You’ve Got It
“The numbers make it look like an epidemic. Well, it’s not. It’s preposterous. This is a concoction to justify the giving out of medication at unprecedented and unjustifiable levels.” That’s Keith Conners reflecting on the fact that one in seven high school students has been diagnosed with A.D.H.D., and more than 3.5 million kids are taking medication for the disorder. And Keith Conners isn’t a naysayer. He’s a doctor who spent much of his career “leading the fight to legitimize attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” On one hand, you’ve got a legitimate issue faced by a lot of kids. On the other hand, you’ve got drug companies with a vested interest in making the disorder seem a whole lot more widespread than it is. And now, they’re selling the symptoms to adults too. From the NYT’s Allan Schwarz: The Selling of Attention Deficit Disorder.
