Developments That Have Led To The ADD/ADHD Diagnosis Crisis

The prevalence of the ADD/ADHD diagnosis does not definitely indicate that something is dreadfully wrong with the nation’s children, but rather that something has definitely changed. Although some cases of out-of-control children being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD are most likely due to nutritional imbalances and deficiencies as well as allergies and sensitivities, a good number of cases are likely due to the fact that child rearing has changed.

Many supposed disorders are due to factors that influence the social, emotional, and environmental development of children. It is because of these factors that ADD/ADHD landed in the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) as a psychiatric disorder. In truth, it is likely that ADD/ADHD is not best described as a psychiatric disorder at all, but rather as more of a personality type.

Not only have some experts argue that ADD/ADHD should not be in DSM but many other conditions too that have been classified in DSM as psychiatric disorders. Individuals diagnosed with these conditions as well as ADD/ADHD does not feel as though they suffer from a psychiatric condition and there have been no evidence to support that they fall under psychiatric disorder.

Are individuals who suffer from ADD/ADHD just different?

If a person suffering from asthma is not classified as having a psychiatric condition then a person suffering from ADD/ADHD should not be either. This is just as well that ADD/ADHD should not be in DSM nor should diabetes be classified according to DSM.

Diagnosis of ADD/ADHD is not backed with concrete evidence.

In the rush to diagnose and medicate individuals to fit into the mold that society creates for the majority of people, the medical community has labeled an entire generation of children as unmanageable. And in that rush, millions of children are being medicated on a daily basis. But some evidence suggests that the problem is not with those who suffer from ADD/ADHD, but rather the problem is with a society that feels these individuals must be suppressed.

The rise in diagnosis of children with ADD/ADHD can be linked to the changes made in parenting, education and rules invented by society. Furthermore, these individuals do not feel as is there is anything mentally wrong with them. These individual are distinct because they process, perceive and react more to internal and external stimuli than others.

Once upon a time, children were allowed to interact with their environment. Children were encouraged to run and jump and play at will. But, increasingly, children are not responding to such restrictions. The demands of conformity along with the stresses of modern life may have a significant effect on people who cannot manage to fit into the mold.

There have been suggestions that these uncontrollable individuals may not necessarily require medical treatment for them to become normal like everyone else in the society. Their differences are not a defect but it is a sign that society may need to be finding the middle ground in handling these differences.

Could the rise in ADD/ADHD be a sign in showing there is something off beam with parenting, society, and the environment?

With all the rush that we have imposed upon our children it is no wonder that they have become the individuals that are hyperactive. Children used to be pampered at home by housewife mothers. They are free to sleep, eat and explore their childhood. Now, children are rushed to school and even preschool and daycare by their working parents, given prepackaged food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Parents who have no time for their children would usually resort to providing entertainment in the form of television. All these has negative effect in a sense that parents are neglecting the fact that these children needs to be slowed down to enjoy life a little.

Parents cannot take the full blame for ADD/ADHD, Autism, Tourette’s and many other psychiatric disorder. The high cost of living goes hand in hand with the cost of education for children. The requirement for both spouses to contribute to the household income is a necessary in order to make ends meet. This is why many parents have opted for warehousing children. This has negative effects on children with ADD/ADHD as they will suffer more than others when they are forced into this regulated, narrowly focused, and task-oriented behavior just as well that asthmatic children should not be encouraged to spend so much time outdoor and diabetic children live on ‘regular’ diet.

The failure in recognizing other form of treatment for ADD/ADHD may have led to the current situation. The FDA has also labeled some food additives as safe. This then shows that parents are not the only people to be blamed. They are just doing what they think is right after all. It is then required that parents think thoroughly about the choices they make for their children.

The trend toward natural, non-medicinal, alternatives for treating such health conditions as Type II diabetes, high cholesterol, and even ADD/ADHD indicates that people are beginning to realize that the medical community and the health industry took the wrong path in opting for the quick, pharmaceutical, cure, and that other options are not only available, but preferred.