ADHD America

ADHD-Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. I know you've heard of it, been diagnosed with it, think you may have it, or know someone who has. Apparently, in America we tend to quickly diagnose and medicate someone when they have a problem, instead of figuring out what may be the root of it and other possible solutions. I see that often times with children who seem to be somewhat hyperactive or energetic they are diagnosed with ADHD and medicated. No one even considers it may be normal for a young child to sit still or that they are very energetic by nature. And when they do get diagnosed and prescribed medicine, parents are quick to come to me and say "Timmy's medicines aren't working! He's still getting in trouble at school!". Well, perhaps Timmy doesn't actually have ADHD and just maybe has some behavior problems that should be fixed the old fashioned way with more structure and discipline. People assume medicine will fix everything and are sorely disappointed when they find this is not true.

As a whole, our society itself seems to have symptoms of ADHD. We can't seem to sit still and relax, and often like the parents of energetic or hyper children we want medicine whenever we experience anything that we dislike or don't want to feel. Emotions are real, and lots of people would rather medicate themselves instead of dealing with the root of the emotion. We no longer can sit still and complete one task at at time. We are a multi-tasking society. I am not pointing fingers, I myself have been on the phone, playing on the computer, and checking my phone at the same time. I have been reading a book and take a minute to play on the Internet while reading. Why can't I just do one thing at a time anymore? Is it just me? I hope not, because this whole blog is focused on how I believe it's ingrained in our society more and more to be like this. They had to make laws against multi-tasking. Think about the no-texting laws. Shouldn't we realize how dangerous it is to text or be distracted doing something else while driving? You would think we did, but judging by the way we act we don't. Yes we are a busy society. Yes we have a lot of important things to juggle each day whether it be work, family, or our personal lives. But are we truly putting in quality time and care to the tasks at hand when we are doing more than one thing at the same time? When I am talking on the phone to someone am I really listening to what they are saying or able to give them the most helpful advice or input? Probably not. Maybe we should slow down and live our lives, one task and one thing at a time. No, we don't need to be prescribed any medicine to do this. We just need to take a deep breath, stop other tasks, and focus on the most important at the time. I bet we will be more competent in our work, will improve our quality of relationships, and will feel less stressed. I'm gonna try it. Why don't you?