New ask Hacker News story: Ask HN: Has ADHD Become Overdiagnosed?

Ask HN: Has ADHD Become Overdiagnosed?
4 by Akcium | 3 comments on Hacker News.
In psychiatry, we have a problem: we cannot simply take a blood test or perform an MRI to determine a diagnosis. Typically, psychiatrists make judgments based on what patients say, how they complete questionnaires, and so on. In fact, if someone wants to get stimulants (or tranquilizers, in the case of GAD), it might be enough to describe symptoms that align with the diagnosis. Many people argue, 'No, a competent psychiatrist will definitely know if you have ADHD, GAD, or any other condition.' However, it seems to me that if you say "the right things", you can receive the diagnosis you desire and thus obtain a prescription for stimulants, for example. Recently, my feed has become full of content about ADHD. I'm not claiming it doesn't exist or that it's not a problem, but it has started to feel "mainstream". Just a couple of days ago, I saw a tweet where a girl on a beach was holding amphetamines and joking that she takes them to focus on relaxing.

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