Is ADHD a Fictional Disease?
SodaHead Living
2011/05/18 21:35:29
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Child neurologist Fred Baughman wrote a piece for The Mark accusing ADHD of being a fictional disease that was developed simply to market and sell bogus prescription medication to kids who don't even need it.
Baughman prefers the term "behavior" when referring to ADHD, instead of disease, implying that it is something that should be addressed with therapy or discipline.
[I]t seems clear that in the ’50s, as the first psychiatric drugs came to market, that psychiatry – in cahoots with the pharmaceutical industry – came upon the market strategy of, “Well, we’ll call these things ‘diseases.’” And the prototypical invented disease was called ADHD.
Baughman prefers the term "behavior" when referring to ADHD, instead of disease, implying that it is something that should be addressed with therapy or discipline.
Read More: http://www.themarknews.com/articles/5193-is-adhd-a...
Top Opinion
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©TransAmTam~Metal Queen \m/ 2011/05/18 21:47:32
The simple fact is that dopamine is too low, and stimulants raise dopamine to "normal" levels.
This is why it helps us focus & concentrate, and quite frankly, is something like a sleeping pill for those of us who need it. If you have NORMAL dopamine levels, then you get high, you get addicted, and you go to jail for having them in your possession.
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"Twin studies indicate that the disorder is highly heritable and that genetics are a factor in about 75 percent of all cases.[25] Hyperactivity also seems to be primarily a genetic condition; however, other causes do have an effect.[41]
Researchers believe that a large majority of ADHD cases arise from a combination of various genes, many of which affect dopamine transporters. Candidate genes include α2A adrenergic receptor, dopamine transporter, dopamine receptors D2/D3,[42] dopamine beta-hydroxylase monoamine oxidase A, catecholamine-methyl transferase, serotonin transporter promoter (SLC6A4), 5HT2A receptor, 5HT1B receptor,[43] the 10-repeat allele of the DAT1 gene,[44] the 7-repeat allele of the DRD4 gene,[44] and the dopamine beta hydro...
The simple fact is that dopamine is too low, and stimulants raise dopamine to "normal" levels.
This is why it helps us focus & concentrate, and quite frankly, is something like a sleeping pill for those of us who need it. If you have NORMAL dopamine levels, then you get high, you get addicted, and you go to jail for having them in your possession.
=
"Twin studies indicate that the disorder is highly heritable and that genetics are a factor in about 75 percent of all cases.[25] Hyperactivity also seems to be primarily a genetic condition; however, other causes do have an effect.[41]
Researchers believe that a large majority of ADHD cases arise from a combination of various genes, many of which affect dopamine transporters. Candidate genes include α2A adrenergic receptor, dopamine transporter, dopamine receptors D2/D3,[42] dopamine beta-hydroxylase monoamine oxidase A, catecholamine-methyl transferase, serotonin transporter promoter (SLC6A4), 5HT2A receptor, 5HT1B receptor,[43] the 10-repeat allele of the DAT1 gene,[44] the 7-repeat allele of the DRD4 gene,[44] and the dopamine beta hydroxylase gene (DBH TaqI).[45] A common variant of a gene called LPHN3 is estimated to be responsible for about 9% of the incidence of ADHD, and ADHD cases where this gene is present are particularly responsive to stimulant medication.[46]
I have a friend with a daughter who's ADD whom I taught in an after-school class with 9 other kids this year (all 10-11 yo). The contrast between her ability to concentrate and ALL the other kids was incredible. She's also learning Hebrew with a friend of her grandmother's, and the friend said that the difference between her behavior on her meds and when she's forgotten to take them is unbelievable.
This is not a spoiled child whose Mom lets her run amok, this is a girl with a condition.
I totally agree that Big Pharma has done more damage to us than nearly anyone can imagine, but that doesn't mean that all the conditions it purports to be able to treat are unreal. It merely means that pills aren't necessarily the best line of defense.
Baughman also doesn't believe in depression. I have it; it's real. This makes me all the more willing to say that ADHD is real too.