[vidoc]

> If something is clearly causing severe life issues in both places (as in clear issues with mental well being, same everything in that sense), but one writes it off as ‘whatever, they’re losers’ and the the other gives treatment and helps - I don’t think it’s that it isn’t a pathology in the . place that just calls them losers and refuses to do anything.

There is no need to make a false dychotomy here: I have nothing about the use of substances if they help people struggling with attention and concentration, and there are probably tons of people on similar drugs in Europe. The only difference is that the United States is the only place where ADHD is a thing, e.g: considered an actual pathology despite the absence of any demonstration of a confirmatory physical (including chemical) abnormality in the brain. And I believe it leads to massive over-prescriptions.

> And suggested illegal street drugs of unknown potency or other problems is somehow better than regulated and tested stimulants is more than a bit bizarre.

I'm not suggesting anything, I used the example of cocaine as a substance that is known to improve concentration too. My point being, Adderal/Ritalin are not the magic drug that treats ADHD, they are just brain enhancing substances as well, sold by pharmacies.

[lazide]

Which is clearly false (ADHD is not only recognized in the US), and disingenuous to boot.

And you explicitly referred to cocaine as an equivalent option to prescribed medication. Despite it being highly illegal in nearly every country in the world, of difficult to ascertain quality or purity (and often cut with dangerous or unknown substances), and would be used in this context with no professional oversight - since it’s highly illegal.

Yikes.

[vidoc]

> And you explicitly referred to cocaine as an equivalent option to prescribed medication.

No, I tried and failed to make you understand my main point that these drugs which are 'presecribed' for a pathology whose existence has yet to be scientifically demonstrated, are actually no different from cocaine in what they do when you take them. I've seen comments in this thread saying that since Adderal/Ritaline works and has positive effects, therefor the existance of ADHD is demonstrated. After all, that's an opinion as well, so please let me keep mine that Adderal/Ritaline are nothing but legal meth.

[lazide]

You have no idea what you are talking about. These stimulants work markedly different for folks with this different brain chemistry, and pretty clearly so.

20mg of Adderall for someone with ADHD (who benefits from it?) - finally only having one thing at a time they are thinking about instead of 20. And most of the time, they can sleep better that night - maybe even a ‘finally can sleep’ night.

Someone with normal brain chemistry? Obsessive, hyper focus and unable to sleep potentially for days.

Having seen it myself.

[lazide]

And for anyone reading this who is wondering if that sounds familiar - a certain type of ADHD does tend to manifest as the ‘stays up for days working on the cool problem until they are so exhausted they pass out’, which looks remarkably like stimulant abuse for someone with ‘normal’ (quotes because it’s not like we fully understand what that means either) brain chemistry. And it happens without any external drugs or chemicals.

Medication (with stimulants) often allows the person to stop or control it when it isn’t helpful or desirable, and actually sleep. Which is quite unintuitive at first.

Inattentive type is also a thing, and often looks like someone who is always daydreaming/off in their own world. That tends to show up more in women, but that’s only a rough categorization. Some folks cycle back and forth.

Overall as pointed out elsewhere, it’s the difficulty in regulating and directing attention that is the problem, and when it causes distress and difficulty living a normal life is when it gets categorized as a disorder.

[vidoc]

> You have no idea what you are talking about.

Whereas you do right?

> These stimulants work markedly different for folks with this different brain chemistry, and pretty clearly so.

They are both brain stimulants, that's why I coined this "Legal meth".

PS: As for the rest of your arguments, not gonna answer because I have no idea what you are talking about, trying to mean, or even if this gibbering makes any sense at all. Please take your Adderall actually.

[steveklabnik]

> The only difference is that the United States is the only place where ADHD is a thing,

This is just simply untrue. It is true that how seriously it is taken and what is usually prescribed as treatment varies significantly, but it is understood to be a real thing across Europe, at least. I have multiple friends in multiple countries who have received a diagnosis.