Channel 4 ADHD documentary

[crackerjackbaby]

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

They don’t. PIP is reviewed every 3 years and it’s a ball ache with robust evidence needed. They don’t simply go on benefits because they have an adhd diagnosis they go because of need and not will often be because of comorbidities.Adhd and autism can vary hugely in support needs . Some will have pip but many won’t.

It's great that is your experience. I had depression etc BECAUSE of my ADHD. ADHD is something I was born with that cannot be cured. Changing my lifestyle is not going to fix it (I have tried). At the age of 44 I am very sure of this.

Can you not see the difference? Do you think someone with another chronic condition can fix it with diet? What about a diabetic? Why is this different?

This is exactly what I mean.

The whole ADHD conversation is being wrapped up with benefits.

I would be horrified if my child considered a life on benefits as their future when they are well able to work. Sadly several of their friends are going down this path. It’s very sad

I would when the costly outcomes to the UK from unsupported ADHD is highlighted.

ADHD is a potent, early route into multiple adverse and costly outcomes across different sectors. It thus represents an important early prevention target. ADHD is associated with higher risks of educational failure, not in education, employment or training (NEET), long-term unemployment, welfare costs, early entry into the criminal justice system, family breakdown, chronic mental health problems, self-harm, suicide, substance misuse, obesity, chronic physical illnesses (e.g. cardiovascular disease) and premature mortality With early, needs-led support in childhood and timely clinical intervention, when required, many of these impacts and costs can be successfully avoided .

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/report-of-the-independent-adhd-taskforce-part-1/

I feel generally very suspicious of people making money off people via medications. I genuinely do.

I also genuinely believe modern lifestyles are so unhealthy in many ways, and so many illnesses/conditions/unhappiness result from that.

ADHD medication is the most studied medication in psychiatry, backed up by decades of research. What it does is actually quite subtle. I'm still me, I still have ADHD but it reduces the internal friction and makes everyday life a little bit easier. When you have lived a life where seemingly normal things feel so much harder for you, this is such a massive improvement.

I will give you the benefit of the doubt that you mean well but I don't think you have an understanding of what this condition is. The suggestions you are making are dangerous and that is a big problem when shows like this "documentary" are targeting such a misunderstood condition.

I wish people would educate themselves instead of lashing out.

So I know a great deal about suicide, as I am the child of a parent who died by suicide. There was a great deal he could have done to improve his mental health issues.

I am extremely suspicious of people pushing medications and making money off people instead of looking at root causes and healthy ways to alleviate symptoms.

We unfortunately live in a society which is no longer very healthy generally. This is not the fault of individuals, but it is unsurprising so many are struggling, that’s actually a legitimate response to an unhealthy environment.

How can children do this when the overwhelming majority need to attend a school.? Most parents cannot accommodate home education so they have little choice but to spend a large part of their waking hours at place that even in best case scenario cannot allow them to have the flexibility they need due to the practicalities of having hundreds or thousands of children all in one place. If we insist on young people going through this uniform, rigid system in order to achieve independent adulthood, those with ADHD need to take whatever measures available to survive it.

We can tell you’re not a medical professional.

So I agree with you in the sense that the current education system is placing far too high expectations on young children, and that they would benefit from far more exercise and outdoor time. The jump in what each age group is expected to learn is huge (ex-teacher here), and I don’t think it suits boys in particular.

Personally, I’d rather change school or home educate than medicate developing, immature brains, but I get that’s not an option for everyone. I personally would not medicate one of my children to force them to fit the wrong environment.

Yeah so do I as I had a child who repeatedly tried to take their own life - until she had ADHD medication. We tried everything so don’t tell me that sufferers and parents like me don’t try other measures. No parent wants their kid on any strong medication if they can avoid it. I’m sick to death of families with children who have ADHD being written off as reckless,lazy,medication loving scroungers on benefits that don’t work and live unhealthy lives with naughty children. It’s blatant discrimination.

And again ADHD isn’t a mental health condition it’s a neurological condition you are born with.

My 11yr old certainly showed symptoms from birth.

I didn't find the programme balanced at all, but agree completely that we need a more pragmatic approach to the explosion in claimed cases

Certainly the conditions exist, but the abuse of the "labels" is getting ridiculous.
The NHS reckon those affected hover around 6% of the population, but even if we double or treble this it bears no relation to the number who claim they are, and who rush to armchair diagnose everyone else

Many medical professionals now dish out tablets way too quickly to get rid of patients as they don’t have the time to thoroughly explore what is going on, many are not experts themselves across varied health conditions. More time is needed to explore deeper, and time is lacking unfortunately.

