Is ADHD a Fictional Disease?

http://www.themarknews.com/articles/5193-is-adhd-a-fictional-disease

It's a long article, so I didn't want to post the whole thing; basically a child neurologist wrote a piece for The Mark accusing ADHD of being a fictional disease that was developed simply to market and sell bogus prescription medication to kids who don't even need it.

"It seems clear that in the ’50s, as the first psychiatric drugs came to market, that psychiatry – in cahoots with the pharmaceutical industry – came upon the market strategy of, “Well, we’ll call these things ‘diseases.’” And the prototypical invented disease was called ADHD."

Baughman prefers the term "behavior" when referring to ADHD, instead of disease, implying that it is something that should be addressed with therapy or discipline.

What do you think?

I do believe it's over diagnosed, but that's another subject. It's NOT a fictional thing. It's definitely very real.

Not fictional but highly overexaggerated and overdiagnosed.

Supernova wrote:Not fictional but highly overexaggerated and overdiagnosed.

Yepperz, I agree with this.

Not fictional, but while I will cop to thinking that it may get over diagnosed....still I'd rather that than it getting under diagnosed. In other words I'm more in support of doctors immediately suspecting ADHD than them resisting considering it.

Yeah yeah, what they said.

CeCe wrote:I do believe it's over diagnosed, but that's another subject. It's NOT a fictional thing. It's definitely very real.

Definitely NOT fictional and as for it being over-diagnosed? It's not a simple issue and a child may present as AHDH due to circumstances going on (parents divorcing, parent away on business a lot), a learning disability or difference, the way the child is raised, and so on. I also think children need to be re-tested, as things change and kids row, so what fit at 6, doesn't necessarily fit at 10.

Ask any teacher out there and anyone who works with kids and they will most definitely tell you that AHDH is NOT a myth!!!!!