All Aboard the Pharma Train

PHenry

An estimated 50-70 million US adults have sleep or wakefulness disorder. CDC


ADHD affects about 4.1% American adults age 18 years and older in a given year. The disorder affects 9.0% of American children age 13 to 18 years. Boys are four times at risk than girls. NIH

Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty. NIH

The average American, aged 19 to 64, now takes more than 11 prescription drugs. Kaiser Family Foundation

DSM vs ICD

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders versus the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems.

ADHD: It affects about 6–7% of children when diagnosed via the DSM-IV criteria and 1–2% when diagnosed via the ICD-10 criteria

While the DSM has its critics (Psychology Today) it is the standard diagnostic manual in use in the United States.

Subjective vs Objective Diagnosis

If you have cancer you have cancer, if you have hepatitis you have hepatitus, both are measurable objectively.  You can put cells under a microscope or run a physical test with observable results.

Now, who's too anxious?

According to the NIH roughly 1 in 5 of us suffer from 'anxiety'... roughly 1 in 5 of us also have light brown to blonde hair.  Now which is a genetic trait of our species and which is a disorder?

You may say it's a silly question or comparing apples and oranges, but seriously consider it for a minute.