ADHD and pharmaceutical companies

I just read an Associated Press article stating that more American adults are taking drugs for Adult Deficiency Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD also known as Adult ADD. The data was collected by Medco Health Solutions . The article states that between 2000 and 2004, use of drugs for ADHD doubled for adults age 20 to 44 and rose 56% among children. ADHD symptoms include impulsivity, disorganization, procrastination and hyperactivity. This looks to me like it is a artificial increase due to increased pharmaceutcal marketing, managed care (HMO,etc) pressure on doctors to spend less time with patients, and the subtle influencing of doctors to over prescribe for convenience. I like what Carlos Mencia (the comedian in "Mind of Mencia" on the Comedy Channel) says about ADHD, "if it did not exist when I was a kid, than it's not a real disease." This part of his routine talking about ADD and ADHD.

All this seems to be a bit suspicous at a time when marketing by the drug companies is at unprecedented highs and the American society's drive for more "convenience in a pill" to solve just about every health and mental problem are colliding. I don't see much written about what causes ADHD or ADD. The statistics keep working in favor of more drugs which means "cha ching" for the drug companies. Do you see a problem with these facts? I do. This is the exact argument against ritalin, the ADD drug for kids. I would never put my kids on ritalin. Have you seen kids on ritalin. Talk about zombies. They are well behaved becaused they are in a drug induced state of calm.

I plan to do more research about ADD and ADHD just to see what information is currently available about these controversial disorders. I believe there is a small legitimate percentage of people who have ADD or ADHD however, not in the numbers that the drug companies would like everyone to believe. In the article there is now nearly 1.5 million Americans 20 years old or older using these drugs. It looks to me like the "consumer convenience drugs" is now big business.

Impulsivity, disorganization, procrastination and hyperactivity are symptoms of most adults lives to some degree or another. I think there are non-drug solutions to these symptoms including self control, organization, planning, and exercise just to name a few off the top of my head.