What is it with this new "fad"?

HeyHeyitsMaay · Oct 14, 2008

We had this discussion the other day in class and it irritates me to no end. My daughter and I both have been diagnosed with ADHD. I personally, for years (I'll be 29 in January) since I was in h.s. refused to accept it. I don't want to be put into a box, and if human beings can conquer as much as we have throughout history, so can I.

Medication doesn't fix it. You have to develop a lifestyle that respects ADD/ADHD for what it is. This involves very careful discipline. My daughter began showing signs of ADHD at 2 years old, and it wasn't until last year that I agreed to allow her to TRY (keyword) meds because the school environment wasn't as strict as what she needed at home, and until she understands the self discipline she needs to have to work with this condition, I have to protect her from herself.

ADHD IS DEBILITATING. If as many people had it that claimed to have it, the U.S. would be a catastrophe. I finally just made an appointment to talk to a doctor about getting help, and I don't want it. I want to be able to say I'm bigger than a pill. Unfortunately, when you study for hours each day for an a&p test, and that requires ear muffs unless you don't want to learn anything, because you can't learn or understand ANYTHING unless you have complete and total silence and then FAIL IT because you keep confusing appendicular bones,

or when you CONSTANTLY lose things, on an hourly basis, and chew pens in class in an effort to force yourself to concentrate and end up breaking every writing utensil you have on a daily basis, it starts to break your heart. It makes you hate yourself, and wonder what in the world is wrong with you, and you're so tired all the time because you struggle so desperately to remain focused.

This is (obviously) a VERY sensitive issue for me. I'm terrified to go to the dr. and ask for help because so many other people abuse the meds and I don't want to be written off.

It's not something you can turn on and off. I want to ask these people if they've ever not been able to understand a conversation in a crowded room because noise confuses them. Or what it's like to lose your car keys 10 times a day and hate yourself and wonder why you're so stupid. Or how it feels to have to have a list next to your bed so you can grab it when you wake up every morning, lest you should totally DESTROY something between the bed and the floor. It's hell on earth.

It is a fad, it's dangerous and the meds can and will become addictive and honestly, I wish I had the ADHD of the sort that these folks claim to have. Perhaps I wouldn't sit in my closet and sob on a daily basis if I did.

rph3664 · Oct 14, 2008

Or is it not a fad and I'm just hypersensitive? But the latest thing in my class is to be put on ADD drugs. In my class of almost 40 I can count 8 people that I know of that have been put on these meds since we started school in April. One person said he walked into his doctor's office and said, "I think I have ADD" and got a script written. Another chick started on a high dose of Strattera and her pupils were so huge her eyes looked completely black. My classmates are saying, "Well, I'm having a hard time paying attention in class" or "I have a hard time studying at night" and many other excuses. I'm not saying that ADD is not a legitimate problem but it just seemed strange that once one person admitted she was on meds the whole dang class ran off and complained to their doctor about their "symptoms" I feel like, Well, yeah, it's hard to pay attention in class sometimes when you have tweedle-dee over there surfing Craigslist for dates on his laptop or tweedle-dum over here cracking her gum incessantly. And yeah it's hard for you to study at night - trying putting the daggone video game controller down and picking up a book. That'll help you study better.
Sorry guys I have to vent. I am a little surprised at this overwhelming wave of attention-deficit folks I go to school with. Maybe I shouldn't drink the water there...
Anybody else seeing this at their school?

It's also a fad for parents to drag their kids from doctor to doctor until they find one who will write prescriptions no questions asked. ADD/ADHD is believed to affect 3 to 5% of the population, but in this neck of the woods, I'd say the percentage of kids on these meds is 30 to 50%.

There also exists a huge black market for those drugs as well. At many colleges, stimulant drugs are easier to get than beer.

Not only that, but in some circles, an ADD/ADHD diagnosis is a shoo-in for SSI benefits.

And lots of people think it can be punished out of a child, or that the disorder is characterized by extreme violence or antisocial behavior.

All of the above make things much tougher for people who really do have it.

jmg333 · Oct 15, 2008

That is so crazy about SSI benefits. My 12 year son TRULY has ADHD and has suffered for some time now with it. He has gone through several diff meds, only to switch again yesterday. He was Dx by a psychiatrist using the Toggle test (I think that was the test, it was 6 yrs ago and I have slept since then, I think!)

