Is This a Real Illness???

[treazzure007]

I want to start out by saying that I know the disorder truly exists.  My question is why is there SO MANY people being diagnosed with this problem???

I was in elementary school and highschool in the 80's and 90's and my family moved a lot.  I have attended  6 elementary schools and 4 highschools.  I remember there were no peers in my class with these problems.  If the teacher said sit, we sat.  Whatever task was at hand, we were all doing it.  If these children did exist, they were still of a limited number because the special education classroom sizes were always small (10 students or less).

Where was this disorder then??? My mother and relatives discuss this topic often due to us having teacher relatives in my family including myself until recently.  I worked daycare for 6 years total.  I could count on no more than 1 hand the true number of children I have met that had no real control of themselves.  I swear that there has been no more than that for me.  Even less for my other teacher relatives who have been teaching for many more years than me.

I don't want anyone upset with me but we believe people are taking advantage of the system, making up excuses for bad parenting, smoking, snorting, shooting, drinking (both dad and mom before and even during pregnancy) and conveniently "forgetting" any of those things were ever done, and possibly causing some form of mental illness and/or behavior disorders by subjecting their children to these various meds/drugs in the first place.

I must also say this.  During my student teaching in college 2 years ago, I was told about the inclusion process where all of the ADD/ADHD children were in all of the classrooms with the other children.  This is probably due to it being so d*mned many of them.  I witnessed first hand how the wrongfully diagnosed children just simply acted out for attention in negative ways and took advantage of the teacher and their "conditions".  They actually supplied and helped to foster a disruptive atmosphere in the classrooms.  

Now, here is the real kicker.  The ADD/ADHD was magically none existent in certain teachers' classrooms.  These were always the sterner, stricter, no-nonsense types.  

The government should build special education schools now for these children since there are so many of them.  They need even better specially trained, patient professionals at all times.  I betcha if this ever happened, the number of cases would drastically drop.  Something about the word special education steers people away....

[Momtoteenboys]

I agree- its been around but without a label to it.  I can remember a classmate in the early 70's who the teacher literally tied into his chair, he was so hyper.  (That wouldnt happen in these days and times!)  As and adult he was finally diagnosed and treated, and this kid who was never a standout in school, now has a Master's degree and a fantastic job.

I think there are people out there who play the system now.  That system wassnt there to be played many years ago like it can be now, so that makes a difference too.  Many of the ADHD kids of years ago just dropped out.  Back then, you could still get jobs without a diploma.  There are many reasons you see more of ADHD now, but not becasue it wasnt around, though I do think its over diagnosed some times.

[jessikaspaz]

I think in some cases it is labeled to kids who are unruley and whatever else, but the condition exists and it sucks. I suffered all my life with it not even knowing what this was, and I was damn sure not going to let my daughter suffer like I did once I noticed the symptoms.