It sure feels like the house of cards is crumbling. Hardly a week goes by without some pharmaceutical drug or other turning out to have unacceptable side effects. Yesterday it was hormone replacement therapy, today it is Vioxx, tomorrow it’ll be Viagra. You think I’m joking? There used to be a myth (maybe there still is) that certain sexual practices would make you go blind. Well, the use of Viagra might be added to that list very soon. It turns out that Viagra regulates a chemical that constricts the body's arteries and ophthalmologists are now identifying certain types of people who are susceptible to having the blood supply to the optic nerve cut off if they use it.
Focusing on ADHD
"ADD", "ADHD" and "LD" are just the mostcommon in the growing alphabet soup of labels associated with learning and behavior disorders. The symptoms range from mild difficulties with concentration in school or work situations to outright inability to learn or perform intellectual tasks, from boredom and restlessness to overt anti-social behavior and violence.
The diagnostic terms cover a great variety of symptoms and situations. There is alot that is not yet understand about how the syndrome, arises and what to do about it. So much attention has been focused on this issue recently that it appears that the country is suffering from an epidemic of learning and behavioral dysfunction.