Wednesday, January 25, 2012
New inventions
I love innovative inventions. Of the most entertaining activities I can engage in, browsing through a Popular Mechanics or PC World magazine to see all of the new gizmos and gadgets available to the world is a favorite. One type of invention that doesn't seem to make sense is creating a new medical diagnosis. We watched a video in class which conveyed the story of an antsy girl, who later became a world famous dancer and entertainer. It was pointed out that she would have, in today's society, been diagnosed with ADHD. Giving a child Ritalin may suppress their condition, but that doesn't mean we should. Inventing a new medical diagnosis only gives doctors more options and ways to prescribe costly medication to their patients. Most inventions are great, but inventing a medical diagnosis may have unforeseen side effects.
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BBC featured a story recently about a case where a "new" diagnosis did help. The diagnosis was Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism. My brother-in-law has a similar story: for years nobody could understand him, then he was diagnosed and it all became clear.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is a problem that people are misdiagnosed. However, I disagree that 'inventing a new medical diagnosis' is bad. It's not that doctors are fabricating new illness. As science advances we will learn more about existing illness and discover new ones. To ignore new illnesses would be dangerous to those afflicted with it.
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