I’ve just been doing a little reading about adult ADHD. Did you know there are some estimates that as many as 92% of adults “suffer” from ADHD. Some put this number far lower but the drug companies have a right to hope.

Much like any test you find for depression the “screening” tests for ADHD are quite subject to interpretation. Since there are no actual physical ways of diagnosing ADHD as a “disease” or “disorder” we are left to the evaluation of “symptoms” by a doctor or psychiatrist. I would think any self-respecting doctor would be embarrassed to have strayed so far from actual scientific method. I understand psychiatrists doing this. They live in a pretend world.

Naturally, since we are all human (although that may be a disorder in itself) we will at different points in our lives feel we have some of the “symptoms” of Adult ADHD.

The screening quiz of ADD and ADHD on the Psych Central website includes 24 statements used to rate your level of ADHD. These include:

At home, work, or school I find my mind wandering from tasks that are uninteresting and difficult. (okay… who has not experienced this?)

I find it difficult to read written material unless it is very interesting or very easy. (Again… it is always more difficult for people to read things that are boring and difficult than those materials that are simple and interesting)

I am almost always on the go. (So people who work hard and get things done, executives, mothers, dads, athletes, entrepreneurs, for example must all have ADHD.)

You can see that with questions such as these most of us would be diagnosed with Adult ADHD. A psychiatric diagnosis is bad enough but these also inevitably come with a prescription.

As with children the most commonly prescribed medication to treat Adult ADHD are central nervous system stimulants such as:

Ritalin (methylphenidate)
Concerta (methylphenidate)
Daytrana (methylphenidate)
Metadate (methylphenidate)
Adderall (dextroamphetamine-amphetamine)
Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine)
Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine)

Let’s just take the last one, Vyvanse. First of all this is one of the most abused drugs by teenagers and young adults. It is also highly addictive.

Here is a little excerpt from the FDA’s Black Box Warnings attached to Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine):

“Lisdexamfetamine can be habit-forming. Do not take a larger dose, take it more often, take it for a longer time, or take it in a different way than prescribed by your doctor. If you take too much lisdexamfetamine, you may find that the medication no longer controls your symptoms, you may feel a need to take large amounts of the medication, and you may experience symptoms such as rash, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, irritability, hyperactivity, and unusual changes in your personality or behavior. Overusing lisdexamfetamine may also cause sudden death or serious heart problems, such as heart attack or stroke.”

Here we have a widely prescribed drug used to treat a “disorder” which is said to be shared by potentially the bulk of adult humanity which is widely abused and habit-forming. It can create problems sleeping, irritability, hyperactivity, and changes in personality or behavior. As if that isn’t enough if you overuse the habit-forming drug it could cause sudden death, heart attack or stroke.

I think I’d rather get bored at meetings, be almost always on the go and avoid reading things that I find too difficult or uninteresting.

Author Bio: Meridith is a researcher and writer working in the field of mental health and prescription medications. Here web sites include PrescriptionDrugProblems.com and MentalHealthDisclosure.com

Category: Real Estate
Keywords: mental health, disorders, adhd, adult adhd, mental disorders