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Post by phil on Mar 9, 2011 23:24:40 GMT
is ADHD a mental illness?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2011 23:35:24 GMT
It can be - but it's probably best described as a disorder (it's in the name!).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 9, 2011 23:38:42 GMT
I've been wondering about this. It comes under the general heading of a mental illness but it seems to be a neurological disorder and, according to Dr Barkley it's the best understood of all such disorders and the only one that can be essentially cured.
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Post by phil on Mar 10, 2011 0:40:01 GMT
PD disorder is used in bipolar disorder thats a mental illness! it is in the DSM but on that note so is ASD but that is classed as a nero biological/learning disorder then on top some of the comorbity's are in the relms or mental health and neuro biolocical? things like borderline personality! axiety! insomia! unipolar bipolar are mental health conditions epilepsy! ASD! and ADHD must come under neuro biological disorders! jah closer to home they have linked the same genetics invoved in ASD and ADHD! so how does this disorder cross over relms from a neuro biological disorder to mental illness if it is not from either drug abuse or systematic abuse? and by drug abuse i'm talking legal and illeagal substances?
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Post by mavster on Mar 10, 2011 10:10:50 GMT
PD disorder is used in bipolar disorder thats a mental illness! it is in the DSM but on that note so is ASD but that is classed as a nero biological/learning disorder then on top some of the comorbity's are in the relms or mental health and neuro biolocical? things like borderline personality! axiety! insomia! unipolar bipolar are mental health conditions epilepsy! ASD! and ADHD must come under neuro biological disorders! jah closer to home they have linked the same genetics invoved in ASD and ADHD! so how does this disorder cross over relms from a neuro biological disorder to mental illness if it is not from either drug abuse or systematic abuse? and by drug abuse i'm talking legal and illeagal substances? not sure about the cured part , some people seem to grow out of it , But it isn't like you have a tablet and then suddenly you are cured
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2011 10:38:12 GMT
What I meant was that the fundamental cause, i.e. lack of dopamine, can be addressed or cured for want of a better word. There are other aspects which can't be cured, i.e. apparent differences in brain structure, but they can be compensated for with CBT, etc.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2011 11:15:43 GMT
But it's a lot more complicated than that. The dopamine problem is the most easily addressed, and does result in a degree of normalisation, but there are issues that can't be touched by medication and only pre natal gene therapy appears to hold the answer (for the majority that inherit ADHD). Whether it's an illness, condition or disorder (the three favourites) is moot - there is an identifiable group of impaired people with the disability (two more there) that appear to respond to the same treatment. According to western medicine we fall into the mental health arena, because we are treated by psychiatrists, but there is a strong medical case for us to be considered by the neurologists especially if the PET scans (or other 'mechanical' systems) prove successful as a diagnostic tool. It's not going to happen but it makes sense. There is always the PC issue that nobody wants to have their problem described as a disability so the nomenclature is complicated by that political problem which impacts on the medical interpretation. And finally....... ADHD research is still in it's infancy, and the goalposts have changed regularly, so even the researchers (who could pin a 'name' on it at any point) have a pragmatic approach since there is plenty of scope for future change. Thanks to Phil for the hand grenade
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Post by Ravendarque on Mar 10, 2011 11:27:02 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2011 11:48:59 GMT
Please be aware that Dr Amen is a very controversial figure in the ADHD world and anything from his organisation should be treated with caution.
I'd be inclined to wait for an august body to support his methods.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2011 11:52:26 GMT
It depends on your definition of cured I suppose. There was a video of Dr Barkley posted recently and he actually said, more or less, that ADHD people can achieve normal functioning with the help of stimulants. Pretty close to a cure I'd say;)! Obviously there are psychological aspects of the illness which may be difficult or impossible to overcome completely but it's currently the only mental disorder, the principal cause of which can be corrected with drugs.
That article looks interesting Ravendarque. Reading it now.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2011 12:06:06 GMT
I take issue with the word 'cure' since it implies permanency. Medication applies a reduction in symptoms and CBT can change neural pathways to some extent (but so far has not proved a long term success) so 'cure' seems hyperbolic to both. There is the proportion of ADHDers that spontaneously improve to the point where cure might be appropriate but I'd challenge that on the basis that the genes concerned have not changed and that it's the symptoms of impairment that have declined to a manageable level. Since a diagnosis is based on interpretation of impairment then a 'cure' in these cases is a score low enough to not warrant intervention. Pedantic heaven really
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2011 12:12:14 GMT
I did say "essentially cured".
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2011 12:15:29 GMT
I know My five years of reasonably successful medication doesn't leave me feeling 'essentially cured' even on the best of medicated days so ner ner ni ner ner
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2011 12:25:58 GMT
Ok, so you're incorrigible. But we knew that anyway;).
I'll settle for being able to give a shit about anything in particular. That would be almost a cure;).
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Post by phil on Mar 10, 2011 12:58:42 GMT
i'll take the hand granade back calling ADHD a mental disorder or even having the condition in the dsm so it appears to be a mental illness could cause social stima! or confuse people with ADHD into thinking they have a mental condition! and if you carry a lable that you are mental who you not start acting mental lol
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Post by andy12345 on Mar 10, 2011 17:42:05 GMT
I always maintained that one drug will never solve all of the problems. It's just illogical to expect that is it not? Ritalin was not made for adhd, neither were dopaminergics, but dopaminergics seem to help a lot as long as the person is compatible with such drugs.
If a person can clearly demonstrate to all, that their worst aspects can be alleviated, then stick with it.
Give it time though and stuff will become clearer as long as the financial interests in medication are controlled.....
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