As a parent of a boy with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), I was so excited about the recent release of a revolutionary book called “ADHD is Not Real”. It promised to tell me the cause behind my son’s behaviour. Finally, after all of my years of searching for a cure for my out of control child, there’s a book with all the answers. Hallelujah!
A Behavioural Neurologist by the name of Dr Richard Saul claims to have found the cause for my beautiful boy’s cravings for constant movement and distraction. The breakthrough I have been waiting for is that apparently he has NDI (Neurochemical Distracability and Impulsivity).
My heart skipped a beat. Quick, let’s research NDI and find out how I can help my son. But wait. There is no such disorder. There are no answers. I can’t actually find any references to this new “cause” for ADHD-type behaviour. And according to Dr Saul, the treatment for NDI is Ritalin, the same “band-aid” solution for ADHD!
Hang on, what the hell is going on?
But wait. According to Dr Saul, my son might also have bipolar disorder, or an anxiety disorder, or depression or perhaps a personality disorder. I wonder which anti-psychotic drugs might help these conditions? Or maybe he can’t hear or see properly?
Yes, that’s the answer. My son with an advanced reading level is blind… And I just hadn’t noticed?