Advocating for ADHD
My work as an ADHD advocate has much in common with climate change experts. The news is bad, getting worse, and there is concern if we can turn it around. A recent study showed that ADHD predicted suicide more than depression in elementary school children. All of my work and books on The Gift of ADHD is based on the premise that expectations create reality. A person’s life is a reflection of their self-concept (a positive self-concept is different from narcissism or entitlement). The label of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder acts like a computer virus, changing and erasing memories as a child or adult sees themselves as a deficit disorder. The label itself is damaging and I am not surprised by the shocking new finding that ADHD predicts suicide more than depression does. The over-diagnosis and over-medication of ADHD has been well documented for example in a series of articles in the New York Times. While many benefit from the diagnosis and medication, the skyrocketing r