The ADHD Deep Dive

The transcription discusses the increase in ADHD diagnoses and explores various reasons behind it. It mentions rising awareness, evolving diagnostic criteria, societal pressures, and the impact of the digital age. An online forum discussion highlights different perspectives, including skepticism about over-diagnosis, the influence of the internet, concerns about environmental factors, and the importance of acknowledging those who genuinely struggle with ADHD. The discussion also delves into the concept of neurodiversity and the changing definition of normal. Overall, it emphasizes the need for nuanced discussions, empathy, and recognition of the changing world we live in. Okay, so, are you ready to dive into this? We're talking ADHD and, more specifically, why diagnoses seem to be going up everywhere you look these days. Yeah, definitely, it's everywhere you look these days. You brought in this BBC article, and I gotta say, the numbers really jumped out at me. Right, and it's really striking, just the amount of, it's not even just England, it's like it's showing up all over the globe now. The article mentions that in England, prescriptions for ADHD meds have basically tripled since, what was it, 2015? Yeah. And get this, there's an eight-year wait list just to get assessed, eight years. Like, come on, that's how long it takes to get a doctorate. What in the world is going on here? I know, it really makes you wonder, what is at the root of all this? I mean, there's a few things. Awareness is definitely up. More people know the symptoms now, which is good, but it also leads to more people wanting to get diagnosed. Sure. Which makes sense, right? Yeah, it's like you're suddenly seeing the world through a new lens, you start noticing things you never would have before. Exactly. Okay, so awareness is part of it. What else? Well, you also have to look at how the criteria for diagnosis, they change over time. Right. Things that maybe people would have just dismissed years ago, maybe just a phase or something. Totally. Are being taken more seriously now, you know? And of course, then there's the big elf in the room, which is that, well, society's changing. Like it or not, our world is faster, it's way more demanding, and it's just so digitally driven now. It's a lot to handle. It is, for anyone's brain. Yeah, and especially if your brain, well, maybe it's wired a little differently. Are we all just a little ADHD these days? Yeah. Maybe. But, okay, speaking of different perspectives, the really interesting thing you've brought in is this online forum discussion. You know I love a good internet debate. Oh, this one's great. Lay it on me. It's perfect for this, this is a goldmine. You get this raw, unfiltered view into how people are actually thinking and feeling about ADHD, you know? It's like we're eavesdropping on a conversation. Exactly, and let me tell you, this thread does not disappoint. There are some strong opinions flying around in there. But before we get into the nitty-gritty, set the stage a little. So the conversation starts with this user, GreekCard, love the name, and naturally, they bring up this same BBC article we've been talking about. Right off the bat, they're a little skeptical, they think maybe we're over-diagnosing ADHD. Yeah, classic internet forum, right? Oh, yeah, and of course they bring up Big Pharma. Right, but what I find interesting is how they actually frame the skepticism, you know? It's not just a rant. They're actually making us think about different approaches, like maybe we're too quick to jump to medication. What about teaching coping skills? What about healthy tech habits? Which is a fair point, honestly. It gets at something much bigger, right? How we define neurodiversity and what we do about it, like what even is normal anymore? And that is the question that runs through this entire forum thread. What we learn pretty quickly is that this isn't just about ADHD anymore. It's about all of us trying to adapt to a world that seems like it's changing faster by the day. Okay, so we've got rising awareness, evolving diagnoses, societal pressures, and now we're questioning the very idea of what's normal. My brain's already working overtime. Where do we even go from here? Well, I say we jump right into the trenches of this forum discussion. Wait till you hear what some of these other users have to say. I'm telling you, you won't believe some of the characters we meet in this thread. Oh, I gotta hear it. Hit me with your best internet personality. Okay, so next up, we've got Meerkat, the resident cynic. And let me tell you, Meerkat is sharp. Okay, so Meerkat, our resident cynic, what's their take on all this? So Meerkat jumps in, right? And they're like, how does this correlate to the rise of the internet? But then they follow it up with this gem, and I quote, though I think it was the same back in the day, but we just got on with it. Plus a more, a robust attitude to child behavior. Oh man, classic, a little bit of snark, yeah. But, jokes aside, they do touch on something interesting with the internet thing. As an expert, how do you see that connection? Honestly, I think Meerkat might be onto something. It's not just about being online, it's the constant stimulation, all that multitasking, the sheer amount of information coming at you, it's bound to have an impact. And there are studies now that show a possible link between, especially during childhood, between screen time and having a harder time focusing shorter attention spans. Really? Yeah, it's like, our brains are actually being rewired in real time. Oh man, when you put it like that, it's kind of creepy. Like we're all part of one giant experiment and no one knows what the long-term effects will be. And what about that comment about robust child behavior? Little jab at kids these days, maybe. Yeah, there's definitely a generational perspective there. What might have been just typical kid energy a few decades ago, who knows how it would be viewed now. And that's where you get into those changing diagnoses too. What's normal is always in flux. This is why I love these deep darbs, gets you thinking about all the angles. It's not just tech or kids these days or whatever, it's all connected. Speaking of which, who's our next forum friend? Lenny Barea, was it? Yeah, what's interesting about Lenny is, they're coming at this as a parent. And they've actually noticed this increase in ADHD diagnoses, like firsthand. So they're really grappling with, like okay, what's causing this? They're thinking about everything, environmental stuff. Are there more toxins now in food, water? And even whether some of these pharmaceutical companies are pushing for more diagnoses just to make money. It's easy to get caught up in the skepticism. But then you've got people like Lenny who are seeing it happen. ADHD is real, it impacts people's lives in a big way. That's gotta be acknowledged. 