I don't think type 1 diabetes meds are considered overprescribed _anywhere_. ADHD meds definitely are. Even reputable doctors say they are overprescribed.
How large % of the ADHD population could be fixed environmentally, e.g. by just going to the damn gym? How much can be attributed to our modern lifestyles?
ADHD exists, but to say that there's something wrong with "the system" just because 100% of people in society don't take it as a serious diagnosis is a big stretch.
Another big stretch is comparing ADHD with type 1 diabetes. Come on...
> How large % of the ADHD population could be fixed environmentally, e.g. by just going to the damn gym? How much can be attributed to our modern lifestyles?
It's complicated. I think a decent percentage could be helped by going to the gym, because I think the fact that SNRIs help so many people shows that norepinephrine can be the main issue in some cases, and exercise should help with that.
But then there are the cases that can only be helped by stimulants that are DRIs (like me, with dextroamphetamine), and most NRIs actually make things worse (e.g. my body can't handle the levoamphetamine in adderall).
I would love to know the distribution here, honestly.
As for the modern lifestyle, I think the modern tech world is trying to exploit ADHD-like behaviors in everyone. The whole thing about social media trying to maximize dopamine and instant gratification and endless scrolling and etc. is a real thing that happens to try to take advantage of even people who don't have ADHD... but it hits people with ADHD the hardest, because due to their disorder, deviously-crafted social media can actually overshadow the rest of their life.
I'm almost definitely addicted to chatting on Discord for example, ever since the platform first came out, but mainly because it facilitates chatting with my closest friends. I pick a DM and talk to people, and it's very direct, and I don't feel manipulated at all. But that's how it gets you; I know the majority of my time is spent chatting, and the majority of my time procrastinating is spent chatting. The only question is whether my decision is truly informed or not. I think it is.
> How large % of the ADHD population could be fixed environmentally, e.g. by just going to the damn gym? How much can be attributed to our modern lifestyles?
Structural differences in brain chemistry don't get fixed by going to the gym.
People with untreated ADHD are 3x more likely to be in a car accident. Going to the gym won't fix that.
50% of people with untreated ADHD have issues with substance abuse. 50%. Going to the gym won't help with that.
Divorce rates for people with ADHD are up to 2x population averages, a few hours a week lifting weights won't help with that.
> How much can be attributed to our modern lifestyles?
Risk factors for developing ADHD are heavily linked to exposure to the industrial pollutants that are a result from modern society. It isn't the largest factor, but it is a contributing one.
That is going to be the only "modern lifestyle" link you find.
People with ADHD don't just have problems sitting in a chair (that tends to go away as people age anyway), ADHD impacts emotional regulation, the ability to perceive time, and basically all other aspects of executive function.
ADHD isn't just "can't focus", that is just the most obvious symptom. ADHD is, aside from being horribly misnamed, a disorder of the executing functioning part of the brain that is responsible for controlling large swaths of higher order brain functions.
ADHD is both under and over diagnosed. It is under diagnosed in women, minorities, and people who are poor, and those facebook ads advertising 30 minute online questionnaire diagnoses are certainly pill mills, though I would also not call them a diagnosis.
Like most things in life, there isn't a simple yes or no answer.
How large % of the ADHD population could be fixed environmentally, e.g. by just going to the damn gym? How much can be attributed to our modern lifestyles?
ADHD exists, but to say that there's something wrong with "the system" just because 100% of people in society don't take it as a serious diagnosis is a big stretch.
Another big stretch is comparing ADHD with type 1 diabetes. Come on...