Sorry to hear about your child struggling so much, attempted suicide is extremely tough on family members. Glad your child is doing better now.

My 6 year old son was privately diagnosed with AuDHD.

You have to pay the full fee before the assessment takes place.

There is no refund if your child doesn't receive a diagnosis.

You don't pay for diagnosis, you pay to skip the queue.

And again🙄The reason there is an alleged “explosion” ( debatable)in claimed cases is because women, girls , people who also have autism and people of colour who were previously shut out of the diagnosis process are now seen. That and the 9 year NHS wait lists!

I've chosen not to seek a diagnosis for my DD despite some clear traits when she was younger. I'm worried that in the long term having a diagnosis will be a detriment to her. Its a slightly "out there" opinion - but once we have electronic ID cards and everything is linked up I worry that a diagnosis such as this will exclude her from certain progressions - jobs, travel, finances. I know it might be a way off but who knows where we will be in 20+ years time when she wants a mortgage or to move to another country. These days its seen as a way of opening doors but I doubt that will be the case for much longer.

She has also developed some excellent coping skills and support systems in the last 10 years so maybe the teachers telling me she needed assessing back then were just jumping on the bandwagon.

Wow you’re suggesting parents withhold diagnosis and treatment for some future job that may never happen. Is that all conditions and illnesses that require a diagnosis?

Some of us have kids who won’t get jobs or travel without a diagnosis and medication.

Not all. I'm saying that I think that having a diagnosis such as this could be detrimental to the person in the future. I am not saying that other parents should withhold necessary assessment and treatment, just we should be careful about putting labels on children if they don't need them.

This “documentary” has been lapped up by my mother. “Everyone has ADHD then!”
The fact that he got assessed as combined type, same as me, has cemented their views.
It is exhausting attempting to explain yourself to people who have an answer for everything or “everyone does that”.

Very happy to believe ADHD is real and medication useful for some people, but these are some of my own experiences:

• in a non-selected group of children in one city I found 1/4-1/3 had an ADHD diagnosis. How can it be pathological behaviour if 25% of people display it?
• teacher was adamant my eldest had ADHD, I was adamant they were bored. Suggested some more gamification of tasks eg fun maths questions and surprise, the fidgety behaviour completely resolved.
• ADHD diagnoses much higher in spring/summer born kids (in large peer-reviewed cohort studies) ie the youngest in their year (as mine was) suggesting there is significant misinterpretation of "normal" behaviour as compared to peers.

Very happy to believe ADHD is real and meds helpful but strongly believe it is over diagnosed currently because we lack outlets for kids to go outside and run their energy and imaginations out like we used to once upon a less intensely supervised time.

How do we know that it's under-diagnosed?

It is understandable that many people are sceptical though.

I do 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 not necessarily an actual chemical or biological problem. Some people are too quick to label them with ADHD. Some people even self diagnose! As the above poster @ThisNattyTurtle said, it is over diagnosed. It is certainly not UNDER diagnosed. (as @swimsong suggested!) How can that be? So many children/young people you meet these days seem to have it/say they have it!)

One of my neighbours was overjoyed when her 7 y.o. was diagnosed with ADHD, (a very shouty, angry child who kicks, and spits on people, and breaks things, and bullies other children at school...) But when the mother took him for his diagnosis, I bet she neglected to mention that she screams blue murder at him half the time, she is always angry, she's always shouting/never talks properly, and she boots him outside most of the day, to find someone to play with as she CBA with him.

She has no job, and very little to do, but CBA to lift a finger to play with him, read to him, take him out for picnics or to the park, and generally be a mum. IMO his upbringing has resulted in his bad behaviour. There is no actual chemical or biological reason for it. IMO. I reckon with better parenting he would have been a different person, and would very likely never have been diagnosed with ADHD. That is JMO of course.

Oh, she was overjoyed, when he was diagnosed with ADHD, because she now had a reason for his behaviour, and it was nothing to do with her. 🙄

!

The expert who fronted it is an expert in geriatric psychiatry. Not neurodiversity. And not paediatric.

The show has been roundly condemned by actual experts in this area.