There is a tendency to "medicalize" everything in the West. Everything needs to be compartmentalized and categorized. Kids who are different from the "norm" are quickly labelled as ADHD or as having learning disabilities. This is how people make sense of things they don't understand and don't know how to deal with.
People are scared of unknown and so in order to re-establish order and make sense of things, they create these neat little boxes labelled with various conditions and slot people in them. It is much easier then to give kids medications once they've been diagnosed and labelled. Medication given under those pretenses are basically tools used to make these kids conform to the society's standard of what's normal.
I've seen kids on Ritalin before, the spunks and the sparkles are gone from their eyes. It's like taking away someone's spirit.
It is all the same for adults as well, the medical professionals are so quick to prescribe drugs for things like stress,anxiety and depression. I'm not against using medications to treat diseases, if they are true diseases, but there seems to be an over-reliance on medications these days.
Excellent article by the way, I really enjoyed reading it.
偶灯斯陋 发表评论于
hmmm..., that shows adversity breeds success? or the excessive energy was channelled into the activity that fits him?
yeah, I can also attest the students who need special treatment in taking exams end up doing fine without the specs
Qiqimi 发表评论于
Agreed. I feel sad for a lot of American kids. The parents don't want to spend that much time to accompany them, so drugs will be the easiest solution. I knew some friends' kids had similar issues, but in my opinion, the kids are exceptionally creative somehow.
luolinch 发表评论于
Good point!!! Thank you for your article.
My son had same problem at daycare and school. The teacher sent us a lot information to push us to see the doctors so many times. We knew it is stupid to believe that kind of diagnosis and rejected any drug treament, because I was doctor in China. Now my son is doing great in school.