DDoes the rise in ADHD diagnoses mean that normal feelings are being “overly pathologized”? British Health Secretary Wes Streeting seems to suspect as much. He is said to be so concerned about the sharp rise in the number of people claiming sick pay that he ordered a clinical examination diagnosis of mental illness, autism and ADHD.
I was diagnosed with ADHD (ADD as it was then most commonly known) several decades ago, when I was in my early 50s. As I wrote in my book on the subject, Scattered Minds, “it seemed to explain many of my behavior patterns, thought processes, childhood emotional reactions, my workaholism and other addictive tendencies, sudden outbursts of bad moods and complete irrationality, conflicts in my marriage and my attitude towards my children in Jekyll and Hyde style… It also explains my tendency to bump into doorways, hit my head on shelves, drop objects and touch people before I even notice them. Here”.
There was a good reason why Scattered Minds was my first. completed book, several others were abandoned halfway through. I could never be organized or persistent enough to complete such a large project until—in middle age—I came to terms with the mysteriously chaotic functioning of my mind.
However, looking back, my “it seemed “explain” was a telling Freudian slip, since diagnosis doesn’t really clarify anything. A useful description, but it cannot serve as an explanation. Consider: “So-and-so has ADD.” How do we know? “Well, they tend to be inattentive, their minds wander all over the place, they can be hyperactive and have poor impulse control.” Why do they exhibit such characteristics? “Because they have ADD.” How do we know they have ADD? “Because they exhibit these patterns.” Oh, how do they display these unpleasant traits? “Because they have ADD.” And so we walk in a circle, like Winnie the Pooh and Piglet chasing the Woozles and only duplicating their tracks in the snow.
Consensus not enough about almost every aspect of ADHD. While it has become the subject of intellectual debate regarding its nature, neurobiology, origins – and, in some circles, even its validity – the diagnosis is spreading throughout the world. Among children in China, for example, there were called “a growing public health problem.” In Germany, rates increased almost quadruple in just over a decade. In the UK, prescriptions for ADHD medications got up 18% every year since the pandemic. Similar trends visible in North America.
Whatever the accuracy of such statistics, it is clear that throughout the globalized world, more and more children are suffering from problems with concentration, emotional instability, learning and behavioral disorders, not to mention a variety of other diagnoses such as spectrum disorders, anxiety, oppositionalism, depression, or the catch-all term “neurodivergence.”
What to do with all this? Possibilities include unjustified hyperinflation of diagnoses combined, on the other hand, with better recognition; or certain attributes of modern culture that have a detrimental effect on the healthy development of many children. I believe both factors need to be considered—the latter is most important and most urgent.
Many view ADHD as a biological brain dysfunction, largely rooted in genetics. It is sometimes said that it is the “most hereditary” mental illness, which I think is similar to calling quartz the most chewable crystal. Despite some earlier reports, no gene or group of genes has been studied since they were debunked. identified which themselves define inattention, hyperactivity or lack of impulse control. At best, they provide a predisposition, but this is far from predetermined, since genes are turned on and off by environmental influences. “Genes influence how sensitive a person is to the environment, and the environment influences how significant genetic differences can be,” wrote the famous geneticist R.S. Lewontin. “When the environment changes, all bets are off.” Whatever the genetic contribution, we must still ask ourselves what features of modern life may sabotage optimal human development.
The key lies in the inextricable and multifaceted unity of social and personal experience, psyche and neurobiology. The brain, neuroscience tells us, is a social organ, its circuitry and biochemistry modulated by how the environment, especially the emotional environment, acts on genetic material. “The interaction of genes and experience literally shapes the blueprint of the developing brain and is critically influenced by the reciprocal responsiveness of the adult-child relationship, especially in early childhood.” So, reported a big review paper from the Center for the Development of Children at Harvard University. As noted in this seminal article, this interaction begins in utero, in the womb.
And here's the rub. What happens to this necessary responsiveness of parents and children under the current neoliberal rule? Given the growing inequality and economic insecurity; growing isolation; the breakdown of social support such as the traditional community and extended family; destruction of the social protection system; growing social hostility; and the addictive siren call of digital media, the stress on families and new parents is becoming increasingly overwhelming.
Stressed parents, despite all the love and devotion they feel and want to show their children, are at a disadvantage. Research has shown that when stressed, parents become less patient, more punitive, and more harsh with their young children. Stress impairs their ability to be calm, responsive and in tune. How review Leading researchers noted, “In more stressful parenting environments, children are not only less protected from environmental stressors, but are also more likely to have stressful relationships with caregivers.”
When parents are stressed, children become stressed, which affects their brain development and functioning. And when stressed, children are more likely to “switch off” as a coping mechanism. Adding to the risk to young brains is the documented psychological and neurotoxic effects of digital media.
Where is the solution then? Of course, this should be based on the desire of society to support pregnant and postpartum women; assistance to young families; do not blame parents and do not stigmatize difficult children, as often happens; treat young people with full understanding and compassion in all child care settings, from pre-school through adolescence; provide special assistance to all young people who, through no fault of their own or the fault of their parents, experience discomfort due to the characteristics of ADHD and related conditions. And, just as important, health care providers' understanding that compassionately helping parents cope with their own emotional distress and unresolved trauma is essential to providing a supportive environment for the developing child.
Will all this entail financial costs, as some conservatives believe? commentators Do you seem afraid? Yes, these are pennies compared to the real economic burden and human suffering caused by current social conditions, which have created an unstable and even hostile context for the education of human youth.
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Gabor Mate is an international speaker and retired physician. His latest book is The Myth of Normality: Illness, Health, and Healing in a Toxic Culture.
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