Memes. They strain my personal ‘no trolling’ policy.
Maybe you’ve seen memes like this, too. I feel like they’re everywhere.
At best, they’re ignorant and insulting. If you see one, please — don’t share it, don’t like it, and if it makes you feel crappy about your own life experience, feel free to tell the original poster.
We need more balanced perspectives out there. To that end, I started thinking: what’s the real reason people take stimulant medication for ADHD? The real reason parents give their kids ADHD meds? Actual people and actual parents, not the generalized “they” targeted by memes.
I take stimulant medication every day of my life: when I’m working, when I’m on vacation, when I’m sick, when I’m going for a hike. I do it to stay safe, calm, and content.
Scandalously boring, right?
Meds don’t make us zombies
Some people think stimulants are part of a conspiracy to turn our children into obedient, conformist zombies.
I know some people have a bad first experience, especially if the dosage is too high. With Ritalin, this can lead to a zonked-out feeling.
It can take a while to find the right medication and dosage. When it’s right, you don’t feel like you’re ‘on’ anything. Many people don’t invest this time and assume their first experience is a representative one.
But obedient zombie sounds a bit lofty, don’t you think?
Clearly these folks are in a different place. I’m not yet able to worry about being obedient, conformist, or zombie-like.
I’m just trying to be safe, calm, and content, like everyone else in the world. I take meds so I can drive a car without killing myself or anyone else; pay my bills; keep writing; be creative; curb my temper; connect with a small handful of friends; remain in a healthy marriage; and avoid living in a constant state of chaos, stress, anxiety, and despair.
When I have all that under control, I’ll look into the obedient zombie thing.
Meds let me do what I want to do
Stimulant medication helps me get where I want to go in life. I’m happy when I’m creating. I’m happy when I’m working hard. I’d be working hard with or without medication, but not necessarily in the right (or any) direction.
When I’m unmedicated, I’m not doing what I want to do. I don’t pay bills or write stories or sing while playing the guitar. My most valuable projects stagnate, clutter accumulates, and I’m not a very good friend. I get angry often and always seem to be in a crabby mood.
Meds don’t give me a competitive edge or allow me to stay up all night writing the next great novel. They help me reconcile my inner and outer selves, bringing me closer to the person I know I can be. And maybe, after several years of slow and steady effort, I’ll actually finish that novel.
Having ADHD often means struggling with the things we want to do. It might mean struggling so much across the board, we can’t figure out what we want to do, let alone how to do it.
I’ve been there. It’s awful, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I wasn’t calm or content, and because I was young, I probably wasn’t particularly safe, either.
What I really wish I’d medicated (not childhood)
Looking back, I don’t wish I’d medicated away my adventurous, tomboyish childhood. I hope we all know childhood isn’t a disease. I never would’ve wanted a dose of meds that stopped me from climbing trees, running around at recess, playing paintball in the woods with my friends, and catapulting myself from the swingset (even at age 17).
But I wish I’d learned how to keep myself safe, calm, and content at a younger age. I wish I’d had more than one friend in elementary school. I wish I’d been able to stay out of trouble and stop getting my parents called in for disciplinary meetings. I wish I hadn’t damaged my hearing by fighting through mosh pits to stand right against the speakers at every concert. I wish I’d had the sense not to drive too fast. I wish I’d felt in control of my brain and my behavior, instead of feeling constantly at war with myself.
I was experiencing something more than the general anguish of youth. I wish I would’ve known that. I’ve worked hard to craft a satisfying life for myself. Sometimes I wonder, what if I’d started that process sooner? What if I’d had a full toolbox?
Every time I see a meme claiming ADHD is just a result of bad parenting, a broken education system, Barack Obama, and greedy pharmaceutical companies, I think: how ignorant. The system is imperfect, but some people are really suffering. And who are these meme-spreaders to delegitimize our experience? Who are they to tell us we don’t deserve a chance, even if it comes from a prescription drug?
How about you? How do you respond to memes that tempt you toward online conflict?
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Love it!
Support is key, whether it is medication, therapy or the right scaffolding. I always tell parents (of any child) the more tools they have early, the better. Great post. Thx for sharing
And often we need all three! Medication was such an eye-opener to me, I often wonder where I’d be if I’d had that experience earlier, along with someone to help me set up scaffolding to work with my unique brain. Glad you enjoyed the post!
