High school teacher (grade 9) one of my best students got diagnosed with "muh ADHD" this week. Here's what he told me.
The doctor (a GP) gave him a list of ten questions. It went something like this:
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Do you sometimes struggle to finish tasks?
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Do you sometimes have problems paying attention in class?
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Do you sometimes get bored?
Who the F is going to say no to any of this? Anyway, he got diagnosed with muh ADHD and now he's on pills, probably for life. The pills he gets are amphetamines by the way. Yes, really.
I'm a fucking teacher and I get bored by my class sometimes. Guess I need speed too.
This is 90%+ student by the way. Imagine diagnosing a complex mental condition (if it even exists) in five minutes, tops, and then being put on pills for life.
Absolutely disgusting.
Depends on the person I'd wager. For some patients the symptoms or effects aren't so bothersome, for other patients it might cause a lot of impactful issues when they go without any treatment.
Having a difficult time being able to relax at all, no matter the situation, isn't always fun. Nor is it fun to live with mental overload every hour of every day because there's no filter on the information flow, usually in a chaotic and disorganized mess.
Some people are perfectly capable of managing though. Some people thrive on the chaos. Doesn't mean it works for everyone. Also doesn't mean everyone needs treatment either to get by.
It's a case by case scenario, which is something I think professionals need to factor in a lot more. Diagnosis and treatment should be handled with more of an optional opt-in approach rather than something that's marketed as a necessity.