Chicago neurologist Dr. Richard Saul writes in New Republic an article that claims the widely diagnosed ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) does not, in fact, exist. He says doctors do not diagnose a runny nose, we diagnose a cold or allergy which causes the nose to run.
In other words, Saul alleges that ADHD is a symptom of some underlying cause such as depression or bipolar disorder. It should be understood that these are conditions medicine cannot "cure" but manages with various pharmaceuticals.
Instead of treating the ADHD symptom with uppers, Saul believes doctors should determine and treat the underlying problem. This he believes will make the ADHD "symptom" retreat or even disappear, insofar as the physician is able to "control" the underlying condition with drug therapy.
He is wrong about one thing, it is neither wrong nor irrational to treat symptoms like runny nose, headache or upset stomach that likely have undiagnosed underlying causes. Particularly when it's the symptom bothering us, not the condition causing it. Often enough the underlying condition, perhaps a virus, is something medicine cannot treat.
