Today's post takes a different perspective on the portrayal of mental illness in social media. We are now looking at a situation at the opposite end of the spectrum. The two articles cited on this page highlight two doctors that not only claim ADHD is a "fake" disorder but also continue to prescribe ADHD medication to children. After each revision of the DSM, clinicians and the general public have their share of feedback regarding disorders, criteria, etc. However, these doctors take this to a whole new level by continuing to medicate children, which is not only unethical (and grounds for losing his license) but also sends a seriously wrong message about mental illness in our society.
Link to Article
In our first article, we are introduced to a doctor who provides medical services to an underserved youth population outside of Atlanta. This doctor outrightly states that while he believes ADHD is a fake disease, he continues to write prescriptions for Adderall to help children perform better in school. He actually has the audacity to claim that he has no other choice in the situation, stating, "I don't have a whole lot of choice. We've decided as a society that it's too expensive to modify the kid's environment. So we have to modify the kid." Not only does this perspective completely invalidate the experience of those who do suffer from ADHD, it also sends the message that medication is a "cure all" for our problems, whether or not it's related to mental heath. Additionally, this doctor is implying that we can do a better job servicing kids with special needs in school, which could very well be the case, but this does not mean he needs to take the matter into his own hands with prescriptions. While I agree that there is a chance ADHD is over-diagnosed, I am infuriated that someone would assume that kids require medication to succeed in school and then abuse their license to write these prescriptions. For therapists who are working with those who suffer from ADHD, they may struggle to collaborate with the patient and family around alternative or combined treatment options. The underlying issues may lie in parenting styles, family dynamics, or another issue that cannot be solved by Adderall. Additionally, therapists may run into issues with families who are searching for an ADHD diagnosis and medication treatment as soon as their child starts having academic and behavioral problems in school so they have a justification for the behavior. It would be in everyone's best interest if this doctor left this practice ASAP.
In our second article, we hear from "the scientific doctor of ADHD" who asserts that ADHD is a fake disorder. However, this doctor earned his living off of ADHD prescription drugs, which to me comes across as a complete contradiction. I would describe this man as a phony who just wanted to make a ton of money. Similar to the first article reviewed, this message invalidates the experience of those who have been diagnosed with the disorder. Regardless of his perspective, these people are suffering academically, socially, and emotionally and he is completely taking that away from them. However, he is also implying at the same time that they should keep taking the medication since it makes him so much money (again, completely contradictory). If I suffered from this disorder and heard that "the scientific doctor of ADHD" discredited his own work, I would feel lost and hopeless and even more confused about how to cope with my issues. I worry about how some people may feel after reading this doctor's claims. For therapists working with clients with ADHD, they may need to address this idea of a "fake disease" with the client if that person feels their experience isn't valid. The therapist should also probably prescribe medication sparingly to ensure that it is actually the most effective method of treatment in addition to psychotherapy.
With all of this said, we are not doing anyone a favor by telling them their disease is fake but they should keep taking prescription drugs. This messaging reinforces the desensitization of mental illness in our society and the use of medication to solve all problems.
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