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For 12 years, Melydia Clewell Beagles was a successful TV news anchor in Chattanooga, Tenn. Her cool demeanor in front of the camera, however, only masked the confusion and frustration she regularly experienced within.
"For most of my life, I felt as if everybody else got a joke that I didn't get," says the 35-year-old. "I thought, 'Why can everybody else get their housework done, and I can't get mine done? Why can everyone else accomplish as much as they do in a day, and I can't? Why do other people need to have something explained to them only once, and sometimes I need it five or six times?'"
To make matters worse, Beagles' personal life was a mess. Her marriage failed, she was overextended on credit during most of her 20s, and had been in a car accident at least 18 times. Plus, her relationships suffered because she would often snap at people.
It wasn't until a psychiatrist diagnosed her with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that things began to turn around. After taking a stimulant for the condition, Beagles says she felt like a different person.
"I had a clearer mind and a grip on my emotions," says Beagles, noting how she now has enough energy to fulfill her daily commitments and to work on her self-esteem.
Beagles is one of an increasing number of adults who discover that ADHD is not just a problem for children.
Nationwide, 3%-6% of kids have ADHD, and about half become grownups with the disorder, says Mitchell Clionsky, PhD, president of the ADD Center of Western Massachusetts. The statistics vary slightly on how many people have ADHD, but there seems to be no question among medical professionals that the ailment affects adults.
Although many experts have long suspected the adult factor, there now seems to be more public attention on the matter.
In the last year, the FDA approved a new drug called Strattera for the treatment of ADHD. It was the first medicine officially authorized for use in adults as well as children. (Prior to this, doctors often treated adults with drugs approved for children.)
Eli Lilly and Co., the manufacturer of Strattera, then started a marketing campaign to make people more aware of adult ADHD. TV commercials presented the symptoms of the disorder, which include trouble staying attentive, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Lilly is a WebMD sponsor.
The campaign has arguably fueled the debate over whether ADHD is a legitimate medical condition and has renewed concerns about people being misdiagnosed or needlessly medicated.
The Controversy
There are health professionals who, while not questioning the validity of ADHD as a medical disorder, believe there may be problems associated with it.
ADHD is "grossly overdiagnosed," says Carl Tischler, PhD, a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He says it's easy to point to the disorder because the symptoms, such as attention and concentration problems, are common. Plus, the drugs are usually effective in treating symptoms, he says, but that does not necessarily mean the real problem has been addressed.
Attention and concentration problems can stem from other things, explains Tischler, including other mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety, and life situations such as bad relationships, poor sleep patterns, or difficulty around the holidays.
In addition to the problem of over- or misdiagnosing, critics say medications may be handed out too fast.
"I think that this phenomenon of school teachers essentially having drugs in their desk drawer for Johnny, Alan, and Jerry ... has gotten out of control," says Lewis P. Lipsitt, PhD, professor emeritus of psychology, medical science, and human development at Brown University. "We've gone overboard in medicalizing or biologizing behavioral problems."
Lipsitt says ADHD has often become an excuse for bad behavior, regardless of the root of the problem.
Yet despite their criticisms, both Lipsitt and Tischler still recognize ADHD as a real neurological condition that affects some adults and kids.
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