ADD - the next step of human evolution

Does ADD/ADHD exist? Sure. I believe it does. But then, my area of expertise is technology, not medicine.

Is it a true diagnosis 100% of the time? Oh, heck no. Far too many times have my aquaintance's children been medicated at a young age. For what? Being a hyper kid?

Let me "shock" some of you:

One year olds DO NOT have much of an attention span.

Two year olds are rammy and push their limits because it is NORMAL for them to do so. Finding their restrictions and boundaries is what this age is all about.

Three year olds are almost the same as two, only bigger. Now they may talk back, and say "no", or resist you dressing them. This is NORMAL.

We are taking our children's childhood away simply because some (SOME) parents are too damn lazy to properly raise their child to be patient, kind and know their restrictions. It is so easy for some (SOME) harried parents to thrust their hyper kid at the doctor and lament about how they "just can't control him anymore!"

Puh-leeze.

As I said...I am not debating the fact that ADD/ADHD exists. It is used far too often by people in the medical field and by lazy parents. A structured schedule, plenty of excersise, good food, and a healthy, loving, nurturing relationship can nip some (SOME) cases in the bud.

Besides, a good doctor would tell you that ADD/ADHD is almost impossible to diagnose until school age.

You are very right Rouschkateer. Misdiagnosis of ADD, ADHD, and many other "problems" is definitely in part due to a society that insists on normality, conformity, and persistance. If you see something that "isn't right", instead of trying to deal with the problem first hand, people look for a quick fix. Got a headache? Take these. Problem with money? Invest in us. Need nothing? Buy a knife.

If you have a problem with your child, if you think there's something wrong with them, consult those that have been in the same position as you before researching on the internet, before asking doctors that want to medicate you, and before jumping to conclusions. Does your kid have ADD? How badly? Try to teach your kids to redirect that energy before prescribing pills to them. If that doesn't work (and I don't mean after a week or two, I mean after a year - at least until Grade 3) then seek professional assistance.

Remember SARS? Every skin-deep person and their aunt thought that if they had a sniffle, a cough, or a sore throat - that they had SARS. I litterally met people (in SUDBURY - practically a northern colony of Toronto, Canada) that were like "I feel ill... I think I have SARS". Don't jump to the worst case. You probably have a fever, or maybe a hard day, or maybe just a migrane. Don't jump for the nearest bottle of Asprins to get through the day - figure out if you really need it first.

A possibly fictional co-incidence based on hearsay does not make an argument.. however it is strange that you chose a high profile celebrity to highlight your point rather than utilising the wealth of medical data available on the disease that should validate your point.

I wasn't trying to make an argument or point, it was just a btw kind of thing, something to think about.

Dyspraxia.
"An individual affected by dyspraxia may have both fine and gross motor control difficulties, or only one of them. Gross motor control is related to whole limb/body movements. Fine motor control is related to hand/finger movements, the organs of speech and eye movements. Each individual will have a unique array of difficulties which are likely to affect many aspects of life." (Poustie, 1998).

You would do better in convincing us of your superior evolutionary status when you don't prove your own immaturity by poking fun at other people's disabilities.

msnevil never said he had dispraxia, he only told us he had ADHD and OCD. And I'm NOT trying to "prove I'm superior". Idk where you got that impression.

Perhaps you missed what I said earlier:

I have been searching

-as in researching

for the last twenty years

-a really, really long time.

for magic cures.

-actual effective treatments opposed to vague theories and armchair advice.

BTW. Yes I do eat well yet it has not cured my symptoms.

-thought I better make a pre-empted strike before someone who was completly ignorant of how much I know about psychiatric health [and myself] decides to tell me that it's something dietry even though I'm already on a specific diet.

-pre-empted strike failed and I am now irritated as someone who is completly ignorant of how much I know about psychiatric health has decided to repeat themselves inferring that I may not know what 'eating well' means and that I may not have known that pesticides, weedkillers, preservatives, heavy metals and other toxins may be bad to eat.

Perhaps it may be a good idea if I stopped eating lead paint chips as snacks between meals. You should never eat between meals.

I wasn't telling you your problem was dietary, I'm not trying to attack you here, I was just wondering about it. You're interpreting all of my "inferences" wrong. Sorry I doubted you here though, as you have twenty whole years.