He now sees a great psych that is well worth the 1 hour drive.

Anyway, I would never in a million years think to get SSI for him,. that is crazy to me!!

There are quite a few people in my class that started on these meds once school started. I was DX with ADD late 06 and I too refuse to accept it. I do, however, take meds for it only on class days. I do not take the meds on the weekend, or for clinicals. I feel it has worked with great benefit to me, I can actually listen to my instructor without daydreaming and all the other weird things I do!!

Atheos · Oct 15, 2008

Medication doesn't fix it. You have to develop a lifestyle that respects ADD/ADHD for what it is. This involves very careful discipline.

This is by far the best quote on ADHD I have ever heard. You can't beat it, medicate it or ignore it. You have to learn to work with it. If you can't you'll fail at everything.

Another thing that irks me is how many doctors misdiagnose bipolar and a couple other issues with ADHD...

Luckily for me I spent age 7-18 in a permanent hypomanic state...

rph3664 · Oct 15, 2008

That is so crazy about SSI benefits. My 12 year son TRULY has ADHD and has suffered for some time now with it. He has gone through several diff meds, only to switch again yesterday. He was Dx by a psychiatrist using the Toggle test (I think that was the test, it was 6 yrs ago and I have slept since then, I think!)
He now sees a great psych that is well worth the 1 hour drive.
Anyway, I would never in a million years think to get SSI for him,. that is crazy to me!!
There are quite a few people in my class that started on these meds once school started. I was DX with ADD late 06 and I too refuse to accept it. I do, however, take meds for it only on class days. I do not take the meds on the weekend, or for clinicals. I feel it has worked with great benefit to me, I can actually listen to my instructor without daydreaming and all the other weird things I do!!

Many adults are being legitimately diagnosed with ADD in the wake of a child's diagnosis. The child has behaviors that they see in themselves, and they decide to have themselves evaluated and finally know what was "wrong" with them. The child could be a niece, nephew, their own child or even grandchild, friend's child, etc. This is happening a lot with autism too.

Lots of people only take meds on days that they go to school or work, because they don't need them otherwise.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 15, 2008

in my class of almost 40 i can count 8 people that i know of that have been put on these meds since we started school in april.

this must be a very chatty and gossipy class for people to know so much about what is going on personally with other people. a person's medical diagnosis is confidential information and it is up to the person with the problem to break that confidence. it is then dependent on the ethics of those who have head that information to maintain its confidentiality. hipaa, you know? i think the more serious question to be asking is why there is so much unethical behavior going on, so many "loose lips", in your class?

one person said he walked into his doctor's office and said, "i think i have add" and got a script written.

does that story sound legitimate? does it sound competent for a doctor to do that without doing an examination and testing of the patient? either this person is embellishing the story or the name of this doctor needs to be obtained and the doctor needs to be reported to the state medical board for investigation of malpractice.

it's hard to pay attention in class sometimes when you have tweedle-dee over there surfing craigslist for dates on his laptop or tweedle-dum over here cracking her gum incessantly

this is a problem of the instructor not keeping order in the class. report this behavior to the instructor and ask that something be done to enforce some classroom decorum. or, sit somewhere else.

i can't tell you how many night shifts i've worked where we had confused patients screaming "mother!" or "nurse!" continually at the top of their lungs when we were doing everything we could for them.

in nursing we learn to multi-task while there is chaos around us. if you think i'm kidding, just hang out at a busy nurses station and watch what is happening and what all the different people are doing.
in nursing we learn to problem solve and we are given the nursing process to help us do that. the method of solving a patient's nursing problems (the nursing process) is a practical crossover skill that can be successfully applied to our everyday lives.
- you are driving along and suddenly you hear a bang, you start having trouble controlling your car's direction and it's hard to keep your hands on the steering wheel. you pull over to the side of the road. "what's wrong?" you're thinking. you look over the dashboard and none of the warning lights are blinking. you decide to get out of the car and take a look at the outside of the vehicle. you start walking around it. then, you see it. a huge nail is sticking out of one of the rear tires and the tire is noticeably deflated. what you have just done is step #1 of the nursing process--performed an assessment. you determine that you have a flat tire. you have just done step #2 of the nursing process--made a diagnosis. the little squirrel starts running like crazy in the wheel up in your brain. "what do i do?" you are thinking. you could call aaa. no, you can save the money and do it yourself. you can replace the tire by changing out the flat one with the spare in the trunk. good thing you took that class in how to do simple maintenance and repairs on a car! you have just done step #3 of the nursing process--planning (developed a goal and intervention). you get the jack and spare tire out of the trunk, roll up your sleeves and get to work. you have just done step #4 of the nursing process--implementation of the plan. after the new tire is installed you put the flat one in the trunk along with the jack, dust yourself off, take a long drink of that bottle of water you had with you and prepare to drive off. you begin slowly to test the feel as you drive. good. everything seems fine. the spare tire seems to be ok and off you go and on your way. you have just done step #5 of the nursing process--evaluation (determined if your goal was met).

