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ADD is real , treating ADD works ; supporting information :
ADD is diagnosed by criteria that are very complex. [1]
You might not like or believe the criteria.
But if you actually use the criteria, you get a 👤︎ group of adults, who compared to the 👥︎ general population, have or are:
In addition, they:
In children, the outcomes are:
With the criteria having such predictive power, and the outcomes being so terrible, ADD seems pretty real to me.
23 Signs You Do Not Have ADHD
If you think ADD is just an excuse for people who are lazy, please:
When you treat adults with ADD, it:
When you treat children with ADD, it:
With such powerful outcomes, and low cost-to-treat, [citation needed] treating ADD seems to be a pretty good deal to me.
Where I have seen numbers, 💊︎ treatment seems to bring most outcomes close to the range in the 👥︎ general population.
In 👥︎ people whose untreated-ADD resulted in significant impairment to their 🏫︎⟰ school, 🏢︎ work or 🏠︎ home-life, once treated, they can begin work catching up on any skills they previously found unattainable, such as ⟰ education, organizational skills, and 👥︎ interpersonal skills/relationships. [citation needed]
But given the outcomes above, who would choose to not treat?
Don't want to think of yourself as 💊︎ pro-medication? Rebrand your thinking as anti-suffering.
For a more nuanced view …
When you are offered a test or intervention,BRAN reminds you to ask about and consider the Benefits, Risks, and Alternatives and to also consider the effects of doing Nothing in this situation. — Sarah J Buckley, MD, Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor's Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices
Results of this thinking include:
What about abuse? Aren't some 💊︎ treatments—the stimulants—listed in the 🇺🇸 USA as Schedule II drugs? Yes. [26] But: These stimulants don't meet any of the three criteria for inclusion on that list. [26] ADDers who sell their medication to others should be using it for themselves. Those who buy it from ADDers don't get any of their desired effects. [27]
When Medication Costs Too Much: Prescription Assistance.
If the 💊︎ treatment method you worked out with your ⚕︎ doctor includes extended-release methylphenidate (Ritalin) (Concerta), ensure that your product actually works—is made by a manufacturer that uses OROS technology (or maybe DELEXIS®; don't know yet): Effectiveness of 💊︎ Concerta (extended-release methylphenidate) and its imitators.
Pick any ADHD symptom and consider how it might undermine one's career. Or one's marriage. Or how it would sabotage goals, friendships, and consistent parenting. And impact health, finances, and eventually one's self-esteem. It's a Holistic disorder. So it demands a Holistic approach.[34]
More sources and numbers will make this chart more compelling. If you have such sources or numbers, please let me know via the button at the bottom of this page.
[1] To see the ADHD full criteria exactly, go to your public library Reference Desk, and ask to see the "DSM-5", the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition" by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Sorry, the full text is not currently on the web. But for good extracts, please see "Symptoms and Diagnosis of ADHD." USA CDC. August 26, 2019. or "DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria" with screener questionnaires. Takeda Pharma. 2017. Accessed 2019-09-17.
[2] Personal communication 2015-11-03 by RT to EP.
[3] "Teen drivers with ADD a problem on the road." CNN. September 15, 2008. Accessed 2015-11-03.
[4] According to calculations on [3] p31, based on numbers from Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. [20]
[5] "Risk of Traumatic Brain Injury among Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with ADHD in Taiwan." Journal of Adolescent Health. July 02, 2018. Accessed 2018-08-10.
[6] "ADHD and Injuries: Accidental and Self-Inflicted." The ADHD Report. March 2014. DOI: 10.1521/adhd.2014.22.2.1 Accessed 2018-08-10.
[7] "Risk of unintentional injuries in children and adolescents with ADHD and the impact of ADHD medications: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. January 2018. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.11.007 Accessed 2018-08-10.
[8] "Wear Your Helmet! ADHD Raises Risk of Head Injury." National Resource Center on ADHD. August 02, 2018. Accessed 2018-08-10.
[9] "Young Adult Outcome of Hyperactive Children: Adaptive Functioning in Major Life Activities." J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. February 2006. DOI: 10.1097/01.chi.0000189134.97436.e2 Accessed 2020-03-23.
[10] "Sexually Transmitted Infection among Adolescents and Young Adults with ADHD: A Nationwide Longitudinal Study." J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. January 2018. Accessed 2020-03-20.
