Is ADHD an actual "disorder"?

Also, you guys are really mean. You do realize you can have debates without swearing or calling each other idiots, right?

No, in fact I was completely unaware of that.

And I'm sorry arlen, I deffinetly agree with djangonator on this one. It's just an excuse. I knew plenty of kids who acted like that, even did a little of it myself. It is in the nature of children to be childish. Theres no need to supress that with medication or to give them an excuse to fuck around.

I'm just going to state my opinion, and not bother reading through the other posts, like most other people do, you know, to see what it's like.

I think ADD is real, and ADHD as well, to a much lesser extent. Although from my experience, most people who think they have it, really don't. Why do we have to live in a society today where everything has to be labeled as some sort of disorder or disease or illness?

For example:
Obesity - not a disease.

Oh, no! You're child is really hyper, they must have ADHD! Or maybe more likely they're just being a normal kid, or probably even more likely, you let them drink to much sodas. =\

Again, it's not about whether or not the symptoms are present. It's about to what DEGREE the symptoms are present. Does every kid have AD(H)D? Not all, no, but to some extent, yes! Does every kid that has it really need medication? NO! Do some kids have it worse than others? YES! I am living proof! LOOK AT ME!

I feel you contradicted yourself here.

Also, you guys are really mean. You do realize you can have debates without swearing or calling each other idiots, right?

No, in fact I was completely unaware of that.

And I'm sorry arlen, I deffinetly agree with djangonator on this one. It's just an excuse. I knew plenty of kids who acted like that, even did a little of it myself. It is in the nature of children to be childish. Theres no need to supress that with medication or to give them an excuse to fuck around.

Here's what I don't get about your point; how is ADHD giving children an excuse to fuck around? If anything, from your point of view, it's doing the exact opposite, and killing what it means for them to be a child.

Again, it's not about whether or not the symptoms are present. It's about to what DEGREE the symptoms are present. Does every kid have AD(H)D? Not all, no, but to some extent, yes! Does every kid that has it really need medication? NO! Do some kids have it worse than others? YES! I am living proof! LOOK AT ME!

I feel you contradicted yourself here.

I don't, so would you care to explain?

Does every kid have AD(H)D? Not all, no, but to some extent, yes!

You just said every kid has it but doesn't have it. That counts as contradicting yourself. Pick one or the other, because you can't have both.

Does every kid have AD(H)D? Not all, no, but to some extent, yes!

You just said every kid has it but doesn't have it. That counts as contradicting yourself. Pick one or the other, because you can't have both.

Not really. Did you even read anything else in the post? You know, like

it's not about whether or not the symptoms are present. It's about to what DEGREE the symptoms are present.

Maybe I wasn't being clear enough, but here's what I was saying:

Everyone's saying all kids have AD(H)D symptoms. I agree with that. A lot of kids don't like to concentrate on schoolwork or what have you, some kids have it worse. Like I did. Those kids might need medication, and those are the kids that "really" have AD(H)D.

I guess it wasn't all that clear, sorry.

Good, I think that will stop further confusion.

I agree with arlen, very much, I'm not saying that it is impossible to have symptoms of what we call ADHD, I just disagree that it should be labeled a disorder.

Just a side-comment, but when I was going to school in Pennsylvania, HALF THE PEOPLE I KNEW were on the stuff. It was creepy, because they were all zombies. Any time they acted different from that or LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, the teachers sent them to the nurse for medicine or wrote them detentions for "acting out". THAT is what pisses me off.

Oh, and for the record, I'm on the fence as to whether or not it's actually a "disorder" as well. It exists, yes, in my opinion, and the symptoms are common for children, but that doesn't mean severe cases don't exist and something shouldn't be done about it.

It's completely over blown, seriously such behavoir is a child being a child. I was a spaz when I was a kid, and I swore all the time, which is beside the point, but I was a spaz and every one thought it was normal, except for the swearing.