Is ADHD A Fake Disorder?

A polemic article on ADHD

An article on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was published in the March issue of TIME Magazine, this year. The author of the article, Dr. Richard Saul, is a renowned Neurologist whose expertise mainly focuses in the treatment of ADHD. Why is this article so special? Well, it is entitled “ADHD does not exist”, and is basically a preview on a book written by Dr. Saul that has the same title.

ADHD does exists, but not as it has been described so far

When you read the title of either the article or the book, the understanding is basically that ADHD is an invention. You can imagine now the commotion that this caused! But if you read through the entire article you will realize that the idea proposed by Dr. Saul is not as drastic as the title depicts, although it is still controversial.

ADHD is considered a neurobehavioral disorder that is mainly diagnosed in children. Recent data indicates that 3 to 5% of the children in the world present this disorder, which is really concerning.  I am pretty sure you have heard about the disorder and that even you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with it. 

ADHD symptoms are mainly related to behavioral problems, including lack of attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD can be diagnosed in childhood and often continues through adolescence and adulthood. It can lead to the development of other behavioral problems, including depression and drug and alcohol abuse, if it is not treated correctly and on time, since it affects the social development of the patient. 

A bit more on ADHD

The American Psychiatric Association divides ADHD into three categories, based on the presence of certain symptoms that have to do with inattention and hyperactivity. These have been included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The diagnosis and categorization of ADHD depends on the number of symptoms that the patient shows, so he or she can be diagnosed with ADHD predominantly inattentive, ADHD predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, or ADHD combined.

See Also: Does Easy Distraction Mean ADHD?

If you go through the list of symptoms, which I encourage you to do, you will be shocked to realize that you have experienced some of them, and that you may even fall into some of the ADHD categories. Well, this is one of the main issues that Dr. Saul, and other physicians, argue when it comes to diagnosing ADHD. 

Let's analyze this in more depth focusing on what Dr. Saul's ideas. 

What Dr. Saul Is Trying To Say About ADHD

After the general background on ADHD, lets pass on to the idea that Dr. Saul is trying to express in his book and several published articles related to the matter.

Could not be ADHD after all

There is a report showing that in the U.S. there was an increase of almost 36% in the use of ADHD medications, in a period of four years, with boys between the ages of 12 to 18 being the most common users. Why is this important? Medications used to treat ADHD include stimulants, such as Aderall and Ritalin. These help patients to stay focused and reduce their hyperactivity. 

Dr. Saul states that ADHD does not exist because it is not actually a disorder on itself, but it is just a consequence of an underlying undiagnosed problem, which is causing the ADHD like symptomatology.

Because these disorders are undiagnosed, Dr. Saul believes that there are many misdiagnosed ADHD patients whom are being treated with very strong medication that could potentially cause more harm than good.

What's wrong with Dr. Saul's approach? 

Dr. Saul makes a very good point in saying that ADHD diagnosis may be being abused, along with its treatment. It is possible that sometimes, doctors face difficult cases where the child is showing several ADHD symptoms and can simply be diagnosed with the disorder, based on the classification of the DSM. The problem comes when the medication doesn’t work, or only works for a while, making it necessary to increase the dosis of stimulants and risking into a mistaken diagnosis. 

On the other hand, the statement that Dr. Saul proposes regarding the existence of ADHD as a disorder has created confusion among doctors, patients and the general public, instead of shredding a light on ADHD. Many ADHD patients have expressed their concern in the believe that ADHD does not exist.

I personally think that Dr. Saul abused of the already well known marketing strategy of “controversy sells” and by doing this, he gave the wrong idea on what he wants to express, which is a true concern on the diagnostic methods of ADHD and the abuse of ADHD medications.

What is important here is to understand that sometimes, a certain disorder is not as simple to diagnose as people imagine, specially when it comes to behavioral disorders.

See Also: What Is ADHD, And Who Gets It?

Every patient is different, and so it should be his or her treatment. Dr. Saul basically says that not all ADHD patients should be treated in the same way and that an effort should be done to understand the causes of the disorder in each and every one of the patients in order to offer them the better alternative when it comes to treatment.