It also could've been the various genetic disorders that have afflicted my family for generations. Some toxins etc that I have absorbed over my life time [via food, air [especially], skin, medications and immunisations] may have hampered my development but they are not the underlying cause so would not have prevented what I have though not being exposed to these things may have decreased the severity of symptoms. There are many disorders that go hand in hand with allergies.. eg. someone can go on the 'asthma' diet [VA and E etc] and it may be very effective treating mild asthma but for chronic asthmatics to rely on diet exlusively would be suicidal. Healthy lifestyles are great and should be embraced.. but it isn't going to make everyone healthy [in the 'normal' context].
BTW. If you have a problem with my method of communicating.. perhaps you should be more accepting of the fact that other people may know more
about their conditions than you do.

For the last time, I'm not telling you what to do!!! I'm just theorizing here! Sorry you think so orderly and always want proof.

[edit on 16-12-2005 by the_individualist]

[edit on 16-12-2005 by the_individualist]

Finally In Collage, I was Dx. With a mild version of Asperger's syndrome. With Medicating I was finally able to become Normal. Where as meditation, prayer, Nutrition, Exercise, Sugar free diet Had Failed.

It has been 11 years since My Dx. Everything before my Dx. Has become a distant memory. Since Then I have succeeded in life.

Where Religion and the alternative "health" fields have Failed me. Modern Medicine has partially Cured.

Now, I see my Kid having the same symptoms. Where my Parents Failed, I will succeed.

So I know from first Hand that mental conditions are Real. And no amout of Diet or Exercise Will "cure" it.

So please people, Realize that when You label people like "You just like to be babied". That those people Might actually have a "true" medical Condition.

And Yes, Einstein Suffered from the same condition. I have.

Its easier for me to state "ADHD" then Asperger's.

Though similiar, you are correct that they are different. Over the Years, It has been easier to state "ADHD" When people "see" my quirks. Then to explain "Asperger's".

People Tend to Associate me, and others With a Generalized "Rain Man" Association. And when I Attempt To explain The Disease process. They tend to Associate me with "MR" with a gift.

For exp. "Only A Retard would wear his shirt on backwards."

Its far easier and acceptable to state "ADHD". Vrs the negitive sterio-type of Asperger's.

(The reason I defend all mental illnesses. Is Because, I don't Want to go back to the Dark Ages. Where "Misfits" of Nature. Were locked away to protect the "normal" people of Society. please Note: political incorrectness was considered insanity as well. exp People like Voltaire)

And if you are a student of History. You would see how easy the pendulem can swing.

On the issue of ADD being the next step of human evolution is ridiculous. ADD is the product of imbalance in brain chemistry. As far as humans evolving, I don't believe Homo Sapien will ever evolve. When the need for change arrises we solve the situation with our ingunuity instead of having to evolve. But by doing so we are now more dependent on our creations more then ever.

Originally posted by Laughing Man
On the issue of ADD being the next step of human evolution is ridiculous. ADD is the product of imbalance in brain chemistry. As far as humans evolving, I don't believe Homo Sapien will ever evolve. When the need for change arrises we solve the situation with our ingunuity instead of having to evolve. But by doing so we are now more dependent on our creations more then ever.

we evolve reguardless. immune system evolves, whether or not we have medicines for the diseases our immune system changes generation to generation. things like ADD may become more common because it becomes and evolution based on our surroundings. our surroundings that we built causes this, it causes a chemical imbalance, maybe this even causes a gene to mutate, then youve got an 'evolution'. compare us now to people 200 years ago as far as human bodies go, see how we changed because of our surroundings.

[edit on 19-12-2005 by grimreaper797]

I agree, all the television and computer games has caused a shift to the right sides of our brain, and a decreased "need" for our frontal lobes. I still hold that diet and stuff help though

[edit on 19-12-2005 by the_individualist]

I was diagnosed as ADD a week after I was tested and found to have a 144 IQ.

It's true that alot of us have a greater mental capacity than normal kids, and it is also true that we have trouble focusing all that on one subject at a time.

I won't let anyone try to convince me that my ADD is fictional or a mental illness(as my mother so lovingly put it).

