Deseret News | Entire human race apparently afflicted with ADD

Reader comments
Joseph Cramer, M.D.: Entire human race apparently afflicted with ADD

Saintly Gent | 8:54 a.m. July 11, 2009

God works in mysterious ways, little ones.

Catch all "disorder" | 9:14 a.m. July 11, 2009

It sounds like, just as I suspected, "ADD" is a catchall term seeking to categorize or justify as a medical condition:

the scatter-brained
the bored
the careless
the introverted
the lazy
the dilatory
the disinterested
the feckless
etc etc

ADD baloney | 9:17 a.m. July 11, 2009

Nearly 40 years ago, my little girl was up at dawn and running wherever she could. She would come into a room bounce across the sofa, knock over the lamp and go merrily on her way, crashing everything in her path. School was painful for her, but she was in a catholic school and they handled it. I talked to her peditrician and asked if she had "hyperactivity" the catch word of the day. As she busily dismantle his examination room. He told me that she was a perfectly healthy child and some people had 10 of them just like her. She grew to be a dynamic, constructive creative person, and a wonderful mother. Wish we had the old common sense doctors. Thank God, I didn't medicate her.

Comments continue below

Thinkin' Man | 3:38 p.m. July 11, 2009

I forgot what I was going to say.

Let's go ride bikes!

Anonymous | 5:01 p.m. July 11, 2009

You are not kidding about the entire human race. I though there was something wrong with my neighbors but now I understand the extent of it.

Now | 5:22 p.m. July 11, 2009

what if I choose to ignore people? Do I have ADD?....LOL!!

Best column | 8:25 p.m. July 11, 2009

EVER!!!

Right on | 12:06 a.m. July 12, 2009

"Sustained mental effort" seems to be difficult for our Utah politicians.

ADD catchall | 6:29 a.m. July 12, 2009

This is a new way of saying one is not a go-getter or happy at their job. The children growing up with this disorder and medicated for it are the ones now emerging in to the job market, and its devastating for employers. I guess that's why jobs that require some mental decision making are being exported to countries that don't medicate their children to keep them from having active minds and bodies.

I believe it, this whole country is suffering with ADD, especially the under 30 crowd. And the most likely to continue their drug habits to avoid using their minds. There must be a lot of blame on parents for allowing the schools and doctors that medicate children out of their senses and self control.

Confused | 10:59 a.m. July 12, 2009

Last week Dr. Cramer wrote a thoughtful article for the Mormon Times, explaining that clinical depression is a biological illness and its sufferers should not be stigmatized. This week, he essentially mocks another illness which stems from an imbalance in the brain. ADD is a real illness which causes real suffering to individuals and their relationships. I can't speak to the issue of medicating children, but it's been my experience that when you properly medicate an adult with ADD, his or her symptoms improve. If the person doesn't have ADD, the medication doesn't have the desired effect. Antibiotics don't improve the well-being of a healthy person and ADD meds don't help a person who's merely forgetful.

I guess it's OK to blame your foibles on ADD when you know you really don't have it. I'm just wondering why people don't joke about having ALS when they stumble, or lung cancer when they have a cough.

Ann | 12:06 p.m. July 12, 2009

For an expert opinion on ADD, I recommend “Superparenting for ADD,” by Edward Hallowell, MD and Peter Jensen.

This book explains the real causes and what you can do about it.

Doug K | 8:52 a.m. July 15, 2009

The good doctor seems to have a poor understanding of this disorder. Proof of this is in the fact that he appears to think ADD and ADHD are the same disorder. There is ample empirical evidence that individulas who suffer from these disorders are disabled relative to their peers and that when properly diagnosed, medications are highly effective. Would Dr. Cramer also mock the signs and symptoms of juvenile diabetes, cystic fibrosis or Asperger's syndrome to make a political statement? It is shameful that this is being done at the expense of ADD/ADHD sufferers. This article speeks volumes about Dr. Cramer, his judgement and perhaps his competence.

SLC gal | 9:23 a.m. July 15, 2009

For once, I've been offended by the Deseret News. My brother suffers from ADD to the point where he was held back a year in school. The medications my parents put him on, after careful consultation with his pediatrician, and taken as prescribed, resulted in a marked improvement in his grades and ability to function as a human being in general.

Perhaps this doctor that's so quick to dismiss ADD is bitter becuase he himself has the disorder? And in him it was tossed aside as lazy or scatterbrained?

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