Is nobody watching the Great ADHD Myth?

[ILikeTrains]

I was expecting to see lots of chatter about this. 1/2hr in - interesting!

Your ignorance is astounding

I’m watching this on catch up. Such a frustrating patronising programme.

Mason and his family were lovely. I felt for his mum. What a hard decision. You'd think he could be given some sort of of SAT alternative. Schools should change as was suggested.

The education system is set up to get people passing exams, who can go into professions that require qualifications (hairdresser, nurse, doctor, lawyer, accountant, architect, psychiatrist - funnily enough!). We need those people as a country and can’t do without them.

I would have liked the education side challenged because as someone who teaches both neurodivergent and neurotypical children, you can’t teach when someone is constantly shouting out random stuff like “poo”, making fart noises endlessly or star jumping across the classroom when you’re trying to focus on new learning. Neither can children learn in that chaotic environment. Some pupils, who want to do well, end up getting annoyed at those causing the disruption.

It’s a real hard one, as no one wants to see children medicated, but unless the public want to pay more tax to have different schools for children who find mainstream education a challenge, then that’s where we’re at.

Anyone can cobble together some professionals with a certain opinion and platform it. Doesn't make them right. I'd be more interested if they presented a balanced argument.

also didn't that bloke just contradict himself? 'I definitely don't have adhd' to 'if I'd been diagnosed when I was younger I wouldn't have developed all these strategies I use' ermmmm.....???

im also questioning the ethics behind using this kid in this way.

I think having a broader spectrum of people with ADHD would’ve been useful in this programme. Instead it pretty much focused on this one lad.

I don’t think many people will be surprised that less processed food and less intense gaming/videos will have a good outcome for most if not all people. (I can’t say just ‘screens’ as I can’t imagine reading on a Kindle is the same as dopamine rush gaming!)

Now he wants to know what the meds are like so is going to take them despite claiming he doesn't have adhd and feels he's been misdiagnosed.

so they won't have the same effect on him if he doenst have adhd will they 🤣

What a lot of absolute balls.

A string of clinicians from his ADHD Sceptics WhatsApp group trotted out to back up his hypothesis, plus an ethically questionable trial of one child does not prove anything, certainly not 'the truth about ADHD' (or whatever.) As for his own diagnosis, the doctor does protest too much, methinks.

It did prove that you can never underestimate the amount of stupidity people will employ in the service of righteousness, though, I'll give him that.

They've surely muddied the scientific waters by also removing screens and processed foods(?) at the same time?

There are thought to be strong links between ADHD and adverse childhood experiences. That’s not to say that all children with a diagnosis have suffered ACEs nor that all children who have suffered ACEs will develop ADHD, but there is a strong correlation. Refuting this is a bit like sticking your fingers in your ears and singing LaLaLa loudly.

The previous poster said it was because of screen use. My husband works in mental health and previously worked in youth criminal justice mental health, I also work in criminal justice so I am well aware of the impact of ACEs. Trauma can often present similarly to neurodivergence.
My child hasn't had the kind of upbringing with multiple ACEs and nor did my husband.

It set out to prove that ADHD is a made up condition and ended up proving that it very much isn't.

I loved the old female GPs ideas on education. Yes just get them playing football and running round outside in nature all day, that's certainly going to equip them for being self supporting adults, isn't it?

And the woman who says brains are plastic and will change with training. So how come I have trained myself over 60 years never to be late for a meeting by always being early, yet somehow I'm still going to end up at the doctor tomorrow, ironically to discuss medicating my ADHD, at 12.30 for a 1.15 appointment? You'd think it would have learned by now!

Max Pemberton just doesn't want a label. Fine Max, you reject the label even though it's screamingly obvious that your diagnosis is correct, but you can get off trying to tell me I don't have ADHD.

There is also a correlation with dementia. Strange that a condition that doesn't exist results in dementia with a disproportionate number of people who have it.

I am taping it and will watch with interest. I have and ADHD diagnosis but I am somewhat open to the criticism of the diagnosis. I have my own doubts and I do often wonder what is really going on and think it is a conversation we need to have as a society.

ACEs also increase the risk of dementia. That’s probably what’s happening.

How often? Any links/studies/statistics to share in support of your three word statement?

I started watching it but I got distracted……

True, but also the lifestyle factors that people who get diagnosed with ADHD are often also correlated with dementia as well so is it the ADHD or is it the lifestyle and if it's the lifestyle then could that be the lifestyle factors also causing the ADHD symptoms? I'm not saying it is and as I say about I have an ADHD diagnosis myself I am just open to the critique of it.

I’d be interested to hear what you’re basing this on?

I'd also like him to consider this anecdata , my husband has two half siblings he was unaware of until very recently (he had no relationship with his biological father but has had an excellent step father from infancy), both of these half siblings have been diagnosed, one with AuDHD and the other with ADHD they were raised by different people in different areas, different schools, different experiences, very different lifestyles. All have a diagnosis and the two that have children of their own DH and one of the half siblings, the children also have diagnoses. DH hadn't even met them a year ago. How is there not a genetic link?

What shameful is the parents that fake it or say their kids have high levels of it to grab more benefit money.
People like that take the help away from them that really need it.

Where's the money for having ND? Two members of my household have it and we don't get a penny!

I loved it when they panned the camera back after Max had rejected his diagnosis and his foot was tap tap tapping on the stool. It's so typical of those of us with ADHD, one part at least just has to be moving!

I produced evidence for my diagnosis at 62 that I had been like it since I was a child. No screens in 1960!

Well, that was the point!

IF he had been diagnosed, he most likely would have been medicated. He wasn’t, so he developed ways to manage some issues that he had. That’s therefore a good thing. To be yourself and recognise that you find certain situations difficult, and then to find ways to mitigate.

Medicating children to suppress their natural tendencies should not be encouraged.

Why would I watch something full of misinformation? Its a program for gullible people, who don't want to accept their brains just work differently.