I was one of those kids who were hooked up to computers and instructed to keep one of our brainwaves over a certain line. Here

I am not a first stage ADD. My body has rejected every single form of "treatment" they invented for my abnormal thinking process. Not only did they not work, I became violently ill; headaches, stomach pains, vomiting. My immune system treated the medication like a virus, finally the doctors advised against trying to fix it.

I have noticed that each ADD has a certain unique talent. My talent is seeing patterns.

What is yours?

[edit on 9-12-2007 by Hevaess]

Someone mentioned a SMALLER BRAIIN in terms of it being a DEMERIT (perhaps). Actually, a smaller brain is better. And I think you'll find that in many GENIUSES. A smaller brain is akin to shouting to someone across a busy street as opposed to, say, the GRAND CANYON (bigger brain). Naturally, COMMUNICATION is impaired in the GC scenario. A CRUDE example. But that's the gist of GENIUS: you have a smaller playing field in which to communicate with other parts of your brain. This makes your SYNAPTIC responses faster; and you seemingly SMARTER.

reply to post by SkipShipman


This is simply not true and reserch proves that Autism and ADD/ADHD do exist and in some areas of America the rates of Autism are as high as 1in90 children are on the Autism spectrum so why would the Armish community be any different from any other group in America. Scondly it's not even proven that the MMR vaccine is to blame for the high rates of Autism and before you even bring Dr Andrew Wakefield's name into the issue know that this doctor has had his regerstration canceled in England. That's right his findings into the MMR vaccine were that dodgy and inconclusive that was the result.

I think you are very much mistaken if you actually think you can just walk into a peadiatricans office with a big sob story and get a perscription. It would be a VERY negligent peadiatrician that did not even request PROOF of the parents claims.

Also there are rules and protocols set down and have to bo abided by. For example here in Australia you CANNOT get a perscription of Ritalin for a child under the age of 5 and even then you have to be reviewed monthly. It's not as clear cut as you think.

www.wired.com...
I found this to be a very interesting article on Aspergers.
I have my own perspective on this topic, being in the realm of high functioning Autism and the parent of two kids with the same affliction. Is it a gift or a curse? Are we the next step in human evolution? The diagnosis is the first hurdle. I was under the microscope early on. I was being tested and studied throughout my childhood, and it's not just chemical it's also electrical. Just some of the diagnosis I have heard for me and my kids; Hyper Kinetic, ADHD, ADD, Hyper Anxiety Disorder, Bi-Polar Disorder, Aspergers Syndrome, Sensory Integration Disorder, Abnormal Brain Sparking, Mild Autism, Learning Disabled, etc... Not Otherwise Specified...
Bad parenting?! It is the school system that forces the parent into medicating their children, and with so many vague diagnostics and so many medications being pushed onto these children,, the chances of actually getting the right medication and dosage are nearly impossible. They don't know what the are dealing with so they are experimenting in the dark on the children. The education system tortures these children because they also don't know how to deal with them. Both of my children were excepted into GATE (Gifted and Talented Education), tested at the top 5% of human intelligence at an IQ of 150 or higher, my son at 168. They are multi-talented, artistically and technically, but in the school system they were failures. My daughter was expelled at the age of 7 and put in a program for behavior modification, right after she made the list for GATE. My son also failed most of his classes while maintaining the school's computer network and security systems. Society doesn't want you to excel only to conform. You will also see that for these kids suicide attempts around the age of 13 are also the outcome of trying to conform.
If you look at Silicon Valley, NASA, Pixar, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, or any high tech facility or company you will see many of our kind. Because when just left to do what we do best at our speed in our own environment we can achieve great things. I don't feel like a normal human and I never have, but I'm glad I'm not. I've watched and studied human behavior my whole life and I feel like you normal types are missing out. The regular human travels on a track of life achievements; birth, school, career, marriage, kids, etc.. death. They chase the dream and try to outdo the Jone's. We don't have a track. We live every day one day at a time. There is no past or future for us. We also marvel at every little detail. I'm not distracted by every little thing, I'm observing, learning and enjoying all the little details. I hope we are the future man, and I hope we can combine our brain power to help our children and build a suitable educational program for them.

