Mar 5, 2012 -- 6:43PM, teilhard wrote:

No ... Over-Diagnosis when a Diagnosis becomes "fashionable" is now an identifiable TREND ...

What to the layman appears as a "fashionable trend" typically is just the effect of professionals getting training and being able to identify the thing when they see it. Diffusion of innovations in a professional field. To the layman, it appears as if something that did not exist before suddenly becomes fashionable.

It is a usual reaction of conservatives in any given field (here medical) to brandmark scientific progress as a somehow misguided fashion wave.

Sure, with the ability to diagnose, also the possibility to misdiagnose arises. You cannot misdiagnose when you refuse to diagnose at all, after all. But also this hardly warrants the label "fashionable".

I do think what Chari is saying about a surge in diagnosis is indicative of increased awareness and understanding of what they were previously unaware or uneducated. 

I do think given all that if a diagnosis does not make sense then don't just take the docs word for it.  Because, I do believe that the tendancy for a doc to sort of put a patient in a particular box or category is very high.  I don't say this angrily I think it is human nature, so if things are not working for you then you should keep looking and talk to different people.  I am very big on following gut-instincts. 

Speaking of over-diagnosis I am reminded of all of overwhelming increase in diagnosis on the autism spectrum.  I think more people are diagnosed on that spectrum today that would have been labeled weird or mentaly retarded or something else but autistic.  But even accounting for that experts are saying that only accounts for maybe 40% of the increase in diagnosis, there is something definately going on.

My brother early on was tracked with special needs.  While we were growing up the common diagnosis for people like him with no other recognizable source for his issues  was that he was a victim of not enough oxygen during the birthing process.  So for a long time this is what we were told.  He has a border-line IQ but is not mentaly retarded.  Now in the last year he has been diagnosed with Asbergers which is on the autism spectrum.  Being diagnosed as autistic seems  another catch-all diagnosis.    Personally I don't believe it matters if this is 100% correct or not as long as it gives people a fresh perspective and a guideline on how to deal with him (he can be difficult).  For a long time he has suffered from deteriorating relationships because he is so hard to be around sometimes.  So if this gives those of us in his life a new set of guidelines I am all for it. 

Mar 5, 2012 -- 10:47PM, jane2 wrote:

Mar 5, 2012 -- 10:32PM, REteach wrote:

ADHD is a neurotransmitter problem.  Just because not everyone on stimulants has ADHD does not mean that ADHD is not real. Some genes have actually been identified.  

sheesh. 

This isn't news, RE.

Not, apparently, for the educated. Clearly, there are others. 

 "most ADHD cases are bogus anyway"?

We are trying to learn. My 6yo grand-daughter is at peril of being so branded when, perhaps she suffers only from lack of structure. I do not yet know, but am deeply concerned.

Mar 6, 2012 -- 9:12PM, farragut wrote:

We are trying to learn. My 6yo grand-daughter is at peril of being so branded when, perhaps she suffers only from lack of structure. I do not yet know, but am deeply concerned.

I would be deeply concerned about anyone other than a trained neurologist that specialized in this area making any kind of diagnosis. I'd be deeply concerned about anyone that pushes drugs on a 6 year old.