ADD was created?

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I sure don't think so, but it seems that a group called the Citizens Commision on Human Rights(CCHR) has been distributing thousands of brochures promoting the idea that learning disorders, specifically ADD, were invented by psychologists in order to create a market for pharmaceuticals and therapy!

Have you ever heard anything so outrageous!?
Here's a youtube video of a news report.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04r_0V-m4Vs[/youtube]

I'm planning on writing to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation about this. People can't just up and distribute brochures intentionally to misinform people, based upon a belief that psychiatrists are evil. You know what, I'm going to write to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal too; That's a major violation of the right to free speech, to misinform people about ADD like that.

Grr... I can't write any more, I'm so mad I just have to write those letters NOW.

The CCHR is basically a branch of the Church of Scientology (or so I've heard) so I can't say I'm surprised. They think they're fighting some kind of holy war against psychiatrists. Even people who genuinely think that learning disorders are made up want nothing to do with them.

Are they technically allowed to do that? Create organizations as branch groups and then use them to spread such biased and faith-based messages? It seems pretty un-ethical to me.

Well, I guess that's why I'm writing letters, now isn't it?

Maybe it's because I'm American, but I think they at least have a right to put their opinion out there. The thing is, people will occasionally come up to me to, for example, tell me all about Jesus and that's OK with me because they are up-front about what they represent and where they're coming from and why they want me to know about Jesus, and when I tell them I'm not interested they leave me alone. Essentially all this Scientology propaganda is an expression of their belief (albeit a really messed up one) and this is thus a kind of evangelism and I think it should be identified as such. I think this is pretty much analogous to how commercials for politicians have to have their source of funding identified.

I don't know what the laws are in Canada, but I'm pretty sure this would be legal in the states (heck, it probably already happens). Actually, I'm pretty sure I've seen pamphlets and things from churches advocating causes that the religion supports, but those are somewhat more polite about it since the name and denomination of the church is stamped all over it.

Well, there's being open that you are indeed faith-based, and being open about your faith... I agree, they can put their opinion out, but that they're hiding that it's them makes it seem wrong. It'd be like someone telling you that McDonalds is a great place to eat, and they're an employee there, though you don't know it. It's deceptive, you see?

It just seems dirty that they're hiding their involvement, hiding behind an organization they made to spread their beliefs, and that they're doing it by hiding that it's a religious belief. If people agree with the pamphlet, they're agreeing with the religion, and if they don't connect Scientology to the pamphlets, they think those beliefs match their own, and they think they're joining of their own accord. But they're actually being groomed to accept those beliefs.

The fact that those beliefs, that ADD was created as a cash cow for psychiatrists, is pretty extremist, and the fact that Scientology is seperating themselves from that by using fronts... It's dishonest in the least. If they believe it, they believe it. But if they believe it, but spread it only through cover groups and fronts, isn't that really(I feel like a broken record) unethical?

Jehovahs witnesses come to my door, and I know they want me to convert. Scientologists come in the night, leave a pamphlet that will misinform me about ADD, hide their religious ties, and allow my beliefs, that they nurtured, to lead me to their religion? They must be playing some kind of mind game.

Scientology maintains hundreds of these front groups to further its purposes.

I'm wondering if these pamphlets would qualify as hate literature against disabled groups. They may be pointing the finger at psychologists, but it's the people with real disorders and real problems that are going to get hurt if anyone actually believes them.

Good on you for writing to the Canadian human rights tribunal. You can file a complaint at the provincial one if you find it's not in the national one's jurisdiction. I haven't seen these pamphlets, but I hope others who do also complain.

Edit: You can only file with a tribunal if you're one of the people discriminated against, so if you don't have ADD or a learning disability and they don't mention a disability you do have then I don't think they'll accept a formal complaint from you personally, but you can still raise a fuss. And hopefully the CBC will look at it.

I thought everyone already knew that ADHD was caused by confused souls of aliens condemned to Earth by the evil galactic ruler Lord Zenu.

These people are right - psychology is complete bunk! Stop wasting money on medicine and put it where it belongs - Scientology auditing sessions! If only my insurance covered that...

first of all cchr happens to know whats it talking about. Most people who have been in the mental health system hate its guts. There is massive international movemnet fueled by disgruntled expatients to shut the mental health system down. There is no proof any mental illness acutally exists as a material thing. behind every mental illness what you will find are histories of being abused, drug abuse, nutritional defeciencies, food allergies, toxic exposures, fungal infections, and undiagnosed chronic medical conditions. You seem to have a severe problem with the concept of free speech. You probaly have no problem with the concept of locking people up who havent commited a crime without a trial indeffinataly and violating their bodies with toxic body busting mind melting drugs.

In response to the OP I will say this; I know I have AD(H)D. The jury's still out on Asperger's, but based on my social failures and other AS-related quirks, I'm willing to put my money on it.

ADHD is very real, but I will agree its abused. It seems anyone who catches/is caught not paying attention to something will excuse themselves half-jokingly as having it: "Sorry, its my ADD lol!" I'm here to tell you it ruins lives. I have poor concept of time management and am frequently late. I'm always aloof and looking like a complete jackass to just about everyone around me. I'm always having financial issues. I have issues staying on task and organizing. I KNOW how to solve my problems, but therein lies the rub of ADHD - the solutions all involve mundane tasks that do NOT hold my attention for long at all, therefore the problems are ongoing. No one, nomatter how lazy, would want the crap I've caused for myself my whole life. I never WANTED to be a bad student, and I'm very smart. I've changed my diet from one extreme to another (including health-nut, supplement-obsessed vegan) with no change. So all the NT's who think this is a made-up condition that a few vitamins can fix, including the CCHR, can personally bite me.

I do not believe that ADD or ADHD are created conditions. I do however believe that they are over diagnosed conditions and that there are a substantial portion of parents whose only motivation in seeking an ADD or ADHD diagnosis in their children is so that they can use drugs in order to control them better rather than exercising good parenting skills.

have you had your thyroid tested? and have you tried fish oil? some of the lesser dxs may not be diseases att all but simple differences of the human spectrum.

i am personaly taking a huge amount vitamins/supplements for a host of issues and its working quite well.