No Chemical Imbalance

Psychiatrists argue that the source of ADHD is a chemical imbalance that requires �medication� in the same way that diabetes requires insulin treatment.

However, Elliot Valenstein, Ph.D. says, �[T]here are no tests available for assessing the chemical status of a living person�s brain.� Dr. Joseph Glenmullen of Harvard Medical School states, �In every instance where such an imbalance was thought to have been found, it was later proven false.�

In 2004, psychiatrist M. Douglas Mar also debunked the theory that brain scans can diagnose mental discoveries, stating: �There is no scientific basis for these claims [of using brain scans for psychiatric diagnosis].� Dr. Michael D. Devous of the Nuclear Medicine Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center agreed: �An accurate diagnosis based on a scan is simply not possible.�

Dr. Mary Ann Block, author of No More ADHD, is adamant: �ADHD is not like diabetes and Ritalin is not like insulin. Diabetes is a real medical condition that can be objectively diagnosed. ADHD is an invented label with no objective, valid means of identification. Insulin is a natural hormone produced by the body and it is essential for life. Ritalin is a chemically derived amphetamine-like drug that is not necessary for life. Diabetes is an insulin deficiency. Attention and behavioral problems are not a Ritalin deficiency.�

In 2001, Ty C. Colbert, Ph.D., added his voice: �As with all mental disorders, there is no biological test or biological marker for ADHD.�

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