@RSlate333
I’m really enjoying your channel. Very digestible and useful information!!! Thank you!!!
@coffinbaby7535
25:16 okay, semantics are important here. ADHD is not a deficit of attention, but it is rather an inability to direct one’s attention. This is why the label ADD (attention deficit disorder) was discontinued in favor of ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), which is a spectrum. There are many subtypes. I have the hyperactive type where I am easily distractible if I’m disinterested, but with things that do interest me I will be stuck on them for 12 hours and forget to eat, drink, and go to the bathroom because I’m so focused. This is caused by a lower baseline dopamine level. The impulsivity and hyperfocus occurs because my brain is seeking the highest dopamine payout at all times. Stimulants allow me to modulate my behavior, so I can do both things that interest me and carry out daily responsibilities. Yes, myself and my parents tried everything. I didn’t get medicated for ADHD until I was 24, but once I did my “addiction,” “bipolar,” “anxiety,” etc. vanished. That being said, I do think it is over-diagnosed and it’s making it harder for those of us who actually need medication to get it. I was given Wellbutrin for years because they said Adderall had potential for addiction and exacerbation of anxiety, yet the crippling anxiety and addictive tendencies I experienced on Wellbutrin went away when I finally switched to Adderall. Wellbutrin is a norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitor—it doesn’t increase dopamine, it just keeps what’s already there in the brain longer. This shouldn’t work for true ADHD. If it does cause remission of ADHD symptoms in some, I suspect the underlying issue is actually PTSD or depression presenting as inattention. Conversely, my depression was CAUSED by my inability to direct my attention but they told I couldn’t have ADHD because I was depressed. I love learning and have always wanted to go to medical school (particularly for pharma), but I had to drop out because I was being treated for the misdiagnosis of bipolar. Antipsychotics down-regulate dopamine, so having me on a combination of those and Wellbutrin made me worse by decreasing dopaminergic activity and inhibiting the reuptake of norepinephrine (the fight or flight chemical—I don’t know why anyone was shocked I was literally crippled by my anxiety). I feel like I was robbed of my youth because I was drugged up for the wrong things. I am not discounting the effect of screens on the development or worsening of ADHD. I have been chronically online most of my life, and I’m now thoroughly convinced that it made my symptoms worse than they would’ve been otherwise. Adderall has thankfully decreased my interest in social media, decreased my anxiety, and helped my sleep and appetite. It seems paradoxical, but I think we’ve gotten so used to people getting hyped up by amphetamines and saying “oh maybe it’s the wrong dose” instead of taking that as a sign that it’s not actually ADHD. I love what you’re doing Doc (hence commenting on so many videos), I just want to add my 2 cents for nuance. I was inadvertently harmed by misdiagnosis and over-medication. I feel like I’m only starting my life now at 24 after finally getting off of bipolar meds.
@jess3591
I really appreciate the point that you made about the systemic nature of the illness; if the child is ill, more likely than not the whole family is ill. The child who winds up on medications is usually manifesting the most "problematic" symptoms of illness and dysfunction shared by the whole family--likely intergenerationally. True healing to such complex issues cannot be achieved simply through pills, however I don't think the equally simplistic solution of shaming those who are ill will bring much long-term healing either. Walsh's "just function better" approach to solving complex social issues has all of the emotional intelligence of the oh-so-effective method of curing depression with a simple "just stop feeling that way".
@VS04
Appreciate your perspective and I agree, but as a medical doctor, I feel your responses should be more nuanced and detailed when blanket statements are made on YT by a non-expert in the field. There are organizations and individuals that dedicate their lives to tackling ADHD even into adulthood and their work isn’t in vain, many of them including lifestyle changes like diet, behavioral modification, etc.
@ClaireBuckenara
I love all your content it’s so refreshing to hear that the issues I’ve brought up with my own psychiatrist over medication in the past have now been confirmed, it’s very validating. I have been through a benzo withdrawal and are diagnosed with ADHD so can relate to a lot of your videos. The end of this video however infuriates me… Mark Walsh doesn’t understand ADHD in the slightest if he can say “give your child a task they enjoy doing and if they can complete it then they can absolutely complete a boring task they don’t like doing”.. This is complete and utter BS and if he knew what adhd actually was he would then know that having ADHD means our of dopamine an norepinephrine baseline levels are lower than that of a neurotypical’s and these neurotransmitters are responsible for MOVEMENT, reward, learning, memory processes, MOTIVATION. So unfortunately it’s not that simple and someone with ADHD will always navigate themselves towards a task that offers the most amount of dopamine
@janetnash8588
OMGosh! This!!! This happened to me since 1986!!! Thank goodness people are talking about this closer to main stream now. Hallelujah!
@hammersaw3135
OMG that point you made at 20 minutes about parents needing to accept that maybe their child just isn't the type who will be able to sit around at a desk at the bank all day, or become some white collar hero that will save their inability to save for their own retirement. Maybe the child would be happier in a career like construction, 100% your new name should be hammer because you hit the nail on the head Dr. Josef!
@benjaminro341
This video is very good and informative. The part about how putting someone on adhd meds and waking up at 30 can make them even more depressed really hit me. Good wisdom.
@kennethkdw
As a kid in the 90’s I struggled with reading in the beginning stages. It didn’t click for me until 6th grade. Goosebump books were a big help with my reading comprehension!
@Terhune22
I’m so grateful my son’s pediatrician is totally on board with not medicating my son. He’s 7. Putting him on these medications feels wrong to me.
