From Ryan Hopf
It is a huge mistake to dismiss attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as “a psychiatric convenience, a culturally created delusion” as Richard House does (14 July, p 22). I am a young adult who lives with the condition. This description limits perceptions of my attributes, and those of others with the condition, to a diagnostic list of negative symptoms. It disregards the amazing positive qualities – creativity, humour, tenacity, spontaneity, intuition – that come with it.
There is strong scientific evidence of a neurological difference between people with and without the condition. Magnetic resonance imaging, for example, shows differences – see Biological Psychiatry, vol 60, p 1071, and Neuroscience Letters, vol 389, p 88. Genetic studies suggest inheritable susceptibility to the condition. It is unfair to suggest that the blame lies with families, who are often struggling with a difficult situation.
Psychiatry may be a field greatly stunted by its turnstile, pigeon-holed approach, with medication being the simplest – and most profitable – solution, and misdiagnoses are clearly an issue. However, this situation does not invalidate ADHD as a condition, regardless of its label. I have often encountered people who regard my condition as insubstantial or non-existent; this is worse than the “medication fixes all” attitude.
Camp Hill, Queensland, Australia
