Channel 4 ADHD documentary

[crackerjackbaby]

Totally totally one sided. And very dangerous as a result of that. AIBU to think this?

All of the peer-reviewed studies that say prevalence is likely between 3-5% of the general population. With only 1.8% diagnosed in the UK.

The reason that there has been a significant increase in diagnoses is because of the under diagnosis of women and girls.

A quick Google will show you.

We know ADHD is under diagnosed in the UK because large-scale electronic health record studies show that only about 0.32% to 1.2% of people have a formal diagnosis in their GP records, whereas international epidemiological surveys consistently estimate true population prevalence at roughly 3% to 5% of adults and children.
Studies analysing millions of UK primary care records reveal that roughly only 1 in 9 people who likely have ADHD based on expected population rates actually hold a formal diagnosis. The UK’s recorded treatment and diagnosis levels lag significantly behind expected clinical benchmarks and other European nations. Research, published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe, found that while 1.19% of people in England had an ADHD diagnosis in their primary care record, recorded diagnosis rates were notably lower across all age groups compared with the international estimates of actual ADHD prevalence, which typically range between 3% and 5%.

Older generations have been missed and healthcare systems viewed ADHD primarily as a condition affecting hyperactive young boys. Girls and women are much more likely to mask their symptoms or present with inattentiveness and emotional dysregulation rather than physical hyperactivity, causing them to be heavily overlooked. Studies show that roughly 1in 4 uk prisoners have ADHD yet the vast majority remain entirely undiagnosed until after they enter the prison system. This indicates a systemic failure to catch and support vulnerable individuals during childhood.

A consensus statement published by UK medical experts in the British Journal of Psychiatry explicitly confirmed that there is no scientific evidence of ADHD being overdiagnosed in the UK; rather, underdiagnosis and under-treatment remain the country's predominant clinical challenges.

I did not mention PIP, I said 'disability benefits,' and a LOT of people are on them for varying mental health disorders. Disorders that people have still gone to work with (for many years) until quite recently. And now people are on benefits for many years with zero intention of even attempting to try and get back to work. Indeed some people - under 30 - with certain conditions like 'anxiety' have never worked.

As you mention PIP, the amount of people on PIP now for mental health disorders is more than ever. Some 150,000 are on it for ADHD.. (And the majority are under 30.) Some 200,000 are on it for autism. (Also 80% of them under 30!) And around 550,000 are on it for 'anxiety.' It's only the anxiety group who have a more varied age group. But the vast majority are under 50, with about a third of that figure under 30.

You cannot possibly think this is OK. Especially not the 550,000 on benefits for anxiety. It's not OK. And this is why the constant dishing out of benefits for many people being given it for certain conditions (like 'anxiety') has to stop.

Of course, there are SOME who have one or more of these illnesses who simply cannot work, as they are too ill, but no way are the ones claiming these benefits and not working, incapable of ever working again (or at all.) . Indeed, I would imagine the majority could work, given the right training, encouragement, and motivation. As has been said, 100s of 1000s of people staying on benefits for life for certain mental health disorders for life is untenable. Can't happen ...

Work helps mental health, it socialises people, it helps them mix with their peers, and it gives them the pride of knowing they're earning their own money.

Yes, I know some people who are in receipt of PIP do work (many part time) but around 55% do not. And even with those who do work, the amount of PIP being dished out needs cutting. I agree with the rules and assessments being much stricter for things like 'anxiety.'

As I said, I believe that ADHD is a real condition and some people do have it, but in some cases, it's a product of their environment and parenting that causes certain behaviours in children/people, (and it's not always a chemical or biological reason,) and the ADHD label is doled out to them too easily and too conveniently.

You are wrong it absolutely is under diagnosed.

Can we have your evidence and links to research that backs up your claim saying

”in some cases, it's a product of their environment and parenting that causes certain behaviours in children/people, and not necessarily an actual chemical or biological problem.”

