Pills Don't Teach Skills

One Man's Personal Battle with Adult Attention Deficit Disorder

by Jeff Hamilton

Limitless

There is no magic pill to cure ADD or ADHD

Published on March 3, 2011 by Jeff Hamilton in Pills Don't Teach Skills

I was at a movie last weekend during which I saw a preview for a film coming out