@namaste9111
Walsh's denies ADHD may be a neurodivergence with biological/physiological roots. His whole premise is that the root cause of ADHD are bad parenting and that he knows better. If all I'd have are neurotypical kids me too I'd think that I figured out how to raise kids. But he's just plain ignorant. I tried all of Walsh's "strategies" for years, actually since birth one could say, since they align with my values anyway. There are no even strategies for me, there are actually the way I raised my kid (no screens, health eating, exercising, spendong tons of quality time with him, magnesium, omega 3, read book for 1h+ before bed, yadayada). Yet my kid is and has always been ADHD. There is so much ignorance out there about neurodivergence this os disheartening.
@ForeverXO
I was glad to see Matt bring this up, and thank you too. When my son was younger they said he had ODD, and they suggested meds which we tried and stopped due to the lethargic effect it had. A lot of times it is the schools that don't like the over active children who in fact are actually bored and need to be moved up and challenged more. Back then while at a bookstore looking for books on such subjects, I ran into a father who said the same thing concerning his child. We knew what our children needed, the schools refused to listen. While there are still people who don't believe there is a bad ulterior motive going on behind all these things, I believe otherwise. Ultimately they are trying to create a society that thinks and acts the same and to eliminate anything outside of how they want things / society to work. We tried homeschool which worked for a short time but yes my son did end up learning and excelling on his own after that which well exceeded what he learned in school.
@mrs.m4002
A great deal of this was beautifully said and heartfelt, particularly towards the end. Thank you.
@janetnash8588
I liked to read until they put me on psych drugs. I only have begun reading like I did as a kid now in my 60s because I stopped take the psych drugs. The judge determined in the court case of my childhood sexual assaulkt that I am telling the truth, after decades of invalidation...so I realized it was stupid for me to ever take the drugs just because I needed counseling after sexual assault. I griev the decades that I lost.
@laurenbush7879
I would love to see more videos about ADHD medications :)
@papierkorbleeren7233
Thank you for sharing this honest perspective. As a psychologist, I see, know, and experience it exactly as described. First of all, there is no scientific evidence for a brain dysfunction. That’s why the diagnosis is made only based on a few questions. By the way, there is almost no mental disorder, in general, that has ever provided scientific evidence of a dysfunction in the brain. There are always deviating functions visible in scans. But you know what? Take 10 people, and they will always show different brain functions, even if they all have the same, one, or no diagnosis at all. Just like every individual has a unique personality. We need to stop believing that we understand the brain in relation to mental functions; we absolutely don’t. But laypeople think that when they see images of scans, it is fundamental science. In reality, they usually only show a tiny function. The belief comes from trusting the medical professionals with their X-rays, which indeed can prove a dysfunction or disease. Be careful, I am talking about the psyche. Neurological disorders can certainly be detected in scans, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, etc. Regarding the medication of children with an amphetamine derivative, without a proven brain disorder, I am very skeptical. If we know how high the neuroplasticity of children's brains is—meaning their learning and developmental capacity—it should be clear that so many environmental factors could just as well improve things adaptively in a positive way. The child is highly capable of learning in every way. If it doesn’t seem to be learning in school, we should ask ourselves whether it might be due to the school system. How can a child have learning difficulties when it was able to learn a human language from a toothless existence? Things that are important for their development are instinctively present. If the child sees interest or meaning in the activity, they will learn it. This is not so obvious when it comes to sitting still and repetitively drawing lines on paper. Take the same child into the forest and let it experience logic with all its senses, and you will be amazed at what it can do. But who has the time? If not the parents, then certainly not the overwhelmed teachers. The speed of this society is not suited for the natural development of a human. Of course, the pharmaceutical industry has the solution ready. Without really extensive long-term studies on what these drugs will do to future adults after years of use. What we do know is that the brain chemistry is altered, and sensitivity to dopamine decreases. That means experiences that would normally release enough dopamine won’t, and it takes more to feel something. Depression is likely here, but even so, it’s not a disease, but a product of the environment that expresses itself in the person—alone and abandoned. We are social beings. Just so you know… One more thing I’d like to share: Please take the time to look into the history of this diagnosis. Since when has it existed? What was it called before? When didn’t it exist? Also, look into the history of the DSM, the diagnostic manual of psychiatry. Who developed these diagnoses, when, and how? Also, investigate the history of Ritalin and similar drugs. Who discovered it, how, and what was it originally indicated for? Which substance is chemically closest to it, and what was it originally used for? How did it come to the point where it is being given to children? Please look into these topics before you put children on drugs. And also, always try to assess the situation from the perspective of a pharmaceutical company versus a child, if anyone has the time and ability for empathy...
@ankavoskuilen1725
I agree with you and Matt Walsh. There is one thing I'd like to add: it is not true that parents used to have more time for their kids than nowadays. When I was a child in the sixties, the dads were working all the time and the mums had a lot to do in he household. Most of the time kids were left to themselves. What I mean to say: the past was not a better place, just a different one.
@enjoyyourlife279
This was great!!! And, thank you, Dr. Joseph your videos are really thought-provoking. I also forward some of them to friends and my nephew, who is a psychiatrist in Germany. Thanks a lot. You are building a new system with your contributions because they will make people think. My mother suffered from schizophrenia and among y siblings, I think, I was closest to her and really was against that medication as it had severe side effects and did not better things a lot. Instead, I focused on healthy food and also on giving her a sense of not being immediately and primarily seen as a pathological case, with that compassionate, but condescending glance in their eyes, but being loved and appreciated for her beautiful qualities.
@recynd77
And since you asked: we homeschooled our son starting in 7th grade. From ages 12 to 15-1/2, he almost exclusively slept or played video games. And we worried, but took the “wait and see” approach. At 15-1/2, he asked for driver’s ed classes, he got his license at 16 (first try), and immediately found a job, where he worked for the next 11 years. He’s now 27, and, as of last week, has started his own business (in the same field). 🎉🎉
@staballoy