Jules A, MSN · Oct 15, 2008

Please remember that for many adults and children medication is an important part of their successful treatment of a very real condition. While I'm all for being positive and figuring out ways to cope in addition to just thinking medication is an easy fix reading so many "I have been dx but refuse to believe it" statements is kind of concerning to me.

HeyHeyitsMaay · Oct 15, 2008

in my class of almost 40 i can count 8 people that i know of that have been put on these meds since we started school in april.
this must be a very chatty and gossipy class for people to know so much about what is going on personally with other people. a person's medical diagnosis is confidential information and it is up to the person with the problem to break that confidence. it is then dependent on the ethics of those who have head that information to maintain its confidentiality. hipaa, you know? i think the more serious question to be asking is why there is so much unethical behavior going on, so many "loose lips", in your class?
one person said he walked into his doctor's office and said, "i think i have add" and got a script written.
does that story sound legitimate? does it sound competent for a doctor to do that without doing an examination and testing of the patient? either this person is embellishing the story or the name of this doctor needs to be obtained and the doctor needs to be reported to the state medical board for investigation of malpractice.
it's hard to pay attention in class sometimes when you have tweedle-dee over there surfing craigslist for dates on his laptop or tweedle-dum over here cracking her gum incessantly
this is a problem of the instructor not keeping order in the class. report this behavior to the instructor and ask that something be done to enforce some classroom decorum. or, sit somewhere else.

i respect the solution re: applying the nursing process to this situation. but i have to disagree with more than a few of your points, which i left intact to discuss, above.

1. i attend a very well organized program. unfortunately, the human race is not as organized. in a class full of over 70 people, we're going to have students that don't understand decorum. of course people have different perspectives of ethics. nevertheless, that doesn't stop the very frequent phenomena of people asking for attention via discussing their personal medical history. i'm sure you know that quite a few people do this. so why is this going on? because that's just what people do.

2. i've read quite a few of your responses here, and i've always been impressed with your wisdom. and so i'm sure you also know that there are many md's who are very comfortable with their expertise and experience, and have no problem writing scripts without questioning pt. symptoms. seekers would not exist if there wasn't someone feeding them, and i've seen first hand md's that are perfectly capable of rationalizing their dispension of scripts based upon little information. when the very first response is to report someone for investigation of malpractice knowing that these sorts of scenarios are common to varying degrees, i'd say that it's time to remember that reporting hearsay doesn't fly, and when you first thought isn't direct communication in order to resolve and clarify your concerns, perhaps you shouldn't do anything at all.

3. i respect that i'm biased, but i attend an amazing, wonderful program. my teachers maintain a modicum of order in the class room but in the end, if someone would rather sit at their lap top and enjoy a website that has nothing to do w/the topic of discussion in class, we're adults. we aren't paying for babysitters, we're paying to be taught and if we don't want it no one is going to force that to happen. we have to take responsibility for our education and if i'm that annoyed, it's up to me to remedy the situation, ultimately. instructors don't magically turn students into automatons, and never will be able to do so. it's pretty unfair imo to say that 'they aren't maintaining order.'

so what's the bottom line? there will always be folks who gain peace with their personal decisions via the acceptance and justification of their behavior from others. they're going to tell people about what's going on with them if they want to validate whatever they're doing.

the original subject of this thread was to express an opinion about something that's very real, whether you're in pn school or not, it's present everywhere. i don't really understand what the problem with discussing it in an anonymous forum is.

