Write your search in the input below and press enter.
Esc to close.

The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich

Peak Performance:
Not Just for Sports, for Life

  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
    • Recent
    • Athletes
    • Coaching
    • Sports Parenting
    • Sports Administrators
    • Life
    • Administrators
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
  • Products
    • Toolkits
    • Audio
    • Books
    • Videos
    • Apps
  • Services
  • Chalk Talk
  • About Dr. Stankovich
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Hello. Sign In

My Account
  • Login
  • Register
0
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk
Subscribe
The Sports Doc Chalk Talk with Dr. Chris Stankovich
  • Recent
  • Athletes
  • Coaching
  • Sports Parenting
  • Life
  • Administrators
Home / Blog / ADHD and the Potential Dangers of Calling Life Challenges “Mental Illness”

ADHD and the Potential Dangers of Calling Life Challenges “Mental Illness”

By: Dr. Chris Stankovich | @DrStankovich | Nov 07, 2022

No Comments

If I convince you that your thinking and behaviors are problematic, to the point where I can create a psychological label to attach to your symptoms, would you then be motivated to try and find a cure to fix your problem? And if I cranked up the rhetoric and frightened you even more by telling you those symptoms are not only problematic, but evidence of mental illness, what would you do then?

Well that is precisely the criticism of the drug industry today where a “mental illness” like ADHD is created by human beings from a cluster of everyday subjective symptoms nearly impossible to accurately and reliably measure.   Things like having your mind race, being fidgety in your seat, forgetting things from time to time, and occasionally making careless mistakes, are all normal experiences for all human beings — but these challenges are no longer accepted as normal but instead labelled a mental disorder called ADHD.  And while there is no real need to “fix” these symptoms by means of drugs, the drug industry doesn’t want you to waste your time putting out human effort when you can simply consume the drugs they sell to you indefinitely for the rest of your life.

Nobody is questioning the symptoms

There is no doubt that people regularly experience symptoms attributed to ADHD, and most can agree that those symptoms can range from mildly annoying to big challenges to overcome.  Yes, forgetting things and struggling with focus are real human experiences, but are they indicators of psychopathology and mental illness?  If we go down this road of casually accepting that normal human challenges are actually “mental illness,” where does that leave other normal (albeit annoying) human challenges?  If you struggle with any of the following similarly  problematic symptoms, should they also be grouped in the category of mental illness?

  • Struggles with studying to get good grades at school?
  • Learning how to effectively tamp down nerves to give a speech in front of a group of people?
  • Working hard to lose weight but regularly challenged by eating unhealthy foods?
  • Failing to successfully stop smoking?
  • Having the motivation to cut the grass and take out the trash when laying on the couch and watching a game is more appealing?

Yes, as the late Dr. Scott Peck started his famous book The Road Less Traveled with the words life is difficult, we must ask ourselves if it is in our collective best interest to transform normal life challenges into legitimate psychopathology?  And if we make that casual acceptance, are we not more vulnerable to treating said mental illness with potentially dangerous drugs?  And how would this approach differ from simply acknowledging that you currently aren’t real good at some things right now (i.e. focusing in boring classes at school), but with some life skills development, encouragement, and positive reinforcement you could improve in this area — and without the potential dangers of daily drug usage?

Before you get defensive, challenge your thinking!

By now it is understandable if you are thinking what is this guy talking about?  Does he not understand how tough it is to live with ADHD?  My answer to that is twofold: One, I have no doubt the symptoms you experience are real and that they are challenging, if not a major burden in your life.  But my second opinion is that not every life challenge should be viewed as “mental illness,” if not only for the potential drug worries, but also the self-fulfilling prophecies that often develop leaving people to feel as though they are flawed, limited, and unable to improve upon their condition without outside help by means of drugs.  YES, it does stink to be challenged to sit still and pay attention!  But is this something that can be framed as a relatively normal experience for most people (yes), and can this be improved upon through motivation, life skills development, patience, and determination?  YES! And remember as Dr. Peck talked about life is difficult, so while positive change may not be easily achieved overnight, changes can occur if you stick with it and believe you can do it.

