Adult A.D.D. Propaganda Commericals

[Anonymous]

The times sure are a'changing ... now there are television commercials aimed at getting adults hooked on drugs to counter their lack of productivity at home, work or in the community.

The commercial spokeswoman asks: "Does your mind wander? Do you find it hard to concentrate?   Go to Adult A.D.D. Dot Com, answer the 6 questions and then discuss the results with your doctor to get the help you have always needed".

Sheesh, if this keeps up, every man, woman and child in America will be taking anti-A.D.D. drugs, but hey, at least we are all getting the help we always needed (s.i.c.).

How's this?  Stop the world, I want to get off.
 
:scared:

[Helena Handbasket]

On 2004-06-14 13:02:00, Anonymous wrote:

"The times sure are a'changing ... now there are television commercials aimed at getting adults hooked on drugs to counter their lack of productivity at home, work or in the community.



The commercial spokeswoman asks: "Does your mind wander? Do you find it hard to concentrate?   Go to Adult A.D.D. Dot Com, answer the 6 questions and then discuss the results with your doctor to get the help you have always needed".



Sheesh, if this keeps up, every man, woman and child in America will be taking anti-A.D.D. drugs, but hey, at least we are all getting the help we always needed (s.i.c.).



How's this?  Stop the world, I want to get off.

 

:scared:





"

I had a friend of mine (no longer a friend - I gave up!) come to me at age 36 to tell me he had been "diagnosed" with "ADD - Undifferentiated type" (I read the report).  There IS NO Differentiation of ADD! (Look it up).... anyway...

I believe ADD/ADHD exists... I also believe it's rare.  ADD actually existed 30+ years ago... it was termed "Hyperkinesis"... as in a "hyperkinetic child"... literal meaning "overactive"

My buddy with "adult ADD - the undifferentiated type   :scared:  :scared:

Okay, I'm done with the rant.  Bottom line - we now have a diagnosis for character deficits, addictions, laziness, spending too much money and watching too much TV..... No one has to take responsiblity to FIX these flaws anymore - we can just get a prescription and call it a disease.

Yeah... stop the world... or better yet... just take a pill.

[Anonymous]

Okay, but *if the pill works,* why the hell not?

The problem with heroin and PCP and cocaine (in street doses) is *not* that they're "bad" chemicals, and *not* that there's anything wrong with feeling good.

The problem with them is that they take a more or less sane, functional person and make them dangerously insane, either while they're taking them, or through extreme cravings, or both.

Regardless of what societal propaganda would have you believe, there's not a damned thing wrong with taking a drug that takes a crazy person and renders them sane (or more sane), or a drug that takes a sane, dysfunctional adult and helps them function better *if they want to take the drug* AND *if it has minimal side effects whose costs are outweighed by its benefits*.

If it breaks the guy's compulsive behavior or helps his insomnia so he can get up in the morning and go to work *who cares* if he could have mind-over-mattered it with some mind technique.  Who cares?  If it helps them, and its downsides don't outweigh the upsides---particularly if it doesn't make him dangerous to other people---who the hell cares?

It's *his* business, not anyone else's.

There's *nothing* wrong with taking a pill---no more than there's anything wrong with looking at a mountain, or reading a book, or mowing the lawn, or going to the grocery store.

The only thing wrong with certain pills or certain drugs is they make the users behave irresponsibly or dangerously.

Get *without* The Program.

There's not a damned thing wrong with taking a pill that helps you and harms nobody else.

Timoclea

[Anonymous]

Oh--Sara, that wasn't meant as a rant at you personally.

It's just a pet peeve of mine how many people harbor an irrational prejudice against consuming things that help people's health or wellfare *even if* those things have very, very minimal down-sides.

I think a lot of that idea comes from drug "war" propaganda, "Program" propaganda, and technophobe propaganda.  Obviously, I'm not a fan of it.

I think it's the same kind of superstitious attitude that leads town councils to outlaw dihydrogen monoxide because it's a "dangerous *chemical*".

So that rant wasn't personal---it's a pet peeve.

I'm thinking of getting it a new collar and a frisbee.  Or maybe a catnip mouse. :smile:

Timoclea

[Anonymous]

Sorry, Timoclea, but there IS something wrong with just "taking a pill" when the person taking the pill is "just" a kid whose **consent** is neither required nor necessary.

