International ADHD Consensus Statement

[Wgreen]

I was previously unaware that this document—signed by a number of AD(H)D researchers— existed. Arguably, it belongs in other strings about denial, but I thought it was noteworthy enough to deserve its own seat at the table.

http://www.russellbarkley.org/content/Consensus2002.pdf

“To publish stories that ADHD is a fictitious disorder

or merely a conflict between today’s Huckleberry

Finns and their caregivers is tantamount to declaring

the earth flat, the laws of gravity debatable, and the

periodic table in chemistry a fraud.”

“…there is no question among the

world’s leading clinical researchers that ADHD involves

a serious deficiency in a set of psychological

abilities and that these deficiencies pose serious

harm to most individuals possessing the disorder.

Harm is established through

evidence of increased mortality, morbidity, or impairment

in the major life activities required of one’s

developmental stage in life. Major life [a]ctivities are

those domains of functioning such as education, social

relationships, family functioning, independence and

self-sufficiency, and occupational functioning that all

humans of that developmental level are expected to

perform.”

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[nellie]

Interesting but it makes me sound way more dysfunctional than I am! Not sure I’d be waving it around at the next family dinner or to my boss explaining why I’m late on an assignment again I’ve spent years building fabulous camouflage for my ineptitudes – but I do like the wording of the first paragraph . Although I imagine you will be pointing out that I’ve missed the vital point here!

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[Anonymous]

Nellie, I agree that the statement is not something I would show to strangers, employers or

any other casual acquaintances, were they alive, I wouldn’t tell my parents. And it sounds

as if you have found ways of adapting to ADHD. I didn’t know I had it until I was 60, last

summer. Despite a history of problems that are purely ADHD stuff, it didn’t occur to me nor

did it occur to any of the medical “professionals” that I saw during that time.

I did not learn to adapt, nor did I think to attempt to camoflage my ineptitudes or failings.

I knew something was ‘wrong’ but not what .. beyond the lost jobs, ruined relationships, anger and etc.

Do not know why .. but it didn’t happen. Add anxiety, depression, and anger to ADHD and I am ‘it’.

On the other hand, I agree totally with thrust of the document.

ADHD involves

a serious deficiency in a set of psychological

abilities and that these deficiencies pose serious

harm to most individuals possessing the disorder.

I have no job and no prospects of one, too old and disfunctional to get retraining,

my social life is me inside avoiding people, cause I can not seem to get along with

my neighbours, marriage is a mess .. most of my behavior was and is confrontational

and verbally abusive .. working to change that but drugs are not working and I can not

afford to buy a guide … granted, I am not being “made” to be angry or abusive or

anxious, that is behaviors that I do. It is proving to be a daily battle to remember what notes

to re-read so I can try to repair the damage my behaviors have caused.

And I get to do it by reading library books .. and trying to avoid pitfalls of depression like self pity .

I my mind I hear my parents mantra for the past 58 years :

” it’s your bed so you can lie in it.”

Anyway, end of pity rant, back to reading ADHD in Relationships.

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[Wgreen]

Nellie, I think the paper, with more pages of signatures than text, speaks for itself.

But, to address your point, I do think we need a better definition of ADD. Or at least we need to establish some line in the sand between “ADD the nuisance” and its more sinister cousin—”ADD the debilitating, sometimes fatal, disorder.” It appears to me that some people on this forum don’t have what I have.

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[kc5jck]

I found this video tonight looking around the net. It is posted on the ADDer World site which seems to be a legit site. Decide for yourself.

It’s about a 21 year old girl, Ashley Carey, talking about ADD and her struggles with among other things, school. Perhaps I’m a sap, but it did bring a tear to my eye hearing her pain through her voice and thinking of my own son and his struggles in school.

It’s called ADD is Real.

http://adderworld.ning.com/video/add-is-real

Some of the “facts” are not quite right, but I thought it a good view nevertheless.

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[Anonymous]

Just so you know………….all the names attached to Barkley’s document do not signify agreement in any way shape or form….they are required for a document format like the “APA” format the Psych world uses to develop documents. Typical Acadamia stuff……they struggle so hard to be accepted or be acknowledged at all, by the hard sciences. The names are a way of noting or acknowledging references or other peoples work, that you are quoting so you don’t get sued………that’s all.

I think I’m going to sit this one out for reasons of personal prejudice … just wanted to clear that point up about the names….

Toofat

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[Wgreen]

Ah… excuse me. Toofat, I know you you disagree with the sentiments expressed in the statement. And that’s fine. At the end of the day you may be right. Maybe researchers have misunderstood the disorder. Perhaps in a few years we—or they—will come to a different understanding. Or, you can argue that somehow it doesn’t matter—that it’s not about an objective definition of the thing, it’s about our perception of it and our subsequent response to it. I suppose that’s a fair “postmodern assessment.” But you are being flat-out dishonest when you say the signatories don’t subscribe to the thesis. That’s NOT fair comment. In fact, you’re accusing these people of academic fraud.