as for:

""i have been dx but refuse to believe it" statements is kind of concerning to me."

part of the coping process with any illness is denial, which commonly manifests in people recently diagnosed with any condition. with an illness with subjective symptoms, denial can be even stronger. i personally don't feel that psychotropic meds are an immediate answer to many of the issues that are a part of the human condition, and their availability does not justify their use until other avenues are exhausted first. diagnoses pertaining to organic conditions are too complicated to accept at face value no matter how qualified the diagnostician. nothing wrong with taking a cautious approach to embracing a dx that most certainly can be wrong, when clinical understanding is based upon info that can certainly be miscommunicated, misunderstood, and misconstrued.

i believe in mind over matter and while there are some that will never grasp that concept with specific respect to add/adhd, there are too many incidences of people overcoming these conditions based on sheer force of will for me to ever immediately say 'i'll take meds thanks.'

i stand firm in that i'm bigger than a pill, and thus far, this has proven to be true for me, and millions upon millions of other people in this world. i'll keep going until every single one of my efforts fails, at which point, i don't mind conceding that med therapy is certainly viable option.

Jules A, MSN · Oct 16, 2008

As for:
""I have been dx but refuse to believe it" statements is kind of concerning to me."
Part of the coping process with any illness is denial, which commonly manifests in people recently diagnosed with any condition. With an illness with subjective symptoms, denial can be even stronger. I personally don't feel that psychotropic meds are an immediate answer to many of the issues that are a part of the human condition, and their availability does not justify their use until other avenues are exhausted first. Diagnoses pertaining to organic conditions are too complicated to accept at face value no matter how qualified the diagnostician. Nothing wrong with taking a cautious approach to embracing a dx that most certainly can be wrong, when clinical understanding is based upon info that can certainly be miscommunicated, misunderstood, and misconstrued.
I believe in mind over matter and while there are some that will never grasp that concept with specific respect to ADD/ADHD, there are too many incidences of people overcoming these conditions based on sheer force of will for me to ever immediately say 'I'll take meds thanks.'
I stand firm in that I'm bigger than a pill, and thus far, this has proven to be true for me, and millions upon millions of other people in this world. I'll keep going until every single one of my efforts fails, at which point, I don't mind conceding that med therapy is certainly viable option.

Fwiw denial can be but is not "always a part of coping process with any illness" and I don't recall the posters saying they were newly diagnosed.

Good for you with your mind over matter strategy it sure can't hurt but I wouldn't bet the farm on it for most illnesses. I work with truly sick children that need their medication and waiting for "every single" effort to fail is not an option for them. When you become a nurse I truly hope you learn to support your patients that really need their medications to function.

HeyHeyitsMaay · Oct 16, 2008

Woah. You really have to be careful with dissemination. I'm really sorry that you think that I said that 'mind over matter' should apply to all illness. I NEVER EVER EVER stated that 'denial is ALWAYS part of coping' or however you phrased it, EVER. That's a huge deal as far as effective communication is concerned, and if I seriously thought that kids with terminal illness should man up and apply mind over matter to, let's say a congenital defect, I'd like to be punched in the face, or at least advised to pursue another career.

I repeatedly stated that I was referencing a very narrow scope of diagnosed illness pertaining to ORGANIC mental function. Not, something like childhood leukemia, for example. I explained the controversy associated with psychotropic meds, the documented abuse of said with respect to ADHD, and why it's so easy for a wrong dx to be applied, which is why I feel that it's PRUDENT to question those sorts of dx's. I'm sorry that you missed all of that.

Please, please pay attention to the words I used and respond to those. Not whatever prejudice you're nursing.

Jules A, MSN · Oct 16, 2008

part of the coping process with any illness is denial, which commonly manifests in people recently diagnosed with any condition.

i never ever ever stated that 'denial is always part of coping' or however you phrased it, ever.

please, please pay attention to the words i used and respond to those. not whatever prejudice you're nursing.

hmmmm, looks to me like "however i phrased it" is mighty, righty, tighty, close to what you wrote, lol. i wouldn't exactly consider a decade ago as recently diagnosed. thou doth protest too much.

fwiw denial can be but is not "always a part of coping process with any illness" and i don't recall the posters saying they were newly diagnosed.