The ADD/ADHD diagnosis has no valid diagnostic criteria. If you look at the DSM IV, which provides diagnoses for psychiatric “diseases”, you will find a list of highly subjective criteria that could fit anyone. Further, there are NO physiological markers of ADD/ADHD at all. In these respects, ADD/ADHD is in the same category of bogus diagnoses as “oppositional defiance disorder”, which is also in the DSM.
Although the DSM IV is officially a diagnostic manual, it can also be seen as the source of cashflow for psychiatrists and psychologists. If something is in the DSM, it has a “code”. That code allows the psychiatrist or psychologist to get paid by insurance and the government.
There are physiological problems that do give rise to what we call mental illness, but ADD/ADHD isn’t among them.
A Shrink told me one time the easiest way he found to tell if Ritalin would in fact help was to give a kid suspected with having ADD ADHD a caffine pill and watch the child too see if symptoms changed. Now when I was a kid they thought I had it. I can drink 6 Cokes a night and it won't do nothing to me. But I can hear certain frenquency noises and I about go through the roof.
Actually I have seizures {strong upper torso spasms} but not in the form most persons recognize as being such. They are called Myoclonic. The thing about it except in very extreme cases like mine a C.A.P.D. diagnoses means $0 to the drug companies. I didn't have to start taking meds for this till I was in my mid thirties. The doctors tried antidepressants which was a huge disaster.