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What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

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Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ADHD is a cultural representation. Its not an actual condition. If you believe in the Religion of DSM, then you've got a problem: you live in a box. Not everyone on planet Earth actually considers that attention-deficiency requires drugging and dependency on industrialized pharmaceutical dealers. Its probably part of the "American supremacy" package, though - which is not necessarily only a US infliction, but more of…

> ADHD is a cultural representation...Not everyone on planet Earth actually considers that attention-deficiency requires drugging and dependency on industrialized pharmaceutical dealers. Attention and focus are physical processes your brain executes to function normally. There is certainly a cultural aspect to the definition of normal, but its not a completely subjective interpretation as you're implying. Nor is over…

>> not a completely subjective interpretation as you're implying.

Really? I think that all cultures are subjective by definition.

So I can't agree with you, simply. Ask the French if they have an ADHD problem ..

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#22

I've never met a person with adhd in my entire life. Why is it so widespread in the US?

Probably because they seem normal to you. I have found that if you were to compartmentalize behaviors independent of the person or other behaviors, you are far less likely to give it a name, never mind categorizing it as an illness.

If people have ADHD and it needs to be "prescribed" a drug or treatment, then there are so many different habits and behaviors that can just as well be labeled as an illness.

Schools have used ADHD diagnosis to explain disruptive students. The truth of the matter was that those students turned out to be a little more difficult to handle simply because they demanded more of the teacher and were not content with either the style of information or the amount of info they were getting.

Which brings me back to the article: games exhaust mentally hyped minds. And that is supposed to be a "cure", just like physical activity is supposed to be a "cure" to restless bodies.

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#23
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes you have. You've just never met a person diagnosed with ADHD. Even in the US, the diagnosis rate of ADHD is way below the statistical rate of occurrence in the population (and yes, that is true even when you only say something is "ADHD" if it is critically impairing the person's life.) But in other countries, diagnosis is virtually nonexistent, despite similar prevalence. In those countries, people with ADHD are…

ADHD is a cultural representation. Its not an actual condition. If you believe in the Religion of DSM, then you've got a problem: you live in a box. Not everyone on planet Earth actually considers that attention-deficiency requires drugging and dependency on industrialized pharmaceutical dealers. Its probably part of the "American supremacy" package, though - which is not necessarily only a US infliction, but more of…

This bullshit has got to stop. Let me explain neurochemical imbalances generally, once and for all.

Your brain is a machine to enact your choices. "You" are a small part of your brain; the executive center that makes moral judgements about potential courses of action and makes plans to get what you want.

Your brain has reference ranges of neurochemicals. When it is within those ranges, you have a full spectrum of choice available to you, with no particular physiological bias toward one choice over another. A healthy brain enacts "your" whims at precisely the weightings you give them. You have all the options.

When one of your neurochemicals falls out of the reference range, your brain enacts your choices in a biased manner. Your options become impaired. You no longer have the freedom to do exactly what you want.

In clinical depression, choices that would lead to positively-charged emotional stimuli (going out for a walk instead of laying on your bed doing nothing, for example) are down-weighted. Your brain is taking away "your" choice about whether to enjoy something.

In social anxiety, choices that would lead to socially-complex interactions (seeing friends; taking university courses; working in a job involving customer service) are down-weighted. "You" might enjoy doing these things, but your brain won't let you do them.

In ADHD, choices that would lead to short-term effort but only long-term reward (practicing an instrument, for example) are down-weighted. "You" want to learn to play the piano? Too bad; your brain doesn't.

These are not facets of personality. These are impairments in your available choices, just as much as missing a leg impairs your ability to choose to go dancing or being nearsighted impairs your ability to choose to sit at the back of a classroom.

And like the physical impairments, they have prosthetics—drugs that return your brain to the reference ranges of these neurochemicals. Like any prosthetic, the point of them is to give you back the options that having the impairment takes away.

Anti-depressants let you choose to go do something fun. You don't have to. You can stay in. But the choice is no longer being made for you, by your brain.

Anxiolytics let you choose to socialize. You don't have to. You can be an introvert. But now you don't have to worry about someone making a demand of you based on an expectation that all the options are equally easy.

ADHD medication lets you choose to work on a task with no short-term reward. You can still play video games or goof off, but now you can also start—and finish—writing a book. You no longer have to select from the subset of hobbies and jobs your brain is willing to put up with.

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#24
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Weed is not a treatment for ADHD Not in your culture maybe, but beyond your borders it more than suffices. >writing style is off the charts pretentious. ++good. Meds, rectify.

>++good. Meds, rectify. You reminded me to take them, so wish granted. ;)

Still here? Still paying attention?

There is no better currency today than attention, so thanks for spending a little of it on this message.

