Brandon Webster "The Medicalization of Society" Outside Reading

Conrad discusses the rise in diagnosis of childhood bipolar disorder, and the debates between child psychologists and critics. The book opens up with a story on Jacob, a four-year-old boy who was diagnosed with ADHD. His pre-school teachers described him as hyperactive and lacking self-control and suggested to his parents that they put him on medicine. At first, his parents didn’t listen to teacher because they believed that all four year olds are full of energy, but after his second teacher made the same comment, they agreed to put him on ridilin. I’m baffled that the teacher, parents, and the child’s doctor when straight to medicine as the answer. I think that is one of biggest problem today when parents are dealing with their children. These children are diagnosed with psychological disorders if they have rapid mood swings, temper tantrums, or explosive outbursts of irritability. This describes almost every child under the age of ten. Instead of looking to medicine to fix this “problem”, the parents need to look into more discipline or extracurricular activities. Mood swings and temper tantrums are expected out of young children, and those who participate in them more than their peers are doing so because they’re parents let them get away with it.