I wanted to post a long, well linked, informative rant about this development, but my heart's just not in it.

I used to think like the people mentioned here. I didn't believe in ADD. I thought it was just a PC name for the spoiled, hyper, misbehaved children of lazy, overindulgent parents, and I thought that the idea of drugging children into submission was horrible. Like apparantly most people, I thought ADD meant hyperactive, bratty, lazy, and out of control. I had no idea that ADD actually comes in several forms, including Inattentive, which is about as opposite from hyperactive, bratty and out of control as you can get.

Then my nephew was diagnosed. My quiet, talented, mostly well-behaved little angel was diagnosed with ADD. I couldn't believe it. Sure, he was a little spacey, but no more so than I. His grades could have been better -- a lot better, actually -- but his study habits, or the lack thereof, were just like mine. In fact, this kid was just like me in a lot of ways. My older brother was the same way. So was our dad. If this little boy had ADD, then they'd have to diagnose all of us with ADD too, wouldn't they? Of course, I knew, that was ridiculous. The doctor must be wrong. Only little bratty, obnoxious children have ADD, which, anyway, is nothing more than a politically correct term for hyper active.

My sister allowed his doctor to put him on medication (Aderal, I think), and soon his grades started to improve. He stopped procrastinating. He stopped losing things. He began to come out of his shell, and his self esteem skyrocketed. He blossomed. I still wasn't convinced.

About three years ago I read an article in the paper about ADD in adults. I read it so that I could scoff at it. They're ("they" being the psychiatrists and the pharmeceutical companies) not making enough money off of little kids, so they're trying to expand their market to adults by convincing us we're susceptible to a childhood illness -- and a made-up one, at that.

As I read the article, a light began to flicker. It went on to explain Inattentive ADD in adults. By the time I reached the end, that flickering light had become a blinding 500 watt strobe. There, in the newspaper I held in my hands, was a perfectly detailed, blow-by-blow description of me, my life, and all of the things that I had ever believed were wrong with me.

A week later I sat in my doctor's office telling him my life story and answering all of his questions, trying not to fidget. I met all of the criteria for non-hyperactive ADD, he said. That day I started taking Ritalin.

Soon, my writing started to improve. I became more productive. I stopped procrastinating. I stopped losing things. I began to come out of my shell, and my self esteem skyrocketed. I blossomed. I was convinced.

After that, I started researching ADD, and learned a lot of surprising things: It's neurological; it's genetic; it is, indeed, often misdiagnosed -- both ways; it often co-exists, leads to, or is mistaken for more serious disorders; and, while it is not a cure, and it is far from a perfect solution, in the majority of cases medications such as Ritalin do work.

Also since then, I've butted heads with a lot of uninformed people, and worse, with reasonably informed people who spout half-truths and misquote research in their efforts to convince the public that ADD is a hoax and that Ritalin is the new crack -- many of whom have something they're trying to sell.

It pisses me off, but it also wears me out and depresses me, which is why you won't see me inviting another battle by ranting about it here.