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#25
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ADHD is a cultural representation. Its not an actual condition. If you believe in the Religion of DSM, then you've got a problem: you live in a box. Not everyone on planet Earth actually considers that attention-deficiency requires drugging and dependency on industrialized pharmaceutical dealers. Its probably part of the "American supremacy" package, though - which is not necessarily only a US infliction, but more of…

This bullshit has got to stop. Let me explain neurochemical imbalances generally, once and for all. Your brain is a machine to enact your choices. "You" are a small part of your brain; the executive center that makes moral judgements about potential courses of action and makes plans to get what you want. Your brain has reference ranges of neurochemicals. When it is within those ranges, you have a full spectrum of cho…

What industrialized product did you take that let you choose to take more pharmaceuticals?

Perhaps it was the advertising and other marketing materials that produced the chemical change in your "brain" to further prompt you to go get addicted to industrial drugs.

Well, if it works for you: good for you. Doesn't work for everyone.

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#26
post #18

This post is Off-topic. Why do so many react so strongly emotionally to this topic? Or does my impression misguide me?

It's an emotional topic because it involves giving amphetamines to children. Either you don't believe in ADHD and thus think kids are being prescribed/forced to take hard drugs for no reason other than a cultural and educational flaw.

Or you do believe in it and want to justify why giving amphetamines to children is a good thing. Maybe you take them yourself.

Either way, it's emotional because people are heavily invested in their choice since the opposing side will basically view them as monsters.

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#27
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ADHD is a cultural representation. Its not an actual condition. If you believe in the Religion of DSM, then you've got a problem: you live in a box. Not everyone on planet Earth actually considers that attention-deficiency requires drugging and dependency on industrialized pharmaceutical dealers. Its probably part of the "American supremacy" package, though - which is not necessarily only a US infliction, but more of…

This bullshit has got to stop. Let me explain neurochemical imbalances generally, once and for all. Your brain is a machine to enact your choices. "You" are a small part of your brain; the executive center that makes moral judgements about potential courses of action and makes plans to get what you want. Your brain has reference ranges of neurochemicals. When it is within those ranges, you have a full spectrum of cho…

> Let me explain neurochemical imbalances generally, once and for all.

You know that the neurochemical explanation for depression is mostly bullshit, right?

Note that I'm not saying that meds don't work, but there's a reason why first line treatment for depression or for anxiety disorders in the UK is not meds but is a (more expensive) talking therapy: the evidence is stronger.

EDIT: also, stop feeding the fucking troll.

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#28
post #27
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This bullshit has got to stop. Let me explain neurochemical imbalances generally, once and for all. Your brain is a machine to enact your choices. "You" are a small part of your brain; the executive center that makes moral judgements about potential courses of action and makes plans to get what you want. Your brain has reference ranges of neurochemicals. When it is within those ranges, you have a full spectrum of cho…

> Let me explain neurochemical imbalances generally, once and for all. You know that the neurochemical explanation for depression is mostly bullshit, right? Note that I'm not saying that meds don't work, but there's a reason why first line treatment for depression or for anxiety disorders in the UK is not meds but is a (more expensive) talking therapy: the evidence is stronger. EDIT: also, stop feeding the fucking tr…

I don't think derefr is going to be convinced by your - or my - argument.

The drug that changes their mind hasn't been patented yet.

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#29
post #12
post #10

[deleted]

Why do people downvote the parent? Because its style and self-pitying tone? I did not know that vaccines sometimes contain a mercury-compound. Mercury is highly toxic. I'm mildly surprised.

Long story short: some vaccines used to include thiomersal[0, 1]. It was removed from most of them due to fearmongering (i.e. no evidence of harm [2]).

Also associated with this hysteria: Andrew Wakefield (barred, discredited former doctor) and Jenny McCarthy (model).

[0]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal

[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiomersal_controversy

[2]: http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability...

Re: What if we prescribed video games, and not Ritalin, to treat ADHD?

#30
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ADHD is a cultural representation. Its not an actual condition. If you believe in the Religion of DSM, then you've got a problem: you live in a box. Not everyone on planet Earth actually considers that attention-deficiency requires drugging and dependency on industrialized pharmaceutical dealers. Its probably part of the "American supremacy" package, though - which is not necessarily only a US infliction, but more of…

This bullshit has got to stop. Let me explain neurochemical imbalances generally, once and for all. Your brain is a machine to enact your choices. "You" are a small part of your brain; the executive center that makes moral judgements about potential courses of action and makes plans to get what you want. Your brain has reference ranges of neurochemicals. When it is within those ranges, you have a full spectrum of cho…

The difference is that this:

> In ADHD, choices that would lead to short-term effort but only long-term reward (practicing an instrument, for example) are down-weighted. "You" want to learn to play the piano? Too bad; your brain doesn't.

is the natural human condition. In the past they called it "building character" or whatever but it's always been an effort to get people to value the long-term reward vs. short-term. Drugs are just an alternative short cut to what used to be a decades long grind to build the ability to delay gratification.

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