Monday, August 22, 2005
A Very Interesti-hey let's go ride our bikes!
ADHD, the scourge of American classrooms everywhere, does not just go away when you hit adulthood. This is, apparently, a shock to some people. New long-term study of ADHD kids found that they were more likely to grow and do ADHD-like things as adults, such as save less money, have sex sooner and without protection, and get fired from their jobs.
The real problem, to me, with ADHD, is not only is it not really generally recognized in adults, but also there's so little (if anything) to be done about it. Medications - the only real treatment available - barely work, and unlike teachers, bosses tend not to give out special considerations. Part of me feels like "ADHD" is largely fiction: just a way of pathologizing a personality trait that no one noticed until we became so societally obsessed with achievement (which of course requires sameness), particularly in our educational and work lives.
The real problem, to me, with ADHD, is not only is it not really generally recognized in adults, but also there's so little (if anything) to be done about it. Medications - the only real treatment available - barely work, and unlike teachers, bosses tend not to give out special considerations. Part of me feels like "ADHD" is largely fiction: just a way of pathologizing a personality trait that no one noticed until we became so societally obsessed with achievement (which of course requires sameness), particularly in our educational and work lives.
