Persuasive Essay Against Adhd

There are many components to ADHD that have caused, and continue to cause controversy. Diagnosis of the disorder, treatment of it, and even whether ADHD actually exists have all been argued for many years. The main area of controversy surrounding ADHD is what symptoms should be considered part of the disorder. To many, being “distractible, fidgety, and impulsive” all qualify someone as a potential ADHD sufferer. However, some skeptics believe that these qualitities are normal for young, energetic children who are made to sit and be quiet for hours at school. They believe that these perfectly “healthy schoolchildren” would act much differently in a more “natural outdoor environment.” Although researchers have discovered brain differences and evidence of impairment in daily activites in those who suffer from ADHD, there are many who view ADHD "symptoms" as “an extreme expression of normal human behavior”. These researchers use the term neurodiversity to describe genetic variations

Those who argue against ADHD being considered a mental illness claim that because such a large number of people show symptoms commonly associated with ADHD to some extent, ADHD is not actually a disorder. To some, the fact that many people show these behaviors, combined with the fact that a wide range of disorders exhibit similar symptoms to ADHD suggests that ADHD itself should not be considered a mental disorder. People who argue for ADHD being considered a true disorder believe that most people with high activity levels and more impulsivity do not experience the interference with their daily lives that those with ADHD do. Symptoms caused by ADHD “interfere with a person 's ability to successfully function in their environment.” The presence of this impairment in daily functionality places those with ADHD at the extreme end of "normal behavior"; therefore, this disorder is indeed a mental