ADHD in Americans: The Convenience of Diagnosis for School, Society and Drug Companies.

Millions of Americans are diagnosed with ADHD and ADD. It is a condition described by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSMV) as one in which hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity cause significant impairment in everyday life.

The onset of ADHD is usually said to occur in early childhood, causing children to stir and move non-stop, to blurt out answers and questions, to be forgetful and distracted, and to lack the ability to maintain focus in age-appropriate material.

But how much of this is socially-concocted? Are children just being children?

We know that drug companies are driven to make a profit, and as the DSMV adds and redefines more and more 'disorders' with every revision, where do we draw the line?

Many studies reveal that oftentimes children said to be 'disordered' with ADD and ADHD maintain above-average IQs. That they think in different ways, that traditional curricula fail to properly address their needs and wants. Our society places incredible emphasis on adhering to a certain formula, of behaving in accordance with protocols that have been devised for the MAJORITY of people. Given the oft-reported creativity and imagination of ADD/ADHD individuals, are we, as a society, forcing our most precocious minds to align with a one-size-fits-all mantra?

This is not to say that some individuals are truly incapable of regulating themselves and suffer from chemical imbalances in their brains that can be corrected through medication. BUT, as it seems so fittingly American, the easy solution is the popular solution. Forget parental discipline, improved eating and exercising habits, or attitude adjustments. Just pop a pill. Just take some speed.

Many individuals now actively go seeking a solution to their so-called 'attention-deficits.' They surf the web, asking, "Do I have ADHD?" If they can just pop some amphetamines, reduce their appetite, and self-medicate, then they don't have to be responsible for their own laziness/apathy/excuses.

There's a reason many kids find ADHD medication difficult at first. The dose is too high. The dose is too low. They feel like a zombie, they feel 'cracked out,' they just don't feel RIGHT. Well, maybe you shouldn't be on Ritalin! Maybe you're fine the way you are, and the progress-driven, capitalist society has engrained in your mind that you are somehow not "up to snuff." Maybe it's all the processed food, the lack of exercise, the stationary lifestyles that technology now perpetuates. Maybe if we, as a society, begin to live healthier, we'll actually reduce the number of diagnoses.

Recently, a new form of ADHD has risen, known as ADHD-PI or ADHD-I. The PI stands for Predominantly Inattentive.These individuals are described as being highly daydreamy and spacey, forgetful, procrastinating, disorganized, and without impulsivity and hyperactivity. So this is a 'disorder?'

Many of these same traits are lauded in the Myers-Briggs Type Index (MBTI) as being decidedly INFP. The INFP are said to be dreamers and introverts with great intuition but a purpose that does not align with mainstream intentions. They are said to be the 'swan' in a society of 'ugly ducklings.' But, in the DSMV, these same traits are problematic and in need of medication. Some of the brightest most innovative minds have floated along as silent, introspective observers. I guess we should tell them to stop. This is America, you space-cadet, pop a pill and get going like the rest of us Type-A, frenetic, on-the-go go-getters!

Again, sure, these symptoms may be truly impairing for certain individuals. But for others, can we not blame the parents and educators? Can we not blame those in authority for failing to recognize atypical minds with atypical abilities? Perhaps these minds are simply bored by routine and the monotonous hogwash inherent in the mainstream 9-5 world? Or the normal 7-3, 5-day school week?

But who am I to question the American way? After all, this is the land of opportunity, is it not? And we're a great, big, fat, happy place! But I apologize, my anger is rising... I forgot my morning's Xanax.