Some thoughts on the Channel 4 "The Great ADHD myth?" program

If you can I'd like you and I to try and take a deep breath and zoom out a bit from the immediate upset, anger and confusion you may be feeling if you have watched or heard about the Channel 4 show "The Great ADHD myth?".

Not because your emotions are not real or valid. They most certainly are.

However, I've seen and read about this type of thing before in the history of medicine.

It's not uncommon that medicine and society gets things wrong. It's also not that medicine decides a condition doesn't exist at all but that it isn't what we thought it was or perhaps we come to understand it's part of an existing condition and so on.

For example here are just a few conditions where society and / or medicine ignored the evidence:

1) Stomach ulcers - It took one doctor voluntarily ingesting a vial of H Pylori to finally wake up to the bacterial cause of ulcers to be true.

2) Scurvy - Lind had the evidence for the connection between lack of citrus fruits causing scurvy but it took 50 years for the Navy to accept and implement his recommendations.

3) PTSD - There was already evidence of the real effects of warfare on the body and mind by 1916. Yet despite this the military continued to push the narrative this was just lack of discipline and poor morale.

4) Cholera - there was clear statistical evidence it was a water born condition but the medical profession stuck with it being due to ‘bad air’ for years after.

ADHD however has a robust body of evidence behind it including it being the most imaged neurological condition in medicine to date.

I’m past wasting my time on stupid questions like "is it real?".

It is.

Channel 4 completely ignored the fact that the people presenting their opinions are at the fringe and have been widely condemed by the scientific community for presenting such nonsense since it aired.

An 'experiment' with the trial including one person means, and I cannot stress this enough, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Proper scientific trials conducts on ADHD meanwhile are looking at tens of thousands of people.

Somewhat ironically even the show was forced to admit hidden away at the end that essentially the experiment wasn't a success as the child had to go back on medication as their school work was suffering too much.

Do some of the things mentioned in the show like movement, walks outdoors, connecting with family, less screen time etc improve ADHD symptoms? Yes, they do appear to, and exercise and good sleep are fundamental foundations to improving ADHD symptoms.

BUT they are not the whole answer and are a useful adjunct to medication and ADHD coaching or therapy.

As always the reality is nuanced.

But ADHD is real.

Your ADHD is real.

And if you are on the waiting list to be seen whilst you're reading this PLEASE stick with the process. There are real benefits from self understanding and diagnosis and good evidence that ADHD medication works well.

I'm drawn to zoom out and ask why is this being focused on right now?

Why is so much energy and attention being put into this?

Who does this serve?

Personally I think the media should be looking into and investigating other bigger more pressing issues like… oh I don’t know… what are we doing to deal with the planet slowly boiling and starving us all to death?

Or the examining the billionaire funded media empires designed to distract us from this and make sure we are arguing amongst ourselves while the earth is on fire.

I think it's all means to attract and distract the public and sow yet more divides between us.

P.S. If you’re a climate denier or ADHD denier please feel free to move along. I don’t have the energy to waste on arguing about well established facts and science.