Originally Posted by NOS88
As an adult I was diagnosed with ADD by a team, including my family physician, a neurologist, a psychologist, and a world renowned specialist in the field of ADD/ADHD. More structure, limits, discipline, effort, etc. have no value for some tasks the modern world requires me to perform. However, with the correct treatment I went on to finish graduate school with the highest grade point average in my class. So, please don't jump to the simplistic solutions of "more limits."
My observations are not an attempt at offering a simplistic, generalized solution by introducing only "more limits." Is that how you interpreted my post?
Perhaps some clarification of my position might be helpful. I'm not denying that ADD/ADHD exists, and for you and many others, it's real, whether it's organic or otherwise. I'm certainly not qualified to assess those dynamics, and I would expect each case is unique. My point is that
I have to wonder if it isn't too often an easy answer in far too many cases for, as Denver stated it, "squigglyness." I also have to wonder if an easier, too often applied, and inappropriate path is to simply throw drugs at a disruptive child.
Is the lack of serious physical activity, fractured family structure, lack of limits, and other sociological factors playing into this epidemic of ADD/ADHD, and for that matter obesity? Or, perhaps ADD/ADHD have been around forever and we simply didn't recognize them or have viable treatment options. I don't think it's being overly simplistic to consider these factors. My opinion is that, in some (many?) cases we may be over-medicating our children when other, more basic solutions may be at hand.
Getting back on topic, however, it appears that physical activity may offer some positive results when it comes to dealing with any number of afflictions.