Sunderland Echo

Certain irony

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There is a certain irony concerning the naming of October as ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactiv­ity Disorder) Awareness Month.

Considerin­g the lack of scientific evidence to support its existence, it's awareness of a condition that's never been scientific­ally proven. Comparison­s have been drawn between ADHD and the Emperor’s New Clothes. It’s been 33 years since socalled ADHD was voted into

existence by the American Psychiatri­c Associatio­n.

It was a show of hands that gave the green light for its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistica­l Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): that however is called consensus. It's not science.

When all psychiatri­c rhetoric is stripped away, what psychiatri­sts have actually done is to redefine various aspects of behaviour as an illness that can be drugged. ADHD started out as a childhood disorder represente­d by children and adolescent­s who might have difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities, who might lose things necessary for tasks or activities, who might get easily distracted, or who might talk excessivel­y. The redefiniti­on of normal behaviour represents an impressive marketing strategy that’s good business but bad medicine in my opinion.

Boisterous, argumentat­ive or disruptive behaviour isn't a mental illness; being disorganis­ed, procrastin­ating and impulsive isn’t either. The pseudoscie­nce used by psychiatri­c authors in an effort to edit out humanity is, in my mind, blinding.

Psychiatri­sts have told people that “normal” could be restored by resolving a “chemical imbalance of the brain”. However there are no scientific tests that can be done to support the existence of a chemical imbalance.

There are just words. Expensive and damaging psychiatri­c drugs then enter the scene.

While it cannot be denied that some people do experience difficulti­es in life, it’s important to realise that the psychiatri­c industry and drug manufactur­ers have, as far as I am concerned, formed an unholy alliance that I believe puts business above real medicine Be fully informed to make that all-important choice for you or your child.

Brian Daniels. Citizens Commission on Human Rights (UK).

“Their media presence could help with many social issues.”

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“Many of them do have a public voice.”

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