ADD/ADHD (or depression, anxiety and such) does not mean that a person's mind in "weak", nor does it mean that they are "mentally disabled". If it someone has ADD, it doesn't mean they are ******ed or less intellegent. In fact it can be quite the opposite; there are many people that have ADD that also have high IQ scores.
Adult ADD/ADHD is not a "made up" problem, it is very real. Yes, there are people who claim it as an excuse so that they can get the meds or whatever. The people who do that are so wrong; they make the people who actually have ADD look bad. Not everyone that takes adderall or ritalin is a druggie, these medications can be extremely benificial to people that have ADD. Medication shouldn't always be used for ADD, but if a person is trying their best and they still can't concentrate for more than a few minutes then sometimes medication is a good option. Some people develop mechanisms that help them cope with ADD or other problems, but some people can't do that.
Having ADD, ADHD, depression, or learning disorders doesn't mean that a person would make a bad doctor. None of those always mean that a person is less capable of achievement or that they are some how "******ed". Learning disabilities can occur without having a lower than normal IQ, so just because a person has an LD or ADD doesn't automaticaly deem them as unqulified for a medical profession. For instance, dyslexia is considered a LD but that doesn't mean that a person with dyslexia is ******ed. It is unfortunate that some people think that these problems make a person a druggie, ******ed, or weak minded. It is also unfortunate that people who act that way toward an illness or problem is going into medicine. Seriously, I would rather have someone that had ADD be my doctor rather that someone who thinks that mental illness and ADD are fake. I mean, its almost like telling someone who wears glasses that "you don't need those, you can see just fine without them, your vision problems are all in your head" or its like telling a paralysed person "you don't need a wheelchair, you are just being lazy".
I am 20 and I have ADD, I wasn't diagnosed until I was 19. I can say from experience that it is a real disorder and doesn't impair intellectual function. I struggled through school when I was a kid. I was told so many times that "you can do better than this", "why aren't you paying attention", "you need to get better self-control over your schoolwork", "you need to put more effort" that is just to name a few of the things I heard so many times. I honestly tried hard to concentrate and pay attention, but I just could not do it. My parents tried rewards (like money) for doing well and also tried punishment (no tv until homework is complete or no friends over except for weekends) for doing poor, but I still couldn't do it. There were some instances where I studied my butt off and I would barely scrape by with a C, and by that I mean that if I were to have made half a point less it would have been a D. My problem wasn't all self-control related, self-control had some to do with it (I was picked on and teased constantly and that made me hate school) but it wasn't the complete cause of the problem.
Now that I am in college it is different. My grades are much better, and I enjoy college and usually look forward to a lot of my classes. I still have a lot of struggles though, it is hard for me to concentrate and do what I need to do. This isn't just with classes either, I often can't concentrate on things that I want to concentrate on. I can be watching my favorite movie/reading my favorite book and my mind will wander or I will start daydreaming. I also have to study a lot more than most people do to get good grades. Sometimes I have to take extra time to grasp a concept that most others already understand. I can read stuff and sometimes it wont "stick" untill I have went over it several times (except Shakespere...I can't get that no matter how many times I read it) And there is some stuff I am excellent at, things that I can do better than most others in my class.
ADD doesn't make someone less able to become a doctor. I, along with others with ADD or LD, have the capability to become great doctors. Just because we have to study longer doesn't mean that we are idiots. My IQ is about 135, I am not saying that to brag but to show that ADD doesn't mean mentally challenged. I also have been among the top students in several classes. So if people with ADD know everything they should, why shouldn't they be able to become doctors?
I do take medicine for ADD, it doesn't make me "doped up", it just helps me to function a little more normal. It really pisses me off when people lie and tell doctors that they have ADD and fake the symptoms so that they can get meds when they don't really need them. For one thing it can make people who need the meds look bad. Second, it is dangerous-these are controlled substances; Adderall is basically amphetamine. Why take it when its not needed? So what if it helps you can study better or stay awake to pull an all nighter-go get a red bull if you need the enery. I have to take the meds and I still have to study twice as much (or even more) than "normal" people (normal people not on adderall) to even get the same grades as they do! So nobody start saying crap like "well people with ADD get to benifit from it, so I should too". Thats just not true because a lot of times when ADD people take the meds they still have to put forth more effort.
Okay, I will shut up now. Good luck to anyone else who has or might have ADD/ADHD, LD, or a mental illness. Don't let anyone tell you that you are not capable of being what you really want to be. You can do anything you put your mind to.
I'm sorry but that first part was funny. My name is a style of Russian wrestling. You must be referring to the popular childrens' book by helen bannerman-- Little Black Sambo . Sorry for the confusion.
