Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the term used to classify people who are characterized as having problems paying attention, excessive activity or difficulty controlling behavior. The condition was officially known as attention deficit disorder (ADD) from 1980 to 1987, while before this it was known as hyperkinetic reaction of childhood. The terminology used to describe the condition has changed over time and has included: in the DSM-I (1952) "minimal brain dysfunction," in the DSM-II (1968) "hyperkinetic reaction of childhood," and in the DSM-III (1980) "attention-deficit disorder (ADD) with or without hyperactivity."[
In order to be diagnosed with ADHD the following conditions must be met:
Several inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive symptoms were present before age 12 years.
Several symptoms are present in two or more setting, (such as at home, school or work; with friends or relatives; in other activities).
There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning.
The symptoms are not better explained by another mental disorder (such as a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, dissociative disorder, or a personality disorder). The symptoms do not happen only during the course of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.
My view
I don’t dispute that ADHD or ADD is a mental disorder to a certain degree. But I do believe that the scope of ADHD or ADD is not what it seems to be, and that rather it is a way to force a certain group of people into the supposed norm of being in a society. So rather then looking at how the setting (School, workplace) is constructed, we look at the individual, and rather then changing the setting, we drug people into fitting into the setting.
I believe that many people diagnosed with ADHD are just people with another way of thinking and behaving, that we as a society are trying to force into a standard way of being. If we look at the personality types introverted and extroverted, which are opposite modes on the same scale. We could as a society deem introversion as being a mental disorder. Society is in many ways shaped for the extroverted, and I would say it's more socially accepted to be on the more extreme side of extroversion, rather then on the side of introversion. A extreme introvert would be deemed a loner, while an extreme extrovert is deemed popular. Would it be ok to drug introverts into becoming more extroverted? , like it is acceptable to give drugs to children who fails to give close attention to something someone wants them to put attention to.
Let's look at some of the symptoms for inattention.
The center of disease control and prevention has this list of symptoms for inattention:
-Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or with other activities.
Some people are detail oriented, while some are more of a bigger picture oriented. School tests are often detail oriented, where you are supposed to remember certain details about a issue or event, rather than to have a understanding of them. It’s more costly to test for understanding, rather than to test for detail knowledge.
-Often has trouble holding attention on tasks or play activities.
Keeping attention to tasks or play activities that you find interesting is shown to keep people's attention far more, than tasks or play activities you don’t find interesting. To what degree is it good to keep attention to one task, rather than to seek new tasks and experiences, when the novelty is gone. While one person might become a master at one task, the other might invent several other tasks.
-Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly.
This one is rather diffuse. Does it matter if a person seems to listen or not? What should be important is rather if they are listening.
-Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace (e.g., loses focus, side-tracked).
Here we can talk about people who prefer to follow instructions, and people who prefer to figure out things by themselves. It can also be about types of activity that just does not fit with the person, just like how extroverted activity, might be difficult for a introverted.
Often has trouble organizing tasks and activities.
Here we can talk about systematic mindset vs a flow mindset. Some people prefer and need a lot of order, some prefer chaos. Some tasks require a systematic mindset where you need to go from a to b to c, while other tasks would be better served with a person who can be spontaneous, without following a script.
-Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to do tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time (such as schoolwork or homework).
Some people are better at single task, while other are better at switching between tasks. Would the person that is good at tasks that require mental effort over a long period of time, avoid, dislike or be reluctant to do tasks that constantly change?
-Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities (e.g. school materials, pencils, books, tools, wallets, keys, paperwork, eyeglasses, mobile telephones).
This one I actually think is a fairly important one in order to possible diagnose a person for a disorder, if the things that the person is losing is of actual importance.
-Is often easily distracted
Some people might be more alert to noise and sight that changes. In certain settings this would be a good thing. Here also comes in the question about what are you distracted from, something that has actual importance, and something that is interesting to the person or not.
-Is often forgetful in daily activities.
This one to me is the same as a previous one (Often loses things necessary for tasks and activities). Here it is also important to question what they are forgetful about, is it actually important stuff or not.
What is the real problem?
I believe that the real culprit in determining if a person has trouble with focus and attention, has to do with the upbringing and the environment they are in. One of the culprits might be the television, with children being sat down to play with their toys in front of a big screens that constantly flash distracting images and sounds.Television programs, and especially advertisements are made to distract you. If a child has parents that interact with the child by not being mindful and present with the child, is it then strange if the child adopts the same ways of being. And what about the skill parents and teachers might have, or not have in making subjects and activities interesting. There are many ways to present a subject to a person, you can do it with a focus on visuals, with focus on sound, or a mix. You can embody the subject with dramatic stories, and you can have different degrees of interaction with the person. Another culprit is how schools and jobs are often standardised into one way of doing things, with little flexibility. And lastly what would happen to a person's self esteem if they are forced to adopt a learning strategy that is not fitted to them.
-support and acceptance of different ways of learning and being in life, instead of alienating discrimination