So ADHD isn't a thing? ADHD vs VAST

[Anonymous]

A Concern I have if it is not a medical diagnosis then Health insurance wont' cover testing or treatments

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Concern I have if it is not a medical diagnosis then Health insurance wont' cover testing or treatments

That's one big reason ADHD will stay in the DSM even if the name changes someday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with this. I have read Dr. Amen's books on ADHD and he says something similar, in that people with "ADHD" don't have a lack of attention, they just cannot control their attention. My opinion (shared with Dr. Amen to some degree) is that "ADHD" or "VAST" is simply the name given a collection of symptoms which can have different causes. It is not like a bacteria, for example, as something concrete that you have.

I do disagree that it is a good thing to have, however. I have it and it sucks. Saying that there might be a positive spin you can put on it doesn't take away from the fact that it makes everything more difficult and without medication, therapy, support, etc., it is no way to live and if you need all of those things to function and live happily, then it's not something I would wish on anyone. People without ADHD can be smart, creative, highly focused, etc. without the ADHD.

I hate having it. I didn't know that was the explanation for my difficulties in life until one of my children was diagnosed. I was 50 years old. So. much time wasted.

Amen is a quack.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a name change would be nice.

I'm the parent of an kid with inattentive ADHD. He's the least hyperactive and impulsive person I know, if anything he's consumed by indecision which makes him move and decide very slowly. I think that people often think that he can't really have ADHD because he's missing this symptom that's right there in the na.e.

This is my son exactly. It's heartbreaking.

[Anonymous]

The world is not set up for kids to go around choosing what to devote their attention to. To be successful in life, you need to devote your attention to things you may not necessarily want to most of the time. I don't want to devote my attention to laundry, cleaning, running most errands, walking the dog when it is freezing or raining outside, doing boring, pointless tasks at work, etc. The list is endless. If you didn't do those things, what would your life be like? It would be a mess, literally and figuratively. We can't always devote our attention to things that interest us. Well, not unless you are extremely wealthy and even those people remind us of grown-up children. My son has ADHD and he has some super creative ideas and he will find his place in life. But in the meantime, he has to learn how to devote his attention to the rest of his life. He needs to do his laundry every week, get up on time for school, do boring assignments, study for subjects he doesn't care about, read books he isn't interested in, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Saw this article on additudemag.com My teen just explained this to me on his own. "I'm paying too much attention to too many other things during Zoom. Meds are making it worse." We'll be talking to psych tomorrow.

Has anyone read or heard more about VAST vs ADHD

BY EDWARD HALLOWELL, M.D., JOHN RATEY, M.D.

ADHD is an inaccurate — and potentially corrosive — name. The term “deficit disorder” places ADHD in the realm of pathology, or disease. Individuals with ADHD do not have a disease, nor do they have a deficit of attention; in fact, what they have is an abundance of attention. The challenge is controlling it.

Therefore, we argue that a more accurate descriptive term is “variable attention stimulus trait” (VAST), a name that allows us to “de-medicalize” ADHD and focus instead on the huge benefits of having an ADHD brain.

VAST symptoms can, of course, negatively impact a person’s life, work, and relationships. Rejection sensitive dysphoria, a phrase coined by Dr. William Dodson, refers to the extreme emotional sensitivity and feelings of guilt, shame, and rejection often experienced by those living with VAST.

But with VAST there are always pairs; you can hyper focus and then you can’t focus. You are distractible, but you’re also curious. So if individuals with VAST tend to succumb to perceived rejection, they can just as easily thrive with perceived recognition, an experience we call “recognition responsive euphoria.”

https://www.additudemag.com/attention-deficit-disorder-vast/

I have a couple of Hallowell's books and these ideas are not new for him - they are what he has always said and indeed they are widely accepted by experts. What is new here is the name.

I don't see the point in a name change to be honest, unless the name is clearer and VAST definitely isn't.

[Anonymous]

My adhd son lacks attention. Plain and simple. Underestimated everything. Too little effort and attention to detail in all activities. He has been diagnosed with adhd and anxiety. So was his dad. So is he misdiagnosed?

[Anonymous]

Second for Amen being a quack!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My adhd son lacks attention. Plain and simple. Underestimated everything. Too little effort and attention to detail in all activities. He has been diagnosed with adhd and anxiety. So was his dad. So is he misdiagnosed?

Depends. Are you gauging only by looking at the things you think he should be paying attention to or everything? What is he like when something that interests him comes along. I love having ADHD and find my DD with ADHD to be one of the most amazing, curious and interesting people in the world. I'd not trade my brain or hers for an ordinary/more common one. Can it be difficult? Sure. The world is made for the majority. But you can teach yourself to reframe goals and expectations to get through/over the most monotonous of things. But, to have the insatiable curiosity and drive to learn about and do everything about anything that seems interesting? It's like living with an endless source of wonder and the energy and will to chase down every possible version of life worth living. I'd love it if society was more aware of the way it really works because we can certainly be harnessed. My kid learned 5 years worth of an instrument in 2. She's not a prodigy. She has an aptitude but, most importantly, she loves it. And, so, she is extremely dedicated to its study.

[Anonymous]

I have add. Sorry for me it is a deficit in attention and executive functioning.

I have never been able to organize my possessions even when it stresses my life and ib desperately want to. I cannot stay focused without medication to fix my attention and that medication just makes me functional not able to do everything I want.