Dr. Victor Carrión

I firmly believe that ADHD does exist. I'm going to say two facts that we know in the field. One, are kids getting overmedicated? The answer is a clear yes. They are getting more medications that they need. For ADHD. For anything in general, kids. Now, in ADHD, they're getting undermedicated. So that's the second fact.

So the first one is that if we look at kids overall in the field of mental health, those that manage to receive treatment, which access is something else we should talk about, because like 50% of them do not get access to mental health services. Those that manage to get it may end up with...

So the first one is that if we look at kids overall in the field of mental health, those that manage to receive treatment, which access is something else we should talk about, because like 50% of them do not get access to mental health services. Those that manage to get it may end up with...

So the first one is that if we look at kids overall in the field of mental health, those that manage to receive treatment, which access is something else we should talk about, because like 50% of them do not get access to mental health services. Those that manage to get it may end up with...

the appropriate treatment, right, a medication or a psychotherapy, but there's another subset of them that will be medicated no matter what they present with because they need to be seen fast or it's a fast solution. So there's many reasons for that. But are kids getting over medicated? Yes.

the appropriate treatment, right, a medication or a psychotherapy, but there's another subset of them that will be medicated no matter what they present with because they need to be seen fast or it's a fast solution. So there's many reasons for that. But are kids getting over medicated? Yes.

the appropriate treatment, right, a medication or a psychotherapy, but there's another subset of them that will be medicated no matter what they present with because they need to be seen fast or it's a fast solution. So there's many reasons for that. But are kids getting over medicated? Yes.

But within those kids, those that truly have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are getting under-medicated, and that's because of that access issue, because most of them were not identifying. And that's a pity, because the first line of intervention for ADHD is stimulant treatment. It does work, and it works very well for children that have the correct diagnosis.

But within those kids, those that truly have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are getting under-medicated, and that's because of that access issue, because most of them were not identifying. And that's a pity, because the first line of intervention for ADHD is stimulant treatment. It does work, and it works very well for children that have the correct diagnosis.

But within those kids, those that truly have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are getting under-medicated, and that's because of that access issue, because most of them were not identifying. And that's a pity, because the first line of intervention for ADHD is stimulant treatment. It does work, and it works very well for children that have the correct diagnosis.

But the first line of intervention for children that have a history of PTSD, be it acute or chronic, is psychosocial. It's a psychosocial intervention. So if you give a kid that has PTSD and no ADHD a stimulant medication, not only is it not taking care of ADHD because they don't have it, but it adds to that hyperarousability that is manifested there from before.

But the first line of intervention for children that have a history of PTSD, be it acute or chronic, is psychosocial. It's a psychosocial intervention. So if you give a kid that has PTSD and no ADHD a stimulant medication, not only is it not taking care of ADHD because they don't have it, but it adds to that hyperarousability that is manifested there from before.

But the first line of intervention for children that have a history of PTSD, be it acute or chronic, is psychosocial. It's a psychosocial intervention. So if you give a kid that has PTSD and no ADHD a stimulant medication, not only is it not taking care of ADHD because they don't have it, but it adds to that hyperarousability that is manifested there from before.

By the way, there are clinical ways of separating hyperactivity from this hyperarousability and hypervigilance. Hyperactivity, if you see a kid that is not medicated and has ADHD and they have the hyperactive symptoms and the hyperactive type, they're going to be hyperactive for most of the time that you're with them. The kid that has hyperarousability, it will be more of an on and off phenomenon.

By the way, there are clinical ways of separating hyperactivity from this hyperarousability and hypervigilance. Hyperactivity, if you see a kid that is not medicated and has ADHD and they have the hyperactive symptoms and the hyperactive type, they're going to be hyperactive for most of the time that you're with them. The kid that has hyperarousability, it will be more of an on and off phenomenon.

By the way, there are clinical ways of separating hyperactivity from this hyperarousability and hypervigilance. Hyperactivity, if you see a kid that is not medicated and has ADHD and they have the hyperactive symptoms and the hyperactive type, they're going to be hyperactive for most of the time that you're with them. The kid that has hyperarousability, it will be more of an on and off phenomenon.

The hypervigilance and hyperarousability comes more when they're presented with a cue that consciously or unconsciously reminds the body of the traumatic event or the traumatic experiences. What happens, though, is that usually we don't know what those cues are, right? So we just see a kid that sporadically becomes hypervigilant or hyperaroused.

The hypervigilance and hyperarousability comes more when they're presented with a cue that consciously or unconsciously reminds the body of the traumatic event or the traumatic experiences. What happens, though, is that usually we don't know what those cues are, right? So we just see a kid that sporadically becomes hypervigilant or hyperaroused.

The hypervigilance and hyperarousability comes more when they're presented with a cue that consciously or unconsciously reminds the body of the traumatic event or the traumatic experiences. What happens, though, is that usually we don't know what those cues are, right? So we just see a kid that sporadically becomes hypervigilant or hyperaroused.

And then the other thing is, is hypervigilance something that needs to be treated? You know, I learned this from a mother early in my career. She's like, I was giving some talk in the community and she came to me afterwards and she said, listen, we live in a street that's very dark and it's very dangerous. And my kid has to pass through that every day. I want him to be hypervigilant.