Channel 4 has done ADHD people a massive disservice and allowed pseudoscientific babble guide the narrative about this disability. They end the show with "im now convinced ADHD is not a neurodevelopmental disorder. Actually I think its a set of difficult behaviours" and present this as the truth, which flies in the face of decades of actual scientific research.

Their implication that if it doesn't show up on a brain MRI, then it's not a legitimate difference is ludicrous. An MRI is a very limited imaging test that isn't designed to detect neurodevelopmental differences. Just because you don't see it in an MRI, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's like saying "I know this person doesn't have cancer because I took a picture of them with my iPhone and I can't see it."

how distressing it would be for anyone to be told the nonsense that the drugs that are helping you are suppressing your very personality, something which is not evidenced at all.  people with adhd are plenty good at doubting themselves without any help

Pills don't teach skills, but they make it easier to learn them.

Seems like the issue is lack of non-pharmaceutical treatments. Someone has given the kid a script and didn't put the family in contact with support to learn skills.

Thank you for going through the "documentary" like this.

I'm not willing to pay channel 4 with my time to watch this.

Thanks for doing this, so interesting to get your comments. By the way one of the experts Dr Katya Rubia has released a statement saying that they edited and cherrypicked her interview and misrepresented what she was saying.

As someone who was first diagnosed in the late 1970’s I find this BBC presented opinion piece an incredible step backward. We have fought so long and hard to be taken seriously. This just makes my blood boil.
Thank you, Dr Inna.

I'm so glad to know that my persistent issues of anxiety, depression, motivation and executive function are created by society and not by something in my brain! It is OK that I have struggled, despite psychological therapy, and been very, very unhappy because - I don't really know why except that it kept the diagnosis rate low. At least I now have an explanation for my struggles with comorbid ADHD and Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (not able to be diagnosed but I'm sure it is there), hypermobility and dysautonomia. The documentary is classic clickbait but this channel is doing a great service.

Thank you so much for doing this! I hadn't watched the documentary because I watched something similar just before my diagnosis and it wasn't helpful at all to my mental state... But being able to watch it like this (with someone challenging the statements being made) has allowed me to see what's being said without doubting my own reality.
I was diagnosed at 35 and have been on medication for a couple of years, I personally suffered no side effects from the medication (aside from slightly higher blood pressure that actually seemed to help with my POTS symptoms as it was a little low before)
I identify very much with a description I have heard where someone said the medication can "give you the steering wheel and the brakes" for your brain!
I also did some CBT specifically for ADHD and that was really valuable. I don't think it's helpful to demonise or dismiss either form of treatment.
It's changed my life in so many positive ways! This documentary has been done irresponsibly.

I follow you on tiktok and i am actually glad you are talking about this, i feel like the UK is very witch hunty right now, blame the problems of the country on the people who contribute the least or are marginalised and clearly someone somewhere on channel 4 holds similar views that allowed this to air, because ADHD, Autism and other types of disabilities is what's being talked about right now especially by political parties i.e. Reform UK.

Thank you Dr. Inna.  You are a breath of fresh air.  Unbelievable that this documentary was allowed to be aired in the UK.

You're absolutely correct, we need resources to support children that need assistance with challenging behaviors.

As soon as you said "all mental health disorders are social constructs" I yelled "THANK YOU!" The whole point of labelling it is so that society can understand the differences in behaviours and thinking for different styles of brains, and how to treat/work with them. I was late diagnosed with ADHD and I decided not to go down the medication route, but my experience in university now compared to 8 years ago (pre-diagnosis) are polar opposites, because of the understanding and amendments that my diagnosis allows. The label is a really bloody helpful 'social construct,' and that is the point of it.

The GP saying it’s not a medical concern is WILD to me. We die an average of 7 years sooner than our peers. We forget to eat or tend to other bodily requirements. Sleep can be elusive and inconsistent. We forget medications, we often have sensory processing issues and PDA which both affect how we respond to our environments….just…wow.

Thank you for this Dr Inna, I hope you cover the rest of the show. This was great ❤

Thank you for this! I feel like there is a big push to question both the diagnosis and medication, and I appreciate that you push back on this.

A mother willing to regret her previous choices is such a wonderful thing.  Your family is fortunate.

A lot of the modern world is about people just disagreeing to get attention, to get work, to be seen, to be a troll to be etc... until there's academically backed research peer reviewed and gone through the proper channels, just forget it...

Thank you Dr. Inna

I don't understand their argument, maybe it comes in the later part. So far it sounds like "it's ok to be different", which is true, but also very much not helpful. The struggles are there, and feeling the weird one out of the bunch isn't great either