100%, and I think the key is acknowledging both side of it. Yes, over-diagnosis is a real concern. Labeling normal behavior as a disorder, that's not right. But at the same time, you can't dismiss the people who genuinely struggle with ADHD. Finding that middle ground, right. Exactly, where we can talk about this, but with some nuance, with empathy. That's what's missing a lot of the time. Well said. Okay, so far, we've got Greek Card, a little wary of over-diagnosis, then Meerkat with the internet age zingers, and Lenny Buria, the concerned parent. Who else is stepping into the ring? Next up, we've got Barnett Ben, and they bring in this whole scientific angle, sharing research about exposure to, get this, certain plastics, like BPA, and how that could be connected to ADHD. Okay, now that is fascinating. We talk so much about diet and lifestyle, all that, but what about our environment? That's gotta impact brain development, right? Absolutely, and the research on this is growing all the time. Turns out, these chemicals, they're everywhere, right? They can mess with our hormones, and there's a good chance they're having an impact on our brains, especially early on. Definitely something to keep an eye on. BPA, who knew? Okay, so Barnett Ben has given us a lot to think about. What about our other forum contributors? All right, so then there's Massive Grievement, and yeah, that is their forum name. You gotta love the internet. Anyway, they bring in a little dark humor, but they also get real about information overload, especially for young minds. It's like, how are they supposed to cope with all this? Seriously, it's like asking your brain to process information at like a gigabit per second when it's still running on dial-up. No wonder people are struggling. Okay, any other forum voices we should know about? Last but not least, we have Roast KevYCSC, and well, their contribution to all this is, how do I put this? Lay it on me. I would say it's less about nuanced takes and more about expressing their feelings very strongly, mostly in all caps. Oh, the dreaded all caps. We've all met a Roast KevYCSC out there in the internet wilds. Right? Gotta love them. They add a certain something. They keep things interesting. But yeah, as you can see, we have quite the cast of characters here, each with their own unique perspective on this whole ADHD thing. It's amazing how one article can spark such a, well, hmm, spirited debate. But with all these different viewpoints flying around, it's easy to lose track. What are some of the key takeaways from this forum, would you say? Especially as we think about this bigger picture of neurodiversity and what even counts as normal anymore. It's a lot to process, for sure. So if we zoom out a bit, look at the bigger picture here. What stands out to you from all these different voices? You know, I think one of the most important things that comes out of this, maybe the most important thing, is just recognizing that the world has changed so much, even in just the last few decades. This isn't like, you know, your grandparents' world or anything close to it. The amount of information we're hit with every single day, the fact that tech is always on the pace of life, it takes a toll. And for some people, it might just be too much. Yeah, it's like we're all running a marathon, but at the same time, we're also trying to answer a million emails and scroll through social media. It's bound to catch up with you. Exactly, exactly. And that's where this whole ADHD conversation starts to overlap with this idea of neurodiversity. Maybe, just maybe, what we call a disorder is really just a different way our brains work, a different way of processing the world. And in a world that's getting, honestly, less and less human-friendly, those differences, they stick out more. They're more likely to be seen as not normal. So are we basically saying that it's normal to have these different ways of thinking and being, but we're calling them disorders instead because the world's gone a little haywire? It's possibly, right. And then you add in what Bernadette Ben was saying about plastics, about the environment actually affecting how our brains develop. It's like how much of this is just who we are? How much is the water bottle we're drinking out of? That is the million-dollar question, right? And I hate to say it, but we don't have all the answers yet. But one thing we do know, our brains are adaptable, like scarily adaptable. For better or worse. Exactly. Think about it. Our brains figured out smartphones, right? They figured out how to handle social media, all that craziness. Who knows what else they're adapting to right now that we're not even aware of. That is both amazing and slightly terrifying at the same time. Totally. And it brings us back to this question of what normal even means, right? Like what will normal even mean in the future? Right, like if this trend keeps going, if ADHD diagnoses are still going up like this, are we gonna have to redefine normal to include all these different ways of being wired? And even more importantly, will we actually build a world that accepts all those different ways of being wired? Imagine a world that actually works for everyone, where instead of trying to like jam a square peg in a round hole, we build environments that just, they work for different ways of thinking, different ways of learning. It's a nice thought, isn't it? Yeah. And it makes you realize that this whole thing, this whole conversation about ADHD, it's just one small piece of a much bigger puzzle, right? Like it's about questioning what we think we know, being open to all kinds of diversity, and trying to, I don't know, make the world a little better, a little more human for everybody. I love that. I mean, this forum thread, it was all over the place. It was funny at times, I'm not gonna lie. Yeah. But it really got us thinking, right? For sure. It's a good reminder that we're always learning, always questioning, always trying to figure things out. Absolutely. So to all our listeners out there, we leave you with this. What if instead of being scared of these differences, instead of calling them disorders, we embrace them? What if instead of everyone trying to fit into one tiny box of normal, we celebrated the fact that we're all wired a little differently? Think about it.