ADHD Medication Rant

Today's rant:

I have ADHD. In order for me to re-fill my Concerta prescription, I have to call my pharmacy and request that they fax my doctor's office. Then, the pharmacy has to actually fax my doctor's office (you would not believe how difficult this step is). Once my doctor's office gets the fax, they have to create the magic piece of paper that says I can have my medication and have a doctor sign it. There is no consistency with regards to how quickly this is accomplished. Then, they have to mail that piece of paper to my pharmacy, and we all know how the USPS is known for their speed and reliability. Oh wait! No, they're not. *rolls eyes* When/If the pharmacy receives the aforementioned magic piece of paper, they have to put 30 pills in an orange bottle which takes longer than you'd think. Then, they have to inform me that  I need to take time out of my day to drive to the pharmacy and pick up my medication. Once I do that, this ridiculously long process mercifully reaches its conclusion. 

At any point of the above-mentioned process, a snafu or a delay could occur, and the consequences of either of those are potentially dire. When those with ADHD are without their medication, they become less productive at work and/or school and are at a greater risk of committing a crime. Additionally, if sufferers of ADHD go unmedicated, they frequently self-medicate, meaning they turn to drugs and/or alcohol. Those with ADHD struggle with day-to-day tasks, such as remembering to get the ridiculously long process of getting a refill of their prescription going at a time that will allow them to not run out of pills. Therefore, if all of these laws are designed to keep society safe from those who abuse ADHD medication probably do not help as they leave medicated ADHD sufferers without medication and cause some to give up medication entirely because of the ridiculous process of getting a refill for their prescription. 

Solution #1: Once an individual is diagnosed with ADHD, their doctor calls their preferred pharmacy and gives them and only them (or their parent if the patient is a minor) permission to get refills. The doctor can revoke this permission if the patient does not show up for regular checkups. 

Solution #2: I call my doctor's office for a refill. My doctor calls Amazon, and in two business days, UPS delivers my medication to my door. 

The Casual Use of the Terms "ADHD" and "OCD"

Is your life disordered? By that, I mean: Are you unable to function properly? If you are able live a normal life, then you do not have ADHD or OCD, both of which are disorders.

I have noticed a trend recently where an individual will casually and/or jokingly say they have ADHD or OCD. The individual who does this does not have either disorder, nor do they realize the consequences of their actions. ADHD and OCD are medical diagnoses, not descriptions of a personality.

In recent years, tremendous strides have been made in the mental health field. However, these efforts are being thwarted by those who do not take conditions like ADHD and OCD seriously. When people casually refer to themselves as having ADHD and OCD, they minimize the struggles of those who do suffer from these disorders.

The use of the word "suffer" in the previous paragraph is extremely deliberate. What led me to finally seek a diagnosis for ADHD was an incident where I was on the verge of tears, due to my despair over not being able to focus on the activities that mattered most to me. Now that I have officially been diagnosed with ADHD, I understand that my brain does not function and that my inattentiveness is not my fault, but that knowledge does not completely relieve my frustration.

I do not wish to vilify those who casually use the terms "ADHD" and "OCD." I am not a member of the "Politically Correct Police."  My point is to illustrate that there is a lot of ignorance with regards to mental health issues and that comments like these hurt the efforts of those trying to bring awareness to these issues. There is very little scientists know about ADHD, and when ADHD is treated like a joke, it becomes difficult to organize serious efforts to study and learn more about this disorder.

The comic sentiment surrounding ADHD and OCD and the temptation to use these terms lightly is something I completely understand. I have made jokes using ADHD and OCD and have referred to them casually, without intending to use their literal meaning. The temptation to use OCD lightly is strongest for me when I consider the large amount of attention I give my finger nails and cuticles, as well as my insistence that the table must be set properly. However, if my nails are too long or if the table is not set properly, I can get over it. Someone with OCD cannot. Now that I have an ADHD diagnosis, my eyes are opened to how bothersome it might be to someone with OCD if I were to refer to those patterns of behavior as OCD.

When we use terms flippantly, they begin to lose their meaning. This is clearly the case with ADHD and OCD. When I tell people that I have ADHD, I worry that they might not actually realize I am being serious. People whose lives are disrupted by these disorders already struggle enough. They do not need an additional struggle added on top of their current issues. To make their lives easier, we should all strive to only use the terms "ADHD" and "OCD" to describe ADHD and OCD.

For a lighter look at this issue, watch this video: