"ADHD Isn't A Real Disorder"???

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I'm 37- just got diagnosed ADHD-I,and I'm on Wellbutrin and Ritalin now. It is a major improvement in just 6 weeks! I found out that in the 70s they called our disorder Minimal Brain Disease or Minimal Brain Damage, but it was usually pegged on kids who had other learning disabilities in combination When you are obviously bright and have a high IQ these things get missed.

My p-doc told me that my intelligence, gender, and coping mechanisms prevented proper diagnosis, but he conceded that a lot of doctors just don't have the skill to pick out ADHD in older people. They tend to diagnose bipolar and BPD, much like what happens to grown women with ASDs. He told me I probably have other learning disabilities because I am actually a severe case. Again, it is just hard to find in adults who have already compensated for their deficits. I think I will ask him next time about my terrible sense of direction because I have such a hard time with that- I wont go into it because that is OT.

I'm also ADHD and the medications have helped me in school immensely. But I have also noticed that many people don't think it is "real" and that people who claim to have the disorder are just using it as an excuse for their lack of self-control or to get attention or something. My guess is that it's because people with ADHD (and ASD, for that matter) don't physically look any different from "normal" people. Out of sight, out of mind. It's easy for them to assume that what is easy for them must be easy for everyone.

Apparently, having a "theory of mind" doesn't guarantee the ability to conceptualize a "theory of other minds"?

Lots of people believe this, whatever.

I personally wish ADHD would be placed on the spectrum because I think it's really just another form of HFA. This could make it less confusing for people, I think a lot of people see others ADHD and think they don't have as many problems as they actually do because it's easier to mask and they often don't have the social difficulties. If it were on the spectrum people would understand that it's a neurological-based disorder and just because it can be less severe than HFA or AS doesn't mean it isn't real.

People have never doubted that something is different about me, but when I tell them it's ADHD they start acting like I'm just a flake or I'm mentally deficient. I keep it to myself most of the time.

ADHD is definitely something that can be experimentally detected and differentiated from a normal reading. That I totally agree with. I also believe my diagnosis and the attendant challenges are absolutely real.


Nota bene: Please do not confuse the strength of my following opinion with how I feel about those who hold different opinions. Also note that I recognize the fact that others do have different needs than I do, and I do not infer my situation upon everybody with ADHD.


I think a lot of overmedication goes on. I am very, very thankful to my own parents for never allowing me to be placed on any ADHD meds, because the one time they tried it, they said they thought the person I was on those meds was not ME. (And in retrospect, that means so incredibly much, to know they loved and valued me as I am, even though I was a real handful.) That didn't mean I wasn't without support...my parents had to help me a lot in order to keep me on task with my homework. My first-grade teacher was one of those who did not believe in ADHD, and so my mom (who is a full-time homemaker) actually took the time to become a room-mother. She helped out with other tasks around the class, yes, but in a lot of ways she was my aide, helping to keep my disruptive behavior to a minimum (or at least keeping the teacher from getting angry with me and throwing me out of class as many times) and keeping me on task. I was VERY disruptive. I didn't want to be...I hated the fact that I was causing trouble and getting all that negative attention on me, but I just had awful impulse control.

My parents did also get me help in the form of a psychologist when I was little, and a cognitive behavioral therapist when I was in high school. I learned coping techniques from this. Overall, I took a very hard road, but thanks to the love and dedication of my parents, those who helped me, and my own efforts I believe I have benefited greatly from NOT being medicated, that I learned things about myself and others that I never would have learned any other way. I believe it has made me strong, and for me personally--I absolutely refuse meds; I will not have any mind-altering substance in my body because I think my mind may be quirky but it is just fine. I have my struggles but I want to face them my way. My father is the same way, though he didn't have a diagnosis until I was born, and had a rougher time of it in school.

THAT SAID--I do think it is very possible to be so unable to function, even with the kind of support that I had that medication is necessary. I've definitely known people who couldn't, even though I myself do not fall into that category. So don't get me wrong...I think there IS absolutely a time and a place for medicine.

But I very much blame parents and the school system for not giving a damn enough with many kids to even TRY (and by that I do NOT mean just a few months, but a real commitment) to truly help them without drugging them, without seeing first if there is a viable alternative for that particular child. I am also not in favor of being medicated 24-7 unless someone is truly disabled without it...to completely take away someone's opportunities to learn coping skills and really battle-test them isn't something I feel good about.

I believe medication should be a last resort, in other words, and I think it should always be coupled with other types of help to teach life skills, never used alone to pacify children who don't conform to the normal.

I've been diagnosed with ADHD sense I started school& I may have it but I think ADHD is an overused diagnoses. My mom teaches pre-K & some of her students parents want her to do paperwork on the kids so the parents can qualify for gov assistance because the kids have ADHD or some other behavioral issues. Those parents do not show up for anything related to school unless it's a party day like day before Christmas or something. Some of the parents are on drugs & do NOT give the kids the ADHD meds. A couple parents actually bragged to others about how they tell the kids to give the teacher hell before the kids get on the bus. I do think ADHD is a real disorder & a serious problem but at the same time I think it is also an extremely overused excuse or crutch. There is so much abuse with it that I do understand why some people do not consider it a real disorder. I also do NOT like how often meds are pushed for it. I was not on meds when I was in school but I've tried afew for ADHD a couple years ago. I renumber the name Strattera but I forget the other meds. The meds did NOT help me pay attention; instead they made me weak/tired & it was harder for me to focus while I was on em. I think the meds are over prescribed because society does not want to address the real problems & causes & some high-schoolers & college kids abuse the meds.
It's kind of like that South Park episode with Timmy making fun of Phil Collins.

i agree with mosaic of minds. the whole notion of the DSM etc. is to ease diognosis not actual categorization of the causes. In my mind "ADHD" as it is diagnosed today is something with many causes. some developmental some not. this kind of thing i think is systemic in the psychiatric world. (eg schizophrenia, personality disorders etc.) I'm not blaming the people in charge but there is truely not enough known about the real science behind these things. at the moment it is all too subjective and observational. the pushing of ADHD meds is dispicable, the people it is most convenient to is the parents and or schools. i do not see it as a healthy long term approach.

As a person on ADD meds, I agree it is a stop-gap approach...but I personally need something to help me attempt to deal with my dysfunctions..so that I can at least try to attend to my responsibilities without driving myself completely insane..I use meds plus herbal supplements..and still barely squeak by...

Ignorant people say this a lot, they think such disorders are excuses. Such opinions are complete crap, of course.

@SoSayWeAll, mostly...

"But I very much blame parents and the school system for not giving a damn enough with many kids to even TRY (and by that I do NOT mean just a few months, but a real commitment) to truly help them without drugging them, without seeing first if there is a viable alternative for that particular child."
Agreed. Keep in mind, though, that if parents are considering drugging the child, they've probably been aware of the child's problems and trying to help them for a while, and whatever they've tried hasn't worked.

However, just as taking medication for depression can help give you the strength to tackle your real problems in therapy, ADHD medication can give you the mental energy to try new routines and coping skills. My personal experience is that a low dose of a stimulant boosts my energy levels. It doesn't change how I think to begin with, and it makes everything feel sharper...if anything, it makes me feel more myself rather than less. And I've actually seen greater effects on my ability to socialize than my ability to focus on my work. Personally, I do need to be on stimulants 24/7 or I just feel like falling asleep and stay in my room just daydreaming or playing stupid games on Facebook. It's not that I don't try to apply willpower and coping skills; it's just that they don't seem to have much effect on my behavior--it's like I tell myself to do something and my body just doesn't respond.

That said, I have no problem with other people tackling ADHD without medication, if that works for them. Personally, I'd also prefer not to rely on medication, and I'll stop taking it 24/7 if at some point I no longer need to. Am I truly disabled without it? Well...that depends on what you mean by "truly disabled." I have ambitious goals of getting good grades in college, running my own psychology study, learning all sorts of practical skills, going to grad school, and eventually doing research that changes the way we look at the brain. ATM, that's not possible without a stimulant. If my goals involved less work or mental effort, perhaps I wouldn't need it.