Coffee would be just as much as an eye opener. Yes the chemicals affect you, but come on. Don’t tell me you don’t still experience ANY difficulties and trouble functioning. From experience as a former “ADHD” diagnose-y all you need is a bit of real confidence, and to learn a couple skills like control, and perseverance. I was diagnosed with ADHD because I was gifted, and had behavior problems from living under the roof of domestic violence. The drugs severely messed me up. Severely stunted growth, liver damage, severe pain, maia, hard time controlling emotions that didn’t feel like they were really mine, and a lot of pain. I didn’t need that unnecessarily. I had already been abused. So please just stop helping poor kids all over the country to get “drugged” and just get some self esteem. If you believe you can’t focus because some crack, then you won’t be able to focus, as mind over matter. Poor kids. I wish a child could climb a tree now a days without being considered neglected or “ADD”.
And if you were offended. I meant it. Get over it. You’re blindly believing doctor oz medicine as badly as the rest of us. Just learn some mental skills and believe in your “Non ADD” self. Worked for me!
Hey Morgan, from your other comment below it sounds like you had a terrible experience with ADHD meds, and maybe even got misdiagnosed, or else given an inappropriate type/quantity of medication. I’m sorry this happened because it really seems like someone let you down and you got improper care for whatever was going on 🙁
That said, I’ve seen a lot of comments around the internet lately claiming anyone can cure mental illness or a neurochemical imbalance through “mind over matter.” It’s not true for everyone, and saying otherwise is inaccurate and dangerous.
I’m sure some people can 100% manage certain issues through diet and exercise, therapy, etc. Others cannot, and whether it’s ADHD or bipolar disorder or anything else, trying to tough it out on willpower alone can lower quality of life or even cut a person’s life short.
It sounds like you’re working toward a healthier mental space, and that’s great. Everyone else is also doing the best they can with what they have, and if there is a tool that works for them, I’m not going to say we should take it away. Everyone deserves a shot at a fulfilling life where they can contribute to society.
If someone needed eyeglasses for nearsightedness, or insulin for Type I diabetes, would you tell them they just needed to learn some better life skills? We don’t like to think of the brain as just another organ or system in the body, but in many ways it is. And just like one person may only need glasses for reading, some folks may just need an occasional cup of coffee or 20-minute jog around the neighborhood to manage focus issues. Others need strong eyeglasses all the time, and it’s not because they’ve failed to train their eyes properly.
There will live an unfulfilled life if they aren’t raised like a normal, respected, kid.
I take my sisters kids trick or treating almost every year. A few years ive seen them the next day or they have called and they dont remember having went. I have taken the one off his meds when he was with me for a while and he was a normal boy. They are the generalized target for the meme. A babysitter in a bottle. There have never been any other step besides medication.
Hi Bobbo, it sounds like you’re saying these kids don’t actually have ADHD, but are “normal” kids who are being heavily medicated. If that is the case, it’s not good.
However, I disagree that these children, as you’ve described them, are the target for this meme. The meme implies that childhood is being pathologized and ADHD meds have been designed to curtail normal levels of daydreaming or other kid behavior. If children are being given medication types and doses that alter them negatively, including serious memory loss, that is not the intended effect of ADHD medications and should be addressed with a doctor immediately.
Memes like this are damaging to those who actually suffer from ADHD. Children with ADHD aren’t “normal” when you take them off their meds. They are impaired academically and socially.
This meme demonizes medication for a legitimate disorder that negatively impacts quality of life at all ages. If parents are medicating children absent thorough evaluation and continuous monitoring, they should be the ones called out in a meme, not pharmaceuticals. These medications, prescribed and used responsibly, are a real lifesaver for a lot of people.
I was formally diagnosed with childhood “ADHD”. The thing is ADHD meds are painful. I was just gifted, and had behavior problems from living under the roof of hidden domestic violence. But the problem is ADHD drugs are harmful and hurt, that one dose could cause a painful day full of headaches, audio hallucinations, and extrapyramidal symptoms such as uncontrollably(and embarrassing!) grunting, and flailing of limbs. -Sure mimics hyperactivity, huh? It can get pretty nasty. After taking ritalin my “ADHD” symptoms increased, but when I got off it by 2 weeks they suddenly “went away”! My parents also got divorced in between those two times. But that “one dose” which made my teachers a bit more “happy” and bumped my grade up a smidgen also left me with permanently stunted growth, a damaged liver, and a lot of memories of pain so bad I could barely stand to my feet. -They can cause serious permanent damage, and sad memories.
Morgan, I left you a longer reply on your comment above, but I want to reiterate that this experience is really, really far outside the norm. I’m sorry this happened to you, as it does indeed sound painful and terrifying.
Any drug, given to the wrong person (i.e. someone with a bad reaction, allergic or otherwise) or in the wrong amount, can be harmful or even deadly. The energy drink industry has been criticized over the teenagers who have died from caffeine overdoses after consuming their products. Most over-the-counter cold and allergy medicines give me a terrible reaction: panic, anxiety, nightmares.
