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Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

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Re: Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

#41

As a heuristic, assume that it is never the right question to ask "Is ___ real?" Asking how it is measured, what kind of effect it has, whether the effects are meaningful, how it can be explained, whether there are more appropriate labels, what kind of alternative explanations exist, etc. Asking whether something is "real" fails even when talking about fundamental physical phenomena like gravity, math or consciousnes…

With all due respect, I have done my research on ADHD and still couldn’t come to a conclusion. The opioid crisis was a manufactured crisis by the greedy big pharma, right? Looking at how anyone and everyone is being prescribed stimulant medicines these days, I have my reservations about this disorder

Here in central Europe only a few adult ADHD people opt in for medication. Many don't.

Yet it is still more and more discovered to be a more widespread issue than thought.

Re: Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

#42
This is more a question for your doctor who diagnosed you. HN is not the place to be asking about a medical diagnosis.

Although something you do want to ask your doctor is why you are getting this diagnosis. If it can be linked back to something satisfyingly physical or not that will give you more useful guidance than whether the label is consistently applied or not.

Re: Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

#43
post #30
post #3

My ADHD is measurable on EEG (I had the appropriate medical professional do it at a hospital, not some home-made braincap). Has nothing to do with anything external IME.

One of my friends fixed his adhd with cannabis. It somehow acts paradoxically just as stimulants.

How does he know if it really fixed it or not?

Re: Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

#44
I don't think it matters whether ADHD is real or not. The question is whether stimulant medications improve some quality of life for some people. Seems like they do.

Re: Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

#46
It's both. I don't know why the one cancels the other?

My partner and me both have ADHD & ADD. She likes working and being busy so medication is a valid choice for her to keep feeling active.

I on the other side don't care about being busy. My medication is being self employed and forming my schedule after my emotions and motivation thrives.

It doesn't change whatever we have ADHD or not. In the end it's just about making most out of every living moment.

Re: Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

#47
Is it real? Yes.

Did you get the correct diagnosis? Well, no idea how even the best & brightest internet crowd could guess.

Do features of ADHD interact with one's way of life? Hell yeah! It goes both positively (e.g. providing much-needed stimulation) and negatively (modern media & marketing prey on the addiction to dopamine kicks).

Regardless if you have it or not (and since it is a spectrum, the answer is not binary) - try "How To ADHD" YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx13a2-unjE) and the book "Driven to Distraction" (https://www.amazon.com/Driven-Distraction-Revised-Recognizin...). It might help you in understanding yourself.

Re: Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

#48
One attitude you might have is to not care too much whether it's real or not. Your diagnosis just clusters you with a lot of other people who have had similar problems as you and it's likely you will benefit from the same things that benefit them.

ADHD is especially ambiguous because a lot of the behavioral treatments probably work for non-ADHD: prioritize your work, avoid distractions, have one clear calendar, set reminders on your phone, etc.

At the end of the day, if you follow both medical and non-medical treatment options, and your life improves, does it matter if it's "real" or not?

Re: Ask HN: Is ADHD Real?

#50
Some psychiatrists consider it a trait and not a disorder.

It should only be "treated" if it affects one's life negatively (which it often does in the modern world, unless you are guerilla herding sheep / living a generally interesting life). So, people "born that way" can suffer more in modern world than they did say 20 or 200 years ago. There is evidence that medication helps.

There is an interesting book on the topic: _ADHD: A Hunter in a Farmer's World_

Disclosure: I am diagnosed as an adult with ADHD ("primarily innatentive" subtype).

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