The ADD (1980) / ADHD (1989) world has always been fairly shady in my opinion. The argument that this disability was invented rather than discovered so that pharmaceutical outfits could push amphetamines on kids is fairly valid, and a lot of the 'adult ADHD' behaviors seem equally explainable as a side effect of amphetamine addiction:

> "ADHD drugs, such as Adderall and Ritalin, increase levels of the brain chemical dopamine and provide mental stimulation. This, in turn, allows users to become more focused and calm because they no longer need to engage in self-stimulating behavior."

> "The number of young people abusing ADHD medication has been steadily increasing over the last five years, with almost 9 percent of high school seniors abusing and approximately 35 percent of college students in the same category. And unfortunately, this misuse does have consequences: Over 19,000 people have suffered from complications related to ADHD drugs since 2013."

It gets less attention than opiate abuse as deadly overdoses are much less common, but amphetamine addiction has major psychological effects - whether we are talking about street meth, ritalin, adderall, desoxyn, etc., the general effect is the same.

In addition, there's no clear diagnostic test for ADD/ADHD (no way to even distinguish between the two), it's just an opinion based on the subjective judgements of psychiatrists - and yes, just as with the opiate business, there are kickbacks with the pharma outfits and reckless prescription practices.

1. https://drugabuse.com/blog/spotlight-on-adhd-meds-and-their-...