I also probably benefit from stimulants in the way I do because I have a low mental energy/understimulated brain version of ADD. From my understanding of research and reading of ADD boards, this isn't a very common subtype. The type of stimulant I take may also make a difference--I don't take anything particularly infamous, like Ritalin (I actually refused to take it even if it were prescribed because I saw it have bad effects on a friend a long time ago).

Anyway, the point is, being medicated, even 24-7, and learning coping skills aren't mutually exclusive. It's just that many schools and some not-very-good psychologists find it easier to focus on the medication.

The medications should not change a person's personality. It should just help the person with ADHD focus a lot better. I am still the very same person in every way, except I am able to focus on a task and not run around trying to figure out what I was "just about to do" all day and get absolutely nothing done. I don't have an ongoing mental chatter as much that exhausts me to no end.

Seriously, I am on legal speed, and I am not at all tweaky, nervous, or hyper-active while I am on it. That is a definite indication that I was properly diagnosed with a real condition. If the kids with ADHD were not diagnosed right, the stimulants would make them much worse. For years I have been saying this to people and I didn't know I had it until about 6 weeks ago. SO I don't believe parents are just throwing pills at their kids instead if disciplining them. If they gave an NT kid Ritalin they would have more problems, not fewer.

@Mosaicofminds--I am not saying that YOU (or any particular individual on this board) don't try, or that you or anyone else in particular doesn't need meds. I just think that doctors, parents (and especially teachers, who are abominably lazy and intolerant in many cases) need to be absolutely sure that no other approach is going to work. I do think there are some parents who don't want to invest the time and effort with their kids...more often it's the teachers, though. And it's not just discipline that is needed, but help with providing structure, not to mention a lot of love and understanding.

I think in my case I lucked out...I had a dad who even though he wasn't diagnosed until I was, had the exact same ADHD and it even manifested in a lot of the same ways (though he got in fights, which I didn't). So he understood exactly what was going on. And my mom had majored in early childhood education, and spotted WAY earlier than most parents that not only was I a little BB in a barrel, but that something was interfering with my language development. (She started teaching me to read early, on the theory that my trouble was that my mind never heard a full sentence. And sure enough--it worked. Once I saw things in writing, I understood and then went way ahead of my peers.) She intervened much earlier than I think a lot of parents do, thanks to her specialized knowledge in the area. It was also very fortunate that she did not work, and so had time to be a full-time mother and aide for me and God knows I needed full-time help, especially when I was little.

So maybe I had a perfect storm of favorable circumstances. Me--I believe I was blessed. But, I do think there are other cases where kids could be helped in non-medical ways but nobody tries.

(You also mentioned, Mosaicofminds, that you were receiving other therapy. And when there does have to be medication involved, I think that's absolutely the right thing to do, to treat the condition in as holistic a manner as possible.)

No worries, SoSayWeAll, I read your disclaimer and I didn't think you were disbelieving me or anyone else in particular who does use medication. I agree with your perspectives on a lot of parents and doctors, it's just that stimulants don't change who you are, at least if you actually have some sort of ADD. Also, it just seemed like a good idea to present a complementary perspective.

I didn't specifically mention anything about therapy, but yes, I'm getting organizational coaching. I also have a very good relationship with a therapist who I used to see for depression, but who now helps me more with ADD/NVLD related stuff. I've noticed that, on days when I don't make myself be self-disciplined and apply all the strategies I know, the medication doesn't do much.

Wow, you're really blessed to have your parents. My mom was also a supportive stay at home mom, but she didn't have the background to know what was going on. I hope you'll share more about the coping skills you've learned...it sounds like you know a lot of them!

In my case I had a very strong reaction to the medication (I just crashed, lost energy whereas caffeine just calms me), and my parents were so angry seeing that (not at me, but I think they got angry at the idea of meds) that they didn't want to try that again.

BTW, your phrasing tipped me off to the fact that you were getting some sort of other help...you didn't state it directly, but I could still see it. I'm really not quite sure how I could tell, but it was there.

I was on Ritalin, and it gave me more energy to focus and get things done. I started getting tics though, so i stopped taking it. I still have the tics, so i don't know if it was because of the Ritalin or not.. but i know it can make them worse, so i stopped. Anyone know of any ADHD meds that are less likely to make tics worse?