There is something that nags me a bit and I cannot fully get my head around it. Maybe I just need to write it down - so here goes. Don't know how to put this, but I'll do my best.

It's that this continuous stream of media attention for (stimulant) ADD medication, varying from anti-Ritalin-guru's that preach Fire and Brimstone all the way to 20-odd-year long studies that are quoted to indicate that "medication will only work for three years" just - well, worries me.

And I can't really tell why. The guru's are easy to dismiss, sure enough, if it weren't for the attention that they are getting just by the sheer volume of their voice. But I get also the impression that (part of) the scientific community is engaged in a sort of continuous Quebec Referendum* to disprove the effect of ADD medication, and, in a lot of cases, the validity of the AD(H)D diagnosis itself.

And of course, I am all for being skeptical, falsifying existing theories, yadda yadda - the scientific method .. because it works.

But something keeps nagging. Maybe it is just that since I have discovered that ADD is such a good and powerful explanation for a lot of things in my life, and that medication *really* makes such a difference for me; that I have an emotional investment to not see this being targeted.
And I do have a bit of fear that all this media barrage may somehow, someday make it impossible for me to get medication - even if it turns out to still help me a great deal by then.

The basic feeling that all this gives me is like "hey guys .. I have found something that works .. *finally* .. will all of you now please stop trying to take it away from me?"

Ah.

It feels a lot better now I have written it down like that! :)


* i.e. keep on trying until the outcome is what you want it to be**

** I mean - even if there are 100 studies that show a positive effect, there apparently is ample motivation to fund studies that may disprove that effect again .. - I can't oversee the validity of all of these .. is there anyone who can?

Oh, and what further makes some discussions really hard is the people who are so distrusting of pharmaceutical companies that *every* case of prescribed ADD medication is suspect. Gosh, I like to think that I am pretty skeptical .. but I just can't think that cynical .. maybe I am too naive?

I find this sort of media attention difficult to deal with because it often doesn't show an entirely balanced picture of things... When we're dealing with scientific issues in the news, often times certain things aren't made clear.... Like where in the scientific method things actually are... Is this a hypothesis? Is this a theory? How much has this claim been tested? How widely accepted is this within the scientific/medical/psychiatric community? With such information either unclearly presented or not presented at all in a news media report.... It provides fodder to the fire for uneducated skeptics... And I'm sure most of us have a friend or family member in our lives who "doesn't believe in ADHD" and knows how difficult that is to deal with.... when the news media is presenting inconclusive data to a population pretty much uneducated on the subject matter at hand, it tends to have difficult consequeneces on our daily lives.

Not to mention, most of us have been helped by advances stating that ADHD is something real, and have benefitted from treatments that have been previous found... We have our wellbeing somewhat invested in the assuption that ADHD is real. Even though the intent isn't to be judgemental, it often feels like it is when reading studies that are trying to disprove what we percieve reality to be.

But I get also the impression that (part of) the scientific community is engaged in a sort of continuous Quebec Referendum* to disprove the effect of ADD medication, and, in a lot of cases, the validity of the AD(H)D diagnosis itself.

And of course, I am all for being skeptical, falsifying existing theories, yadda yadda - the scientific method .. because it works.

Yes, we're in the day and age of science - prove and constantly prove, question and constantly question. Prove the science behind the science, and the method in which you obtained the science in the first place.

This is all good for things we can see and validate and prove. Unfortunately our brains are a vast territory of unmapped wasteland. We can only poke and prod from the outside, and can only see 'results' based on a vague input.

This doesn't mean that we should immediately invalidate the concept of ADD and everyone should stop taking medication! Right now! Go on! :)

On the contrary - we have medication. It works, and has worked for years. Yes, our bodies do build up a tolerance to medication. That's just a side effect. Even science can't disprove that it makes a big difference in people's lives.

I approach this from two sides: The science side and the reality side.

- Science side - we need to discover more of the interactions of the brain and chemicals. I strongly suspect that we're only scratching the surface of ADD, and by the time we get to DSM MCMXVIII we won't have ADD... by definition. We'll probably see ADD split up into many areas and completely revamped.

- Reality side - it's what we have now. It works.



that I have an emotional investment to not see this being targeted.

That's true for everyone. I identify with everyone here a lot more than everywhere else. It's like family. Belonging to an identity. It's only natural that we should defend that identity.



The basic feeling that all this gives me is like "hey guys .. I have found something that works .. *finally* .. will all of you now please stop trying to take it away from me?"




Oh, and what further makes some discussions really hard is the people who are so distrusting of pharmaceutical companies that *every* case of prescribed ADD medication is suspect.
I'm just distrustful of companies in general. I'm not saying there's this big drug company scandal that's driving all these false diagnoses. There's not. There's enough sane people in pharmaceutical companies, and enough governmental control to put a stop to this. I have seen the bad side of companies all too often... Enron anyone?

Media is media... They'll beat up a good/bad story on anything*. I don't think it'll come to us not getting medication - it might end up being more tightly controlled. But, we'll still be able to get it.

(* Doesn't mean we should stop telling people the real story, though. In fact we should balance out the bad stories with the good stories. The internet is a good place for this.)

I know this is somewhat off-topic, Luthien, but it is semi-related and I just wanted to share: I take issue with the fact that there are a certain FEW people with the power to declare what is and what is NOT allowable for an adult to put in their own bodies! (Ahhh . . . that feels better too.)

Back to you, Luthien! And I believe your reaction and feelings are totally understandable and to be expected. (Not that you need my - or anyone else's - approval or agreement or anything! :p)


Sue

That is why I use the mute button so profusely. I try a med..and if it doesn't help me.. I quit using it. Not ADD meds.. but other meds. I have noticed the bashing each one has.. about this one is so much better.

The media trashing just bugs the crap out of me. It's not just for meds..it is for anything out there on the market. Not trying to derail.. just making a statement.

My advice.. mute the commercial. If the meds are working Luthien... that's what counts. Hugs to you!

I hear you: I myself think back to how much my views of adhd were influenced by media reports of how people were allegedly "overdosing " and "overmedicating" "young kids with ritalin.

Then I got diagnosed! .... And everything shifted.

I heard a lecture recently where the professor said about 4.2 percent of people in the world have adhd and it's pretty consistent across cultures.

That's actually a lot of people. So if more parents and educators and doctors and psychiatrist and psychologists are becoming aware of adhd of course the number of prescriptions will increase. That's not an example of recklessness; it's an example of growing awareness.

Now, to your concern, if the medication is working for you, then you know you have to trust that. We have to look after ourselves. Two, understand that in time hopefully we will learn more about adhd and some of these conflicting "issues" may be more resolved. But don't wait for resolution as science is always adding new knowledge.

So the best we can do is act on the best research we know and on our own personal experience. In 20 years if new info comes forward, you can make the best decision based on that new info. Doesn't mean the present decision was wrong. That's medicine: we're often acting on imperfectly understood information.