[11] "Association of ADHD with Teenage Birth among Women and Girls in Sweden." Journal of the American Medical Association. October 2, 2019. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.12463 Accessed 2020-03-20.
[12] "Genetic Overlap Discovered for ADHD, Educational Struggles." American Journal of Managed Care. February 07, 2018. Accessed 2018-08-07.
[13] "ADHD and Crime. 21% to 45% of Prisoners have ADHD 15 Peer Reviewed Studies Show. Crime & Jail are Costly, Treatment is Cheap." Adult ADD Strengths. Accessed 2015-11-03.
[14] "A prospective 4-year follow-up study of attention-deficit hyperactivity and related disorders." Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1996-May. 53(5):437-46. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.1996.01830050073012 Accessed 2019-09-13.
[15] "ADHD and Long-Term Outcomes." CHADD. "Young adult educational and vocational outcomes of children diagnosed with ADHD." Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. January 2013. DOI: 10.1007/s10802-012-9658-z Accessed 2019-01-08.
[16] "Hyperactive Child Syndrome and Estimated Life Expectancy at Young Adult Follow-Up: The Role of ADHD Persistence and Other Potential Predictors." J Atten Disord. December 10, 2018. DOI: 10.1177/1087054718816164 Accessed 2020-03-21.
[17] "Academic and educational outcomes of children with ADHD." Ambulatory Pediatrics. 2007 Jan-Feb. DOI: 10.1016/j.ambp.2006.05.005 Accessed 2019-01-08.
[18] "Revisiting ADHD and Ritalin." Los Angeles Times. May 15, 2011. Accessed 2015-11-03.
[19] "Does Stimulant Therapy of ADHD Beget Later Substance Abuse? A Meta-analytic Review of the Literature." American Academy of Pediatrics. January 2003. Accessed 2017-10-14.
[20] "What We Know About ADHD and Driving Risk: A Literature Review, Meta-Analysis and Critique." J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. August 2006. Accessed 2016-01-15.
[21] "Association Between Medication Use for ADHD and Risk of Motor Vehicle Crashes." JAMA Psychiatry. June 2017. DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0659 Accessed 2016-05-14.
[22] "Adults with ADHD commit fewer crimes when on medication." Karolinska Institutet. November 22, 2012. Accessed 2015-11-03. "Medication for ADHD and Criminality." New England Journal of Medicine. 2012. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1203241 Accessed 2018-08-08.
[23] "Nonpharmacologic treatments for ADHD lack evidence base." Contemporary Pediatrics. August 01, 2018. Accessed 2018-08-10.
[24] "A 14-Month Randomized Clinical Trial of Treatment Strategies for ADHD." JAMA Psychiatry. December 1999. Accessed 2018-08-10.
[25] You can report negative side-effects at MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program and 📱︎☎ 1-800-FDA-1088. Accessed 2019-09-19.
[26] "Controlled Substances Act." Wikipedia. Accessed 2019-01-15.
[27] "Without ADHD, 'Study Drugs' may only make you feel smarter." Brown University. 2018-07-23. DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy6030058 Accessed 2019-01-16.
[28] "Examining The Nature Of The Comorbidity Between Pediatric ADHD And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder." Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia. 18 September 2012. DOI: 10.1111/acps.12011 Accessed 2019-01-07.
[29] "Impact of Methylphenidate Delivery Profiles on Driving Performance of Adolescents With ADHD: A Pilot Study." J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. March 03, 2004. Accessed 2017-10-13.
[30] "How ADHD Shortens Life Expectancy: What Parents and Doctors Need to Know to Take Action." ADDitude Magazine. 2019-01-20. Accessed 2019-01-27.
[31] "Psychologist Barkley says Life Expectancy Slashed in Worst Cases for those with ADHD." American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders. 2018-01-14. Accessed 2019-01-27.
[32] "Your Attention, Please: A Call to Improve Access to Care for ADHD Patients." British Columbia Medical Association. February 2009. Accessed 2018-08-10. Update accessed 2017-10-13.
[33] "Make Memories with ADHD." ADHD Weekly. April 28, 2016. Accessed 2016-04-28.
[34] Artwork promoting video described in "My ADHD is a 'Holistic' Disorder." Rick Green. TotallyADD. Accessed 2020-02-03.
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