Ritalin is not a drug that prolongs life.  It is a drug that changes the performance of children who can not live up to the expectations of their parents and teachers.

Hats off to the Dad for choosing not to medicate his child with a drug that works so well, it can be hard to JUST SAY NO.  

His son's report card may show the side-effects of not taking his Ritalin but that hardly constitutes child abuse and neglect.

 :smokin:

[Anonymous]

On 2004-06-15 08:02:00, Anonymous wrote:

"Oh--Sara, that wasn't meant as a rant at you personally.



It's just a pet peeve of mine how many people harbor an irrational prejudice against consuming things that help people's health or wellfare *even if* those things have very, very minimal down-sides.



I think a lot of that idea comes from drug "war" propaganda, "Program" propaganda, and technophobe propaganda.  Obviously, I'm not a fan of it.



I think it's the same kind of superstitious attitude that leads town councils to outlaw dihydrogen monoxide because it's a "dangerous *chemical*".



So that rant wasn't personal---it's a pet peeve.



I'm thinking of getting it a new collar and a frisbee.  Or maybe a catnip mouse. :smile:



Timoclea"

I didn't take it as that - but I think you misread my meaning - maybe I wasn't clear - I wrote it pretty quickly.  "Programmed" people are my pet peeve too.  Mine likes catnip.   :lol:

The problem isn't the pill - the problem is the invention of diagnoses in order to sell more pills, and prescribing pills for people who honestly don't need them.

I was also speaking medically.  Recreational use is a completely different animal.  

-Sara

[Anonymous]

On 2004-06-15 10:33:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

On 2004-06-15 08:02:00, Anonymous wrote:


"Oh--Sara, that wasn't meant as a rant at you personally.





It's just a pet peeve of mine how many people harbor an irrational prejudice against consuming things that help people's health or wellfare *even if* those things have very, very minimal down-sides.





I think a lot of that idea comes from drug "war" propaganda, "Program" propaganda, and technophobe propaganda.  Obviously, I'm not a fan of it.





I think it's the same kind of superstitious attitude that leads town councils to outlaw dihydrogen monoxide because it's a "dangerous *chemical*".





So that rant wasn't personal---it's a pet peeve.





I'm thinking of getting it a new collar and a frisbee.  Or maybe a catnip mouse. :smile:





Timoclea"

I didn't take it as that - but I think you misread my meaning - maybe I wasn't clear - I wrote it pretty quickly.  "Programmed" people are my pet peeve too.  Mine likes catnip.   :lol:



The problem isn't the pill - the problem is the invention of diagnoses in order to sell more pills, and prescribing pills for people who honestly don't need them.



I was also speaking medically.  Recreational use is a completely different animal.  



-Sara  



"

My problem with ADD as a diagnosis is I think it masks a lot of inaccurate diagnoses of known, existing mental illnesses.

And that almost any normal boy seems to meet the diagnostic criteria.

I think the situation will improve when they find some of the specific genes involved in bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia.

If they can diagnose the kid as genetically predisposed (triggered or not)---or, conversely, come up with very normal genes---then they can avoid medicating kids who don't need it.

And if the kid is genetically predisposed but not triggered, they may be able to test for that, too.  Apparently, the changes show up on a CAT scan.

Eventually, CAT scans will get cheap enough that they won't be any more likely to give you psychoactives if you're not mentally ill than they are to give you insulin if you're not diabetic.

That day can't come quickly enough, eh?

[Helena Handbasket]

An ADD diagnosis masks plain NORMALCY as well!  

They've taken free form recess, art and music out of a lot of primary and secondary schools, and actually have TEACHERS handing out Ritalin.

I didn't believe this hype - until a friend's son was sent home with a sample pack and a note to mom to take the kid to a doctor.   :flame:

Scientific fact:  The average ADULT attention span to a single ongoing task (non-entertaining) is 50 minutes.  I don't have the study handy, but I'll look for it.  It was passed on to me by a professor sometime in the late 90's.

[Deborah]

***Apparently, the changes show up on a CAT scan.

My understanding is that the CAT scans for the study were only conducted on kids who had been taking ritalin (or some other drug). Are you aware of any studies that compare CAT scans with kids NOT on the drug. Otherwise, no way to tell if the changes are a result of the drug, which many believe.