A responsible doctor will be very careful prescribing stimulant medications, and start with a name brand drug (for example, actual Ritalin, not generic methylphenidate) at an extremely low dose — so low, you probably wouldn’t feel its effect at all unless you were having a bad reaction to something in it. Only then would the dose be increased (slowly!) to a level that gave you relief from your symptoms with little to no noticeable side effects. The correct medication and dosage shouldn’t make you feel much different at all.
Some people with ADHD don’t think the medication is working until someone close to them tells them how much calmer they’ve seemed. I notice things, like I consume less alcohol, drive closer to the speed limit, don’t turn music up as loud, don’t argue as much, don’t have crazy wild mood swings, etc., but I couldn’t necessarily sit in a chair and tell you “I took my medication and I can feel it” vs. “I didn’t take my medication today.”
I’m so sorry you had this terrible medication experience while you were also dealing with a lot of other trauma. If you’re not out of that situation yet, I hope relief is in sight for you soon. It’s really hard to heal while you’re still managing high levels of stress on a daily basis.
Also, you probably know that trauma, sleep deprivation, and stress can cause someone to LOOK like they have ADHD when they don’t. People with ADHD have had identifiable symptoms since early elementary school age, and they don’t go away with therapy or a change in environment. If you started having problems as a result of a stressful home environment, that’s not ADHD, and medication is definitely not the answer.
Every time someone say that ADHD is not real I think ” relay try living with me for a week without my medication.” pharmaceutical companies are not greedy they just offer a solution. Without my medication daily I am impulsive, I can not control my actions, I can not focus, I have no ambition, and I am so hyper that I am practically bouncing off the walls. My medication has helped me in a lot of ways. I can now relay think about an idea that comes into my head. I have even learned a few things because I was finally able to go through and finish my idea.
Exactly. I’d love for someone to step into my life for a week with, then a week without, my ADHD meds 😉
Honesty I hate those stupid “Oh shiny” memes because not everyone is like that. I am like that but my friend with adhd is not like that at all.
Nice advertisement. How much did they pay you for it? Shills like you Jacklyn Paul and the rest trying to build public perception that the pharmaceutical industry is anything but an exploitative big business are irresponsible wastes of internet space. The medicalization of all human problems is about turf. The American Psychiatric Association is the psychiatrists’ trade union, and has as its primary agenda the promotion of its members’ interests. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with this – all trade associations do the same. That’s why they exist. The problem with the APA, however, is that they have been so successful. At the present time one would be hard pressed to identify any problem of human living that is not covered by a DSM “diagnosis.” The purpose of these diagnoses is to legitimize psychiatric intervention and the prescription of drugs in any and every human problem.
Hanz,
A careful read of my blog will reveal a few things: how to spell my name correctly, for one, and for another, that I base my writing on a combination of research and personal experience. My full disclosure policy is pretty clear, but nonetheless I have updated it to include a special statement on pharmaceutical and supplement manufacturers.
I’m not interested in farming out my comments section for your personal entertainment. If you’d like to rephrase your original comment to be respectful and conversational, please feel free. If you continue to engage in baseless accusations and name-calling, you will be blocked and future comments removed.
No doubt the spelling of your name is critical to the overall understanding of why this blog is sycophantic garbage. But really, your name should be Polly because all you do is parrot information. I’m sure the likes of you would block me after I challenge the fact that your experience and research is directly provided by the same entities that capitalize on your exploitation and how your cognitive dissonance doesn’t allow for any new learning. How typical of someone with Stockholm Syndrome to defend their captor. Now you can block me, you poor, brainwashed, weak-willed, unwitting agent of disinformation.
I take meds for my ADHD because I almost got into a car accident when heading to church. I tried to ween myself out of them when it happened (which I strongly suggest you dont do it without your doctor knowing).
I always considered myself a good driver, but after I started taking ADHD meds I had this odd feeling — like I was spending a lot more time actually looking at the road. It was a little scary! I suspect I had a lot of mini attention lapses without them and didn’t even notice until I knew what it felt like to actually sustain focus.
I hate the “memes” that basically put down people with ADHD, like I saw this one “meme” (I put quotes because memes are supposed to be funny not hateful) Where it was a stock photo of a belt, and the subtitles were “The original ADHD medication” Like people with ADHD should be hit with a belt for just being themselves. I kinda wish I could just run hateful people like that over with a steam roller, like it’s not my fault I was born with ADHD and have to take my medications so im not bouncing off the walls in class. Long story short, people that make memes that belittle people with a certain condition have a special place in hell.
I hear you. If only the issue was just ~harmless daydreaming~. It’s far more than that, and not at all the reason I or anyone I know takes medication for ADHD.