@TakeoutyourhenI completely feel your pain. I’ve had to explain many times to my mother what is going on with my son. I feel like I’m speaking to a brick wall and that she must be quite slow (or, at the very least,
spectacularly lacking in empathy) not to have a modicum of understanding by now. I’d love to have seen her parent him: she’d have had no clue and immediately floundered. Luckily for her, she had a clever, engaged, fairly attentive daughter. 🙄

Also does not help that they so rarely actually see him.

None so blind as they who will not see.

@Batfear There may well be some older people - over 45 say, who have never been diagnosed with ADHD, (who have it,) but there's no way ADHD on the whole is under diagnosed, not with the amount of people who have it, or claim to have it. I actually believe it could be under diagnosed in over 45s, but that it's over diagnosed in younger people/children.

And we can all find something online to back up our arguments.

But I know what I see every day. And many people will be seeing the same

You will never convince me, no matter how many 'studies' or 'statistics' you post that ADHD is under diagnosed overall..

In older people yeah, maybe, in younger people, no way.

.

Too many people self-diagnosing too.!

The NHS has 5% of young people aged 5-24 as the total estimated population who have adhd including those who have a diagnosis, or are waiting for a diagnosis.

The actual number of school aged children with a confirmed diagnosis is about 3.5%

So whilst I am sure that some people come across a group of 25% diagnosed adhd or in a pathway, just due to age, or demographic or coincidence Its not really back up as a widespread number.

(The 5% is based on worldwide prevalance rates from WHO, so 3.5% is under average)

🤣🤣🤣

Its peer reviewed well respected research and evidence recognised by the recent NHS ADHD taskforce as opposed to what you think and your own little supposition.

ADHD is under diagnosed in the UK. Sorry it doesn’t fit your narrative but it is.

People have to self diagnose whilst waiting for formal diagnosis for all sorts of things when wait lists on the NHS are ridiculously long. Groups such as women, girls, people of colour, those with autism too were also shut out of the diagnosis process for years- not their fault.

Its peer reviewed well respected research and evidence recognised by the recent NHS ADHD taskforce as opposed to what you think and your own little supposition.

How embarrassing for you that you think THIS ^ is some kind of 'Gotcha!' 😂
The ADHD task force and random 'well respected peers' doles out these 'facts' and that means it's all gospel???

I can see I have hit a raw nerve with you for some reason @Batfear So I will leave you to it

An actual expert in this field - https://theneuroscienceofeverydaylife.substack.com/p/a-review-of-the-guardians-review?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=24oxwv&fbclid=PAb21jcATy901wZG9mAmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkDzU2NzA2NzM0MzM1MjQyNwABpzXj2ZIEuu-BiCfQEdqs1iEObfa3bslK18qRGxruIKyKos-Hud3OlwVJXF9x_aem_rWgZ7iE6ykzVj5ASvwQVpg&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv6_a1dennhbqk2ore

But you don't have to declare the diagnose. You can however understand what it is and help your child implement strategies. Turning a blind eye to isn't going to help with what matters. What if you thought you had adhd and your parents just decided that you didn't need to know so just ignored it?

I think that is one of the concerns. A 7 year old relative was diagnosed on line after being spoken with for 10 minutes. Parents desperate for a diagnosis so the issue is the child rather than how the interact with them.

You mean you have zero evidence to back up your theory or argue against facts and figures that negate your accusations.

Sorry what's your experience of adhd again? Before I reply?

The presenter was diagnosed with ADHD online and prescribed medication. He clearly stated that the medication had numerous side effects and made him feel worse. So I don’t understand why loads of adults would be trying to get diagnosed. I was previously under the impression that ADHD medication was highly sought after but it didn’t look good.

There are lots of diseases which are not diagnosed by a blood test or imaging. They are diagnosed on the basis of clinical symptoms by someone with medical expertise.

This does not mean they are not 'unequivocally diagnosable'.

