Whatever happened to all the ADD/ADHD kids?

[Art 1]

Whatever happened to arthritis? Remember when people used to "have arthritis" and then we found out it was just an agenda being pushed by the freemasons?

Oh, and chickenpox. Funny how that one went away after it "killed FDR".

I had 10 doctors diagnose me with post-partem depression. Turned out to plain old meningitis.

I'm just telling it like it is. Sick of the PC garbage.

I think now they call it fibromyalgia. Arthritis that is. Sounds better and gets people out of work and on disability.

 

[jevs]

I see the lack of compassion and empathy is a worldwide epidemic.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

Well, if evidence was needed that shows just how far we still need to go, here it is. Every time I get fooled into thinking that the stigma has been replaced with empathy, understanding, education and knowledge, something like this reminds me just how far we've yet to go. Sad.

 

[palavra]

Never said they were and I agree. But what I did say is many seem to almost brag about it, or somehow be proud about it. And that I can't figure out. There are many examples on this forum.

My daughter has ADHD and very high functioning Aspergers. I can tell you I am proud of her. I am proud everyday that we have made it to middle school because the bullying she has endured from other students and a few teachers as well is probably more than I could bear. And yet she is doing well, finding her own way, marching to her own beat, and not bothered by the "normal" kids. Raising her for 13 years has been the hardest thing that my husband and I have ever done, and, yes, we are proud that we are making ti one day at a time.

Now, I know that is not what you originally meant in your post, but I won't touch the nastiness of your original comment. Just thank God that you have not had to live with ADHD and/or Autism and leave those of us who do live with the consequences of these disorders to go on with out lives.

 

[Missy1961]

I've known several people in recent years who've had great success treating their Depression. Jerky Personality Syndrome is sadly still mostly untreatable. Maybe the Psych Doctors will eventually figure it out.

We can hope.

 

[Luv2Run]

@Art 1, last week was Mental Health Week, and there were several articles posted online devoted to helping those with serious mental disorders cope with their illnesses. Your flippant attitude toward these issues is exactly why so many people who suffer from them do not seek help, for fear of being told to "just get over it" or "suck it up". Do you not understand that they would if they could? The brain chemistry of people who suffer from mental disorders like ADD, ADHD, PTSD, schizophrenia, anxiety, major depressive disorder, etc are vastly different than those who don't suffer from them. Their neurotransmitters and neuroreceptors function in a completely different manner.

Do yourself a favor and read up on Dr. Martin Seligman's theory of learned helplessness, and see just how the functions of the brain can literally change when exposed to situations such as extreme fear and emotional trauma, and you will see that these are not just made it up in someone's head, and they cannot just "get over it" on their own. That would be like asking someone who is diabetic to just start producing their own insulin even though their pancreas can't do it for them.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I can't believe how many people are actually taking this thread seriously.
The OP should have a great big jewel stuck in their belly button and crazy hair.

 

[cijay]

Has anyone actually read the post that starts this? Nobody is saying the conditions don't exist. (Though I see that ignoring-the-original-message-ism is alive and well). What is being asked is where did all these common diagnoses go? I'm not seeing 'everyone was faking it', I'm reading something very valid and someone brought up the fibromyalgiamania point and it's a good one.

I have arthritis but one time, I knew it wasn't just a flare up for a few reasons. One - I don't have 'flare ups' and the other is that it was pain I had never felt before and it went for so long - months. Finally I went to a clinic and they just decided it was fibromyalgia and wanted to just give me a prescription. (BTW, I know everyone is saying that clinics are just the fast food of the medical world but all I went there for was pain relievers stronger than OTC before I could get to my regular doctor the following week). Everyone I knew at the time was walking around with fibromyalgia diagnosis, on disability and hopped up on pain pills. I didn't fill the prescription because I always check if it's compatible with the medications I take for epilepsy and I'm a huge procrastinator and didn't get around to it and eventually I only had a few more days to wait 'til I got to see Dr. R.

I'd had a bad food allergy outbreak a few months back and still had a few sores from it (yes, it's a bad allergy), he swabbed one and did a few more tests. I had a strep infection in my spine. I would have been on pain pills for something that was curable. (Lost a lot of hair from the antibiotics but it was cured!)

But I'm not saying that fibromyalgia doesn't exist, it's just that I don't have it.
This thread started as - not saying ADHD et.al. don't exist but that perhaps there were many haphazard diagnoses 25 years ago.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I see the lack of compassion and empathy is a worldwide epidemic.