reply to post by Yarium


I think you are right on, I was diagnoses adhd, druged and regaurded as a hinderance untill high school. I rejected the drugs in 8th garde, and embraced my different tallens wich lead to reaching calc trig.3-4 by the end of my sophmore year, also I was destroying my writing clases and social science classes aswel. I trully do belive once you learn how to channel the much higher frequency of thinking you are far better in certain areas than individuals that are not add, adhd.
rocking back and forth or bouncing my leg when I do anything, static energy is what I allways called it. Also have you found it easier to do 5 things at once or one? When I was a young child the red flag for my parents was the way I would do straight info overload, for example if I wanted to read I would put on my head phones turn on the t.v. and crack a book. And at any given time I could tell you what I swas reading in depth, aswel as be able to tell you what was happening on the tv show and what the words to the music was silstening to were. Just thought I would share, and aside from the fact I dont slow down enought to correct my spelling and punctuation, I have allways tested between 135 and 142 IQ. Smaller brain or nor lol I seem to be doing fine

I have ADD and I also have an IQ of 143. I can read a book once and score in the 90's on any subject as long as I decide to focus and am left alone. I am always outside of the box when trying to improve work processes which usually ends up being ground breaking improvements.

My problem is multitasking. It is hard to do. I also have trouble following conversations between people if I am not focused or already knowledgeable of the subject. I lose concentration trying to listen and end up hearing my own thoughts of "something else" while people are talking. I lose my keys often and even my car on occasion =). I have a dozen things half started around my house, as I am easily distracted. If I am doing something I am not really into or enjoying, my mind strays to something more interesting so I end up leaving projects unfinished. Having a floating mind is harsh on social situations because we tune out what is being said around us, though we don't mean to. When I have eureka moments people look at me funny when I try and explain my ideas or thoughts. They say "I would have never thought of that", or outright dismiss my idea up to the point it is put into successful action beyond anyone's expectations.

When I focus on something it as if all the pieces are in my mind as puzzle pieces. I randomly look at one, moving to the next looking for inspiration on how to change that something for the better or discover how something works. Once I have examined all the pieces I assemble the interesting ones into a new creative thought. The problem here is that while I am doing that I cannot change thoughts and get right back to it. If I am interrupted I often will lose it and have to start over. I do this thinking at all times, if I am trying to solve a problem at work, so I will miss conversations during meetings or just while talking to others. I may come up with a great new idea but at the expense of not knowing what is going on around me. It is like a daydream but not. Sadly these thoughts come when they want to which distracts me from more mundane conversations around me.

The one strength of ADD is being better at focusing on one thing than normal people and being more creative while doing so. Our minds wonder into the abstract and often discover alternative ideas and theories that non ADD people would never think of. Creativity is a good thing in most cases.

I guess ADD can be good if you are a researcher, scientist, analyst etc... Your ability to focus may allow you to see between the lines where others might not.

Not sure if it is where we will evolve or not . My experience with various ADD meds is that they help me focus better and think faster. I really do not think they help me multitask any better though.

[edit on 3-11-2008 by Xeven]

"ADHD in children is caused almost entirely by the consumption of processed food ingredients such as artificial colors and refined carbohydrates. Eighty percent of so-called ADHD children who are taken off processed foods are cured of ADHD in two weeks."

It's just a quote, but if you Google that, maybe you can find the source of the study that it mentions I haven't found it, but it's probably right anyway.

Some of these cases here to me would seem like depression or anxiety situations maybe? You can also suffer from the latter with the same fate, suffering major concentration gaps and creative obstacles. The brain is a powerful and misunderstood thing.

Originally posted by Yarium
A number of us with ADD can indeed concentrate on specifics and problems. In fact, we tend to think at a rate superceding others - making creative leaps and bounds that others can barely imagine. We are designated ADD because we cannot concentrate due to our amount of creativity. We are Leonardo Da Vinci's - moving from one topic to another as we try to keep up with our own thoughts.

The problem is, you can't be a good slave if you can't follow instructions. If you are using your brain for any other purpose then "concentrating" on what you're being told, it's difficult to control you. So you need pills to dumb you back down, so you don't think too much.

I hear, and agree with you.