My family member has a rare form of motor neuron disease which was unequivocally diagnosed by a national specialist 3 years ago. She's now near to the point of death, her lungs are packing up, she started with one leg which suddenly stopped working properly, then it spread.

There is still nothing which would show up on a scan or blood test - but she most certainly is dying from the disease with which she was unequivocally diagnosed. Are you saying she shouldn't be entitled to her hospice care because she might be faking it due to a lack of evidence?

A private ADHD test costs a fortune - so I'm not sure who these people are who are paying for a private ADHD diagnosis so they can claim some meagre benefit payments.

NHS waiting lists are clogged up with people who might have ADHD, not people who want to claim benefits. It's a 3 year wait for a child and a 10 year wait for an adult diagnosis - that's a pretty long-term strategy for lazy people looking for fraudulent benefits claims.

Also the ability for some people to get a private diagnosis means there are less people on the NHS waiting lists - it's unfair thar some people can access private assessment and some can't, but it wouldn't make those NHS waiting lists shorter if private assessment wasn't available.

Your logic is heavily flawed.

Private firms are doing assessments via the NHS right to choose process.
There are concerns these are not rigorous. Eg child I know was spoken to on a screen for 10 minutes on a Saturday afternoon when she wanted to go out and play!

The BBC did a piece on diagnosis-on-demand in 2023.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65534449

So you just simply disagree. Well thank the lord that the medical profession take absolutely no notice of people of your type whatsoever.
You'd soon go running for medication/chemo if you, or your child, had cancer though, wouldn't you?
Trust me, chemo is FAR FAR MORE poisonous than any short acting stimulant is, I know, I had to have it.
Oh, and who's talking about sleeping drugs here? NO-ONE. So stop clutching your pearls, and leave the people who KNOW about these things to get on with it, and stop making some children's lives virtually unbearable

The BBC article from 2023 mentioned that trauma/stress can cause ADHD-like symptoms.

My brother and I think we 'may have' ADHD. We're both over 60 and won't be seeking diagnosis, but are both suffering increasingly persistent malfunctions as we get older. Our childhood was traumatic, then, as adults, the effects of that rolled up into more traumatic episodes.

If you have a full-scale NHS assessment, the psychiatrist will look for situations that may have created long-term behavioural and/or emotional issues, which can mimic ADHD and/or autism. A clinic taking a couple of grand off you will only look at your symptoms to see if they match the diagnosis.

Like most old people, my bro and I feel it's just as useful to know ourselves and our weaknesses, doing our best with what we've got. We both had successful careers in fields that thrived on intense focus followed by creatively messing about, and didn't care very much if we were late because time blindness works at both ends of the day.

I could go for pages, but my point is that individual quirks were considered normal before society decided that quirks are pathologies. There were kids who malfunctioned severely - those children received intensive therapies, some of which were unhelpful but at least their needs were recognised as intractable.

What I'm saying is that I agree with the PPs suggesting ADHD and autism are being over-diagnosed in younger people, while there may also have been many undiagnosed in older generations.

I don’t agree with giving children amphetamines.
we used to give children heroin for coughs. Routinely.

The issue is that we live in an increasingly psychiatrized society and a lot of what is happening today around neurodivergence is the search for category membership, and immunity for our actions. It's the ongoing move to identity politics as the driver of social interaction and self perception. The bottom line has to be how helpful the medicalization of "just how we are" really is. ADHD and other ND that doesn't profoundly affect our day to day activities are being 'treated' rather than lived with, and that's why it gets compared to being gay, or trans, or other identities rather than an illness. It may be that treating a natural neurodevelopmental state, something an individual has rather than developed as an illness, is not really the right course. I feel similarly about depression, which I've had. Drugs are not the answer. Learning who you are, and accepting that, is far healthier IMHO.

My issue with it was when he had those 2+ months of disruptive behaviour, where was the thought for the other 29+ children in the classroom? Working in the education system it’s painfully clear how much the rest of the class suffers when there’s a child disrupting learning whether that’s due to ADHD or another factor