What if they are all just on the spectrum? Mind blown!!!

Seriously the OP never came back. Dance puppets! Dance!!!

 

[Christine]

Has anyone actually read the post that starts this? Nobody is saying the conditions don't exist. (Though I see that ignoring-the-original-message-ism is alive and well). What is being asked is where did all these common diagnoses go? I'm not seeing 'everyone was faking it', I'm reading something very valid and someone brought up the fibromyalgiamania point and it's a good one.

I have arthritis but one time, I knew it wasn't just a flare up for a few reasons. One - I don't have 'flare ups' and the other is that it was pain I had never felt before and it went for so long - months. Finally I went to a clinic and they just decided it was fibromyalgia and wanted to just give me a prescription. (BTW, I know everyone is saying that clinics are just the fast food of the medical world but all I went there for was pain relievers stronger than OTC before I could get to my regular doctor the following week). Everyone I knew at the time was walking around with fibromyalgia diagnosis, on disability and hopped up on pain pills. I didn't fill the prescription because I always check if it's compatible with the medications I take for epilepsy and I'm a huge procrastinator and didn't get around to it and eventually I only had a few more days to wait 'til I got to see Dr. R.

I'd had a bad food allergy outbreak a few months back and still had a few sores from it (yes, it's a bad allergy), he swabbed one and did a few more tests. I had a strep infection in my spine. I would have been on pain pills for something that was curable. (Lost a lot of hair from the antibiotics but it was cured!)

But I'm not saying that fibromyalgia doesn't exist, it's just that I don't have it.
This thread started as - not saying ADHD et.al. don't exist but that perhaps there were many haphazard diagnoses 25 years ago.

You are correct. There is nothing wrong with posing the question: what happened to all the hype I heard years ago about ADHD? That's not how that original post was worded. I answered it without indicating I was offended. And not much here offends me; however, the tone of the post was snide. There is certainly nothing wrong with having a curiosity or concern about what the "disorder du jour" is, but I'm not thinking that this new poster had that in mind. It was just a post designed to show their intolerance of people who are less than perfect. In one paragraph, they minimized ADD/ADHD, food allergies, and autism.

Now, to go on another tangent, my aunt has both mild arthritis and fibromyalgia. In my mind, they are two distinct diagnoses.

 

[Kady]

I hate to fall into this trap, but here goes...

My son is on the spectrum. He has come a long way since he was diagnosed at age three, but there is no mistaking that he is different. Odd. Quirky. Socially awkward. He has a twin brother (fraternal) and if ever there was a way to compare a typical kid and an ASD kid, well, there you go. I DO NOT brag that my son is autistic nor do I even bring it up. The people that need to know, know and that's that.

But you know what? I should brag because he is a brilliant musician. He is incredibly creative and makes stop action Lego movies and is an incredible artist. Who knows if he would have had these talents if he were NT, but who cares? He's unintentionally hilarious most of the time and when he tries to be funny sometimes he's not so much. He struggles in school, but he has friends (nerdy friends) and he does well in some subjects. Everything that comes naturally for most people he has had to learn and continues to learn. It is not an easy life for him and he knows he's different. But I tell him that we all have our struggles and we all have our hang ups and NO ONE is normal. I think we are harder on him than our other two kids because we know life is not going to be easy for him.

The ignorance that the minority display on here is appalling, but thankfully it's the minority. I would never and will never judge another person's struggle in life. A young mother in our area killed herself recently due to a lifelong struggle with depression. It doesn't make me want to judge her. It makes me sad. I don't think, oh, she should have just got out of bed and got on with it. Those of you who judge ...why? Why not show compassion even if you don't understand? Why not try to understand?

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Honestly OP, I kind of understand what you are saying. Like the whole gluten thing now, there seems to be a "cool kid" mentality when it comes to being diagnosed with certain conditions/illneses/disorders. Not that I am being unsympathetic or uncaring, but I see where people might think this way.

Let me offer a doozy. Apparently, there is such a "disorder" called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. My youngest son, after months and months of randomly throwing up for no apparent reason, and being in the hospital and many tests later, was just diagnosed with this. Try talking to your kid's school and teacher about that one!

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-inf...ses/cyclic-vomiting-syndrome/Pages/facts.aspx

"Ummm....this is Mrs. So and So. Little Junior won't be in again today because his cyclic vomiting is acting up again."

