In this engaging discussion, child psychiatrist Sami Timimi explores the surge in ADHD diagnoses, while journalist Abigail Shrier critiques the impact of achievement culture on mental health. Dr. Gabrielle Carlson offers insights on the complexities of children's mental health, and psychoanalyst Erica Komisar highlights the importance of attentive parenting. Journalist Jennifer Wallace warns against the consequences of overmedicating our youth, questioning whether we are pathologizing normal childhood experiences. Together, they challenge the current mental health landscape for children.
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insights INSIGHT
Pathologizing Childhood
Society pushes kids to grow up too fast and over-diagnoses childhood behaviors.
We are intolerant of childishness and look for problems in normal kid behavior.
insights INSIGHT
ADHD Behaviors
ADHD-like behaviors, such as trouble focusing and fidgeting, have long been associated with kids.
These behaviors were once considered typical and often improved with age.
insights INSIGHT
ADHD as a Stress Response
ADHD is a stress response, not a disorder, according to Erica Komisar.
Instead of addressing societal stressors, we medicate children, silencing their pain.
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Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It
Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It
Jennifer Wallace
NAUGHTY BOYS: ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, ADHD AND THE ROLE OF CULTURE
NAUGHTY BOYS: ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, ADHD AND THE ROLE OF CULTURE
Sami Timimi
Being There
Jerzy N. Kosinski
The novel tells the story of Chance, a simple and illiterate gardener who has lived his entire life within the walls of a wealthy man's estate. After the Old Man's death, Chance is thrust into the outside world and, through a series of events, becomes known as Chauncey Gardiner. He gains prominence due to his simplistic and television-influenced responses, which are misinterpreted as deep insights by those around him. The book satirizes American media culture, the obsession with appearance, and the gullibility of society. It was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film in 1979 starring Peter Sellers.
Bad Therapy
Abigail Shrier
Abigail Shrier's "Bad Therapy" delves into the increasing trend of pathologizing normal childhood behaviors. The book examines how the therapeutic landscape has shifted, leading to the overdiagnosis and treatment of children for conditions that may simply be part of typical development. Shrier critiques certain therapeutic approaches and their potential negative consequences, sparking debate about the appropriate use of therapy for children. The book challenges readers to reconsider the boundaries between normal childhood experiences and diagnosable conditions, prompting a critical examination of current therapeutic practices. It encourages a more nuanced understanding of child development and the potential pitfalls of overmedicalization.
Kids and teens today are more diagnosed than ever, across the board, whether it’s a disorder like ADHD or a mental health condition like obsessive-compulsive disorder. Say you’re 15 and you’re worried about that upcoming algebra test? Anxiety. You’re 12 and you weren’t invited to that birthday party? Depression. Scared to ride your bike again after that little fall last summer? PTSD. And with these diagnoses come a menu of medications that purport to fix your child.
Today: What’s behind the rise in diagnoses—both for ADHD, mostly among young boys, and for anxiety and depression, mostly among teen girls? Are they really the most distracted, anxious, and depressed generation ever to exist? Or are we, perhaps, pathologizing what used to be considered normal feelings and behaviors—and as a result, diagnosing and overmedicating kids for. . . acting like kids? And what are the long-term effects of having millions of boys on speed and millions of girls on SSRIs?
Resources from this episode:
Abigail Shrier Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up (Bookshop)
Jennifer Wallace Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It (Bookshop)
Sami Timimi Naughty Boys: Anti-Social Behaviour, ADHD and the Role of Culture (Bookshop)
Erica Komisar Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters (Bookshop)
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Raising Parents with Emily Oster 