Final thoughts

Human beings create “mental illness,” and we can sometimes be too casual when it comes to defining what is and isn’t a mental illness.  When we grab a collection of annoying symptoms and transform them into a mental illness, it creates a paradigm where people become vulnerable to self-fulfilling prophecies and develop a pessimistic mindset, as opposed to framing their issues as healthy challenges that can be overcome with the right mindset and life skill tools.  Yes, it may and likely will require some hard work, but even the experience of working to solve a personal problem will lead to greater self-efficacy and confidence, contributing to improved self-esteem and increased chances for future happiness and success.

drstankovich.com

 

ADHD, anxiety, drugs, focus, health, illness, kids, mental, psychology

  • Author
  • Comments
  • Details
Get to Know the Author

Dr. Chris Stankovich

Dr. Stankovich has written/co-written five books, including Positive Transitions for Student Athletes, The ParentsPlaybook, Mind of Steel.

Latest Blog Posts

  • March 22, 2023 Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • March 20, 2023 Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • March 14, 2023 Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • March 13, 2023 3 Important Tips for Today’s Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • February 26, 2023 The Most Important Sports “Ability” Might Surprise You

PREVIOUS POST

Examining the Psychology Behind Fair & Healthy Competition

NEXT POST

Applying Psychology: Kids Can Improve Sport Skills by Means of Direct Observation Learning

Category

Balance , Confidence , Continuing Education , Emotional Intelligence , Focus , Habit Change , health , health psychology , Life , mental , Mental Disorders , mental health , mental illness , psychology , Stress , Uncategorized

Tags

ADHD, anxiety, drugs, focus, health, illness, kids, mental, psychology

  • Recent Posts
  • Most Read
  • Nature or Nurture? Exploring the Psychology of Sport Success
  • Morning Sports Practice Before School is Becoming the Norm, but is this Healthy for Kids?
  • Understanding Intelligence: Putting Knowledge into ACTION!
  • 3 Important Tips for Today's Multi-Sport, Youth Sport Athlete
  • The Most Important Sports "Ability" Might Surprise You
  • The Psychology Behind Breaking Bad Habits
  • What has Happened to Free Play and Recreational Sports for Kids?
  • The Importance of Efficiency Applied to Success & Productivity
  • The Most Important Sports "Ability" Might Surprise You
  • Accident Prone & Forgetful? Poor Stress Coping May be the Reason
  • The Sports Doc on TV

    Catch Dr. Stankovich’s tv, radio, and print interviews and columns here!

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Watch Videos
  • Sport Performance Assessment

    Dr. Chris Stankovich Quickly and accurately test your level of mental toughness in just a few minutes using the Sport Performance Assessment.

    (SPA), an easy-to-use sport psychology system specially designed to help you REACH YOUR FULL ATHLETIC POTENTIAL.

    learn more
  • SportsSuccess360

    Life strategies for performance and character development for coaches, parents, and student athletes competing in youth and interscholastic sports.

    Life Strategies learn more
  • Contact Dr. Stankovich

    1395 Grandview Avenue Suite 6, Columbus OH 43212

    (614) 561-4482
    Media & General Inquiries
    information@drstankovich.com
    Sales & Product Support
    sales@drstankovich.com
  • About Dr. Stankovich

    • Media
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
  • Products

    • Toolkits
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Audio
    • iPhone Apps
  • Services

    • Athlete Performance Training
    • Parent Community Forum
    • Coach Education & Development
    • Athletic Crisis Response and Intervention
    • Drug & Alcohol Assessment
    • Life Success Programs
    • Counseling & Consulting Services
  • Blog
  • YouTube
  • twitter
  • facebook

All rights reserved © 2023 Advanced Human Performance Systems™

↓ ↓