Every medication has side-effects. The idea is to assess whether the risk of side-effects outweighs the detriments of the disorder being treated.
Not all medications work for all patients and good clinicians will have their patients assessed regularly for effectiveness and change or remove medications as necessary.
Yup. Until our technology and biological knowledge reaches the point where we can stop using (metaphorical) chainsaws and start using scalpels, everything is a tradeoff that’s going to vary greatly by individual. Personally, the only side effect I’ve noticed from my meds (diagnosed as a child, didn’t take medications for it until more recently), is appetite supression, and aside from a couple blood sugar crashes before realizing working out on an empty stomach was a dumb idea, I’ve seen no ill effects. On the other hand, a good friend of mine on the same medication experienced heightened anxiety and tachycardia. /shurg
There’s perhaps an argument to be made that the current state of healthcare leaves clinicians unable to provide the needed followup care and medication adjustment, but then the issue isn’t the use of medication, so much as the burden on physicians. /shurg
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Would ADHD be considered a problem if capitalism wasn’t in charge of society?
Yes. It impacts people in ways that have negative impacts that don’t vanish if the environment changes. Here’s an expert talking about the negative outcomes. It’s not just career and finance, but also relationships, education, and safety (especially when it comes to driving and sex).
Yes. It’s certainly less of a problem in an agrarian society where nearly everyone provides simple labour, but in any technical or urban society, being able to focus on complex tasks is going to improve your quality of life. Of course the degree of impact and the nature of the problem is going to vary widely depending on the fabric of that society. It would look different, indeed.
Yes 100%, it’s a executive functioning disorder which affects things like emotional regulation and impulse control, it’s not as simple as being easily distracted there’s so much more to the condition.
For me, emotional regulation and impulse control are my struggles, all of which would be a problem even without capatilism. I was late diagnosed at 31, but meds have been the single biggest change for me in combination with therapy, my anxiety and ruminating thoughts basically totally disappeared overnight. Is it a magic cure all? No not at all, I still absolutely have ADHD, it’s just enabling me to handle it without relying on the maladaptive coping mechanisms I developed in the past.
Pre meds, in retrospect, my ADHD was 100% a strain on my relationship, there’s a lot to dive into for details but I know I’m not alone there.
This is also a valid question, the systemic pressure to “be productive” puts a lot of weight on the side of taking meds despite side effects. Anecdotally though, some ADHD patients do find meds useful for helping them maintain interpersonal relationships and the like, not just focus on work.
A good question. If, say, ownership of the capital was transferred to community interests, what do you see changing for those struggling with ADHD?
I’m not sure since it would be happening post-capitalism. PTSD doesn’t clear up once the way ends, you know? Would ADHD even exist in a closed, perfect environment where a person’s intellectual and emotional needs are met? Does ADHD exist in small, non-developed villages and communities?
Would ADHD even exist in a closed, perfect environment where a person’s intellectual and emotional needs are met?
Meaning some science fiction post-scarcity world where you can get everything you need by magic? ADHD would exist, but it is likely fair to say that it could easily go unnoticed. ADHD most stands out by its impact to interaction with other people. If you have no reason to interact with other people, then you can likely avoid the impact. It is possible for ADHD to even impact one’s own personal interaction with themselves, but without interaction with other people, you’re not apt to know what you are doing is any different.
But ending capitalism by transferring capital away from private interests to community interests is not that. All it would see is moving the capital to community interests. That capital still needs the exact same human involvement to maintain function. You are still going to go to work like you always did. You are still going to have to remember to pay your bills like you always have. There is no magic in that – just a slightly modified legal system.
Does ADHD exist in small, non-developed villages and communities?
A non-developed village won’t know what ADHD is to diagnose it, but the qualities will be present in some people. I mean, ADHD is thought to be genetic, so if that community doesn’t have the right gene line it might not exist, but I don’t think that’s what you mean.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
ADHD is often identified in someone’s childhood — when parents or teachers notice issues such as inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsive behaviour — but Canadian physicians and mental health professionals say more and more adults are now being diagnosed as well, sometimes as late as their 40s, 50s, and beyond.
While many patients experience success stories, Victoria-based family physician Dr. Josh Levin said there’s a dark side to higher rates of adult ADHD medication usage that isn’t always talked about.
In his own practice, Levin said he’s treated patients who have developed heart conditions triggered by ADHD medications, some of which fall under the drug category of stimulants — including amphetamines and methylphenidate — which are known for speeding up the body’s systems.
Dr. Elia Abi-Jaoude, a researcher and assistant professor in the University of Toronto’s department of psychiatry, said stimulant medications can also suppress someone’s appetite or interfere with sleep, which can actually make ADHD harder to manage.
Some clinics focus solely on ADHD, while others offer assessments for various psychological issues, charging patients several hundred to several thousand dollars for services, and often boasting minimal or nonexistent wait times.
While the full picture behind rising rates of adult ADHD medication use remain unclear, some stress the stories of patients whose lives have been changed for the better shouldn’t be clouded by concerns over certain meds.
The original article contains 1,440 words, the summary contains 225 words. Saved 84%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
ADHD is often identified in someone’s childhood — when parents or teachers notice issues such as inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsive behaviour
Or. For gen-x, it was “Billy is often disruptive in class, and is not performing to full potential. Billy needs to focus on work or he maybe held back,” which they actually used to do. The whole issue was dealt with as a conformity and behavior problem to be resolved with proper discipline.
I’m thankful - I’ve recently been diagnosed with mild-to-profound ADHD, depending on who needs to derive validation from someone else’s hardship - that I could skate without needing to study, and that I entered a field that glorifies hyper-focus; and while I’ll never be a rock-star employee, I can petition successfully for environmental improvement and realize similar performance improvement.
Now as I talk with my declining parents, I idly wonder which parent bequeathed this particular genetic quirk that both enables my dream job and stresses my wife so. :-|
I rejected the shrink’s expensive-as-hell pharma candy. They were helping her need for validation more than my anxiety and budget.
