Here's the latest post on theTeenLife Blog:
photo credit: Life Mental Health via photopin cc
Disclaimer: I do not have ADD or ADHD, nor does anyone in my immediate family. Therefore, I cannot hope to know the true feeling of living with the disorders. I can only use my writing platform to objectively explore this important issue.
Sorry. No supercool anecdote to start this one. No layman’s definition to clarify my point. No early reference to the Times.
We’ve come to the end of this short series, you and I, and it’s time for me to think back to what we’ve learned, tie up all the loose ends, and make my point. It’s time to stop presenting evidence and start telling you, my readers, what I think we ought to do.
First of all, we must wade through the multitude of very dire articles about this issue and find the objective, unbiased path. The New York Times, which I have repeatedly referenced in this series, has published quite a few great, in-depth articles on the dangers of stimulants, almost all with a totally-negative view on the drugs. This is not to criticize the Grey Lady’s reporting – indeed it is very, very good – but to reference something that NPR’s Brooke Gladstone calls, in her comic-book analysis of journalism, The Influencing Machine, the media’s “Bad News Bias.”
“We are wired to care about anything that even remotely threatens us,” she writes – representing herself as a woman targeted by monster mosquitoes labeled “socialism” and “swine flu,” among other over-dramatized news breaks. “Emphasizing bad news is good business. This makes the world seem more dangerous than it actually is.” And so it is with ADD-related reporting.
In all honesty, it’s hard not to be. Even writing the first two parts (specifically part two), I found it extremely difficult to write without an anti-stimulant bias. I’ve tried my best, but it’s hard to “walk the line” (to quote the Man in Black) on such a touchy subject. I hope you’ll forgive me for any bias I may have shown. It’s nothing personal; I’m a journalist.
This ties in to something Dr. Hallowell, who I spoke with at length for this series, said regarding the most important way to deal with ADD in modern society.
As he pointed out, “even the [ADD or ADHD] diagnostic term we use – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; who in the world wants that!?”
More education and awareness about the disorder is needed moving forward. Dr. Hallowell says to his patients that a brain with the disorder is “like a Ferrari, … but there is one problem with it. [It’s] got bicycle brakes!” A patient with ADD “can’t control the power of [their] brain.” Making understanding the condition more easily accessible and less scary to those who have it and those whose friends have it is essential to make sure the negative stigma attached to ADD begins to disappear.
Next, it’s to come up with better ways to diagnose these conditions. We do have a way – the checklist method laid out by the DSM, as mentioned in Part One, but that method is very subjective, and, for those misusers looking to falsely gain a prescription for stimulants, it can be faked. Luckily, as also was mentioned in Part One, we’re coming up with better ways with each year that passes. I wrote a bit about the new brain wave test that has been approved by the FDA to diagnose ADD much more objectively.
Dr. Hallowell also spoke of the use of MRIs in diagnosing ADD using the relative sizes of various parts of the brain. He also spoke briefly about the genetic predisposition for ADD, which could also possibly be used as a diagnostic tool for these conditions. While brain scans, MRIs, and genetic tests can be very pricey, I hope that in years to come, they can become more accessible and more exact as tests for ADD, and as a way to help curb the alarming amount of abuse by patients who fake symptoms to obtain stimulant drugs.
And there lies the biggest change we need to make. Stimulants. Kids, teenagers, and adults with ADD need these drugs to achieve their true potential, and we shouldn’t deprive them of that ability and right. But abuse is a huge problem, and we can’t forget that – bear with me here – inconvenient truth. Where medication might not be necessary, don’t use it. As Dr. Hallowell said in Part Two, “people with ADD can treat themselves just fine if they put in the work with exercise, nutrition, and meditation only.” Maybe this “multi-modal approach” is right for you. And if the stimulants are necessary, as they sometimes are? Use them responsibly. Any abuse and misuse problems beyond that, unfortunately, are the problems of society.
In high school, I hear a lot about the risks of drug use, and I, personally, do not use. But some people either don’t get the message or don’t want to. Drug abuse has been around as long as drugs have, and, sadly, no amount of counseling, educating, and even security is going to stop that. It’s the way of the world, much as we may wish it wasn’t. Dr. Hallowell says that “It’s up to parents, doctors, and teachers to do all they can to prevent abuse.” But what if the doctors, parents, and teachers are unintentionally contributing to the abuse?
Some teachers may put too much pressure on their students. Many parents put too much pressure on the kids. And what of doctors that prescribe these drugs to, in exasperation, give in to a parent or student’s demands? Certainly this is the minority of doctors, but it is still a problem. And what of doctors who prescribe stimulants as a treatment for failing schools, as referenced in Part Two? And what of parents who request stimulant prescriptions because their kids are, as quoted in the Times, “a little blah”?
Heavy questions.
And questions I certainly don’t know the answer to. This is not a problem with the drugs, or with the diagnosis. This is simply a problem with our society. A fast-track society (per Race to Nowhere) where drugs are a perfectly acceptable – albeit illicit – way to get ahead and where diagnoses and prescriptions are more commodities to be dealt than conditions to be dealt with.
And so, like so many, many things in this world, the change rests with you.
To the students: Frankly, don’t do drugs. Stimulants are for those who need them. The way to an easy ‘A’ isn’t Adderall, it’s hard work and studying. If you have ADD, you know it, and you know how to manage it. Don’t minimize your diagnosis by becoming a stimulant source for your friends. This is to make you achieve your potential, not get caught up in the drug trade. And those who have phony prescriptions for the drugs? I’d say give it up, but you probably won’t hear me. I can’t solve everything.
To the parents: Take the pressure off your kids. You know them, you love them, and you can see when they’re doing their best. Don’t push them to achieve beyond their true potential, because they may turn to stimulants. If your child has ADD, you know it, and you know how to manage it. Make sure your teenager is responsible with their prescription, and, if you feel it’s right, try out Dr. Hallowell’s multi-modal approach to treatment.
To the teachers: You know your students better than anyone, but you still have a curriculum to teach. If the pressure’s too much for someone, give extra help, and, if necessary, suggest a level change. But don’t tolerate study drugs if you see them.
To the doctors: You know medicine. I don’t. You know when it’s right to prescribe someone stimulant drugs, and I urge those of you who might do so not to give in to pressure for a study drug prescription. You can see if it’s ADD and deserves or requires a prescription for stimulants. You can also, hopefully, see when it’s not. And, if applicable or accessible, why not bring in some new diagnostic tools I mentioned into your process? Of course, you can always suggest that same multi-modal approach as laid out by Dr. Hallowell.
So, feel empowered? I know that after 4,300+ words, I’m feeling pretty excited to go out and change things (after I re-attach my hands from typing). Do your best, and remember, things are what you make of them. A diagnosis of ADD can be the kick starter for a career in entrepreneurship. A prescription for Adderall can be the difference between a D and an A for a kid with ADD. But be careful.
To be completely and totally cliché, “With great power comes great responsibility,” and ADD is no different.
Thanks for listening.
The post Attention to Detail, Part Three: Resolution of ADD? appeared first on TeenLife.