General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Big Pharma Sells Risky Meds We Don’t Need for Disorders It Made Up That We Don’t Have [View all]arithia
(455 posts)about medical conditions they don't have and know nothing about. This article is one of those.
"Some of the new disorders include hypoactive sexual desire disorder.... adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, for adults who have trouble focusing at work; overactive bladder disorder, for adults with a frequent urge to urinate; and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, for women who have difficulty with the basic tasks of life around the same time every month."
1) Hypoactive sex drives are a real problem facing a lot of people. We as a nation don't bat an eyelash at drugs like viagra or ciallis, but heaven forbid a woman would want to have sex and find herself with a lack of a drive.
This problem is common among women with psych conditions, both on and off medication. (I should note that the author of the article couldn't differentiate between hypo and hyperactive as they implied that hypo meant they HAD a sex drive. As it was wrong, I took it out of the quote, but it is up on the website. This mistake does not speak well of their medical literacy.)
2) Adult ADHD is a real thing- as in identified genetic markers and physical changes to the structure of the brain. It shares multiple mutations in common with Bipolar disorder. Symptoms differ in males and females, as well as in terms of severity and age of onset.
Your genetic code doesn't magically re-order itself to drop the mutation when you grow out of your kid phase, either. Kids with ADHD grow up to be adults with ADHD. It's not a difficult concept.
3) "Overactive bladder" is something that happens usually as the result of other medical problems, such as Parkinsons, Diabetes, stones, enlarged prostate, cancer, irritated nerves and poor kidney function. It also just tends to happen to people as they age.
Taking away the stigma for seeking treatment by renaming it something more palatable for the general population isn't shady, either- people will frequently delay treatment for serious and chronic conditions if they think it will cause them embarrassment. This can delay diagnosis of more serious underlying conditions, such as the ones listed above.
4) PMDD .... seriously? It never occurred to the men of the world that women with minor biochemical brain imbalances (who might otherwise act normally) might get thrown for a loop when their hormones are active? Really? PMDD is often diagnosed with comorbid conditions- underlying depression and anxiety that might not otherwise need to be treated.
Ask a woman with severe bipolar what her cycle does to her. I have dear friends who have been on birth control since their teens because every time they got their periods, it would trigger a manic phase.
This is no different than the hooplah years ago about how Fibromyalgia was "fake".... until the genetic markers for it were identified and the cause for all the pain was located. People claimed it was psychosomatic, a "female problem", a general low tolerance to pain. We may now know that it's real, but we are still in the ignorance window where most of the general population, including doctors who aren't up to date on medical research, still think it's fake and are still insulting/turning away patients who are seeking treatment.
Big Pharma is shady as all get out. They would sell anything to anyone if they could. All that being said, this "oh it's all fake" nonsense prevents people from seeking out treatment for chronic conditions. It's no surprise... AT ALL.. that most of what was listed in that article affects more women than men and the mentally ill more than any other group. As someone who nearly died because of stigmas like that, I can assure you it is not only dangerous to perpetuate but genuinely insulting.
It's like saying "your medical problems aren't real" to someone you've never met and know frak all about.