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CatWhoWalksAlone -> RE: ADD and the lifestyle? (2/11/2008 4:34:25 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TotalState
I think it may be mostly due to the fact that ADD is the "hot new psychological problem" of today, and it's being rather overdiagnosed, meaning that there are a lot of false positives out there. Or as you say, a blanket diagnosis for any number of actual problems.
First, we all had depression. Then it was bipolar, and every other person was being diagnosed with that. Now it's ADD. I agree that it's being overdiagnosed in children, but I also think there's a reason for that; all young animals have zounds of energy, and in today's society children are being raised sedentary. When I was a child, I played all day in the orchards and swung from trees, and raced my bike at high speeds over empty fields. We all did. We burned off that excess energy, and slept like proverbial logs at night. We also got 3 reasonably square meals a day; a meal at McDonalds was as special as a meal at Pizza Hut or dinner at Carrow's. Donuts were something special Mom got from a bakery on the occasional Sunday morning.
Which isn't to say kids back then didn't have ADD; just that kids these days are more likely to be hyperactive, because they lack that physical outlet. And I'm not meaning this in any critical sense to the parents, either; it's no longer SAFE to let your kids roam the woods and fields like I did in my youth :(
I was diagnosed 4 months ago as having ADD; in fact, my physician told me that my childhood was a "textbook case." I can't begin to describe the *relief* that I felt on hearing that. I know you're thinking... "Huh?" The thing is... I always thought I was just defective. Lacking in... I don't know, moral fiber or strength of character, you know? I was BAD. But now, I wasn't bad, I had something wrong, that could be fixed with the proper medication, and then I could be "normal" like everyone else.... I could be functional, and life would be ... you know.... normal! No more struggling from day to day just to stay on top of things. No more working from dawn to midnight, 7 days a week, to get 30 hours worth of work done. For a few months on Adderall, I actually had days off! I remember my first evening free, when I got my work done by 5 p.m., and by 8 I was actually sitting here thinking of logging in and doing a few more reports, because I didn't know what to do with myself with all the free time on my hands! LOL. I had not just one, but BOTH days off in a row... for the first time in years! I had extra money, and bought a really hot "Ms Claus" outfit to wear to La Fortress at Christmas; I got my first (and second!) dragontails, lol, and took some trips down to CAPEX in Raleigh and T3 in Columbia.
Then when I took this to the V.A. so I could get the (very expensive) Adderall through them, they refused to recognize the diagnosis. I couldn't have ADD, they said, because I had not been diagnosed in childhood. HUH?? Didn't they ever hear of MIS-diagnosis?? Fact is, I was never diagnosed with anything at all in childhood, because everyone assumed that I was just stupid (including my father). Then as an adult, when my difficulty functioning became apparent, I was diagnosed for years and years as depression. I *knew* it wasn't depression, but everyone said it was, and no one looked further. Half an hour of conversation with a counselor and Bam! a diagnosis of depression was made, antidepressants prescribed, and that was that. Funnily enough, the doctor who finally DID listen to me, back in September of last year, I had only asked for some antidepressants because life was getting away from me again! Goddess bless him forever and ever.
I AM able to function, btw. Despite everything, I have had a good career for 21 years, raised a bright and beautiful daughter on my own (now graduating from college this May as an art major!!!), have just bought my first home, and am both out and active in the local Lifestyle community. Oh... and far from being stupid, I'm a member of Mensa, as well as Romance Writers of America with one published novel and 3 more completed manuscripts under my belt. But every day has been a struggle. Sometimes I failed. Sometimes I succeeded. Just the fact that I'm still here, and in a nice home and not out on the streets is a gynormous success, and there are still days I want to throw the towel in, when it's almost too much effort to keep up the attempt/illusion of being successful. But... today isn't that day, so let's celebrate! Girl Scout cookies, yeayyyyyyyyyyyy!
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