. Keith writes: "How many adults have ADHD? This question is even more problematic than determining the prevalence of ADHD in children. Studies always give inflated rates because they all use flawed methodology- most commonly relying only on telephone surveys based on a checklist of ADHD symptoms. One study reported that over 16% had "sub t...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news