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[Anonymous]

I think there is a miscommunication Wg…obviously on my part…….yes, there is a signature page…what I was (attempting and poorly I might add ) to point out was following that…. and maybe that’s where the miscommunication comes in… and what I’m referencing is the page of names and supporting data, which is simply that ……supporting data and the appropriate credit.

With that I will step aside….my apologies for any confusion I may have caused.

Toofat

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[munchkin]

I can’t help but chime in: I just think it’s sad that a document like that has to be written – why? All I can think of is that there are far more people out there to make a buck than to actually help people to be well and happy and prosperous in their lives.

You actually have to get a bunch of people together to say – REALLY – the science is there to say that ADD is REAL and it’s hurting people’s lives, and we’re not just going to keep silent as article after article comes out, written by journalists (not scientists) trying to sell a story, that these doctors are just trying to drug up all our kids to sell more pills and the parents and teachers just want to give kids pills so they’ll sit still and quit being kids because they’re too lazy to clean up a little spilled milk or properly discipline Johnny… UGH

Something I’ve noticed – people believe a lie more easily than the truth! Lies are constructed so easily to fit with people’s beliefs and what they want to hear. The truth is messy and confusing and inconvenient. So… these doctors end up having to write something really stern and rigid and “black and white” because it’s the only way to defend against the slanderous misinformation that’s out there making their job so hard.

I would take that document with a grain of salt – it’s a political document created to win debates, not for patients to read as a help guide. I’m glad they are trying to fight against the lies – too bad they have to do that. Now they could be creating statements that could hold someone with ADD back if is is used to say that we cannot be relied upon or trusted, even if we’ve been treated, due to our disabled broken state. They’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t…

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[Wgreen]

Rumpelstiltskin.

You can’t discuss a problem, much less contend with it, until you define it. In the fairy tale, when the miller’s daughter at last learns the imp’s name, she finally has some leverage. This is archetypal. As long as we continue to argue about what ADD is, we’ll remain stuck in the mud. If it means whatever anybody wants it to mean, we’ll remain… stuck in the mud.

Barkley et al. are trying to define a neurological phenomenon, a phenomenon that is admittedly complex and slippery, so we can move on to other issues—coping, treatment, public policy, etc. While I have no doubt that our understanding of ADD will evolve, I find it useful that a group of mental-health professionals has tried to delimit this “thing” we struggle with day in and day out.

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[trashman]

well,first I would lie to chime in here. these post NEED!!! a like or dislike button. . second I think as hard as they try to define this thing,or condition or disability or any thing even to some a gift if you can believe that! so if you see my point that how it effects our own lives is how we label it it.do you all see that defining it is like defining lupus.do you see my point? Last but not least I have to comment on TEAS definition of how she is after all these years .I think if we were in th same city we might get along ,just because I am very much the same.I have always said I have no friends so I can’t lose what I don’t have . this makes life hard and easier sometimes. I think if people would see us out in public they might say look out here comes hurricane TEA and trashman lol

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[Anonymous]

Oddly enough, i agree with all of the posts here, we are talking about different aspects,

and different experiences of something called ADHD.

Barkley and others suggest that the name needs to be changed.

WGreen is quite correct in the magic of naming .. if we know the

thing’s true name, then we know it’s nature .. or something like that.

Trashman is delightfully on the money there.

I think we are like the blind wise men trying to discover the nature

of an elephant by touching its trunk, tail and legs .. different but not wrong.

Give Barkley et al another 12 years or more and they may well have a good

name for what we have, and a better understanding of its complexity.

I think Matte has something interesting to add to the ADHD understanding.

He says stuff that sounds like Toofat talking about his sons’ ADHD and

how they came out ok.

Remember how left handed kids were treated in 1955? Not the same but..

Trashman, I try to speak to 2 strangers each week .. cashiers or waitresses or

anyone .. it helps to make connections. Don’t you have a cat?

happy weekends

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[trashman]

yes tea,and I love my cat. he is my baby buddy.

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[kc5jck]

Here’s another video I found last night along the lines of the one I listed above. Warning: It’s somewhat depressing but rather accurately portrays the pain ADHD can cause in the lives of the undiagnosed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5FxVf09F38

Perhaps she (heidijoanne34) will find this site if she hasn’t already.

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[Robbo]

Good link kc, there’s a bunch of good supporting comments there too. Here’s a cool one I clicked on from that link. Sometimes youtube can have some toxic stuff on it, but you found a cool spot. Here’s the one I found http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xM1X7if3SU&feature=related I recommend turning the sound down on your computer before clicking on it. It’s a good one to watch in the morning if you’re out of coffee! lol. It was a little bit like a shot of adrenaline.

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[Author]

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