Totally embarassing, and I have already gotten a truancy letter (we are covered by Dr. notes, though, thank goodness!). It happens mostly in the morning; wouldn't you know it...right in time to catch the bus. I can't send him while he is violently vomiting! We have to wait a few hours, have him sleep for a while, then bring him in. It sucks, but people actually laugh at me when I tell them. They wouldn't be laughing if they saw this 70lb 4th grader gagging and puking his brains out for no reason all the time or having to run out of the classroom so he doesn't hurl all over the kid next to him.

So, let's go easy on these "diagnosed" problems...eh?

 

[MataHari22]

But you can try, and it seems many don't.

I agree with you. One must try. Many don't seem to and seem to feel sorry for themselves and mope around. Sometimes one needs to just make their mind up to get out of bed and get going.

I don't know what it is, but it's life and one just has to deal with it and not feel sorry for themselves.

I think now they call it fibromyalgia. Arthritis that is. Sounds better and gets people out of work and on disability.

You really need to educate yourself if you think someone that has clinical depression and or anxiety can just make their mind up to just snap out of it. Fibromyalgia is not arthritis, I don't have it, but I know people who do, and I wouldn't want to deal with it, for sure. It really annoys me when people believe that these illnesses are all in a person's head. I really hope you never have an issue like this, have an illness that is not "visible" to others, and if you did, I really think you'd change your tune if you had to deal with something like this. It's hard enough to be in physical and or mental pain all the time, and dealing with people that have no empathy, and think that you are just being mopey, and that you aren't choosing to get better, is just even more draining, is insulting, and contributes to more stress on the individual having to deal with these things.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

In honor of Star Wars...

 

[BillBrasky]

Enough political correctness. Strep throat is NOT REAL. Appendicitis? False flag. Have you ever seen IBS and Crohn's Disease in the same room at the same time?

 

[gobnu1]

Honestly OP, I kind of understand what you are saying. Like the whole gluten thing now, there seems to be a "cool kid" mentality when it comes to being diagnosed with certain conditions/illneses/disorders. Not that I am being unsympathetic or uncaring, but I see where people might think this way.

Let me offer a doozy. Apparently, there is such a "disorder" called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. My youngest son, after months and months of randomly throwing up for no apparent reason, and being in the hospital and many tests later, was just diagnosed with this. Try talking to your kid's school and teacher about that one!

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-inf...ses/cyclic-vomiting-syndrome/Pages/facts.aspx

"Ummm....this is Mrs. So and So. Little Junior won't be in again today because his cyclic vomiting is acting up again."

Totally embarassing, and I have already gotten a truancy letter (we are covered by Dr. notes, though, thank goodness!). It happens mostly in the morning; wouldn't you know it...right in time to catch the bus. I can't send him while he is violently vomiting! We have to wait a few hours, have him sleep for a while, then bring him in. It sucks, but people actually laugh at me when I tell them. They wouldn't be laughing if they saw this 70lb 4th grader gagging and puking his brains out for no reason all the time or having to run out of the classroom so he doesn't hurl all over the kid next to him.

So, let's go easy on these "diagnosed" problems...eh?

Ding, ding ding, we have a winner

 

[Liberty Belle]

Ding, ding ding, we have a winner

Really? Because it seems like you two are saying different things.

 

[dadtoagirl03]

So I have to ask the question? Is there anyone on the DIS who has a child that doesn't have ADD, ADHD, ABC, ABCD, ABCDE on the specturm, etc.....?
We have several ADD/ADHD kids we work with on a volunteer basis and I've found that a little structure and discipline, which none of them have at home, seems to magically make the symptoms disappear?
Go Figure.

 

[Liberty Belle]

I think now they call it fibromyalgia. Arthritis that is. Sounds better and gets people out of work and on disability.

Fibromyalgia does not equal arthritis. I'm not even going to address your second comment.

 

[Liberty Belle]

So I have to ask the question? Is there anyone on the DIS who has a child that doesn't have ADD, ADHD, ABC, ABCD, ABCDE on the specturm, etc.....?
We have several ADD/ADHD kids we work with on a volunteer basis and I've found that a little structure and discipline, which none of them have at home, seems to magically make the symptoms disappear?
Go Figure.

Wow - a) how do you know what they have or don't have at home? b) no, discipline will not make the brain suddenly develop where there is a deficit, unfortunately. Structure helps, but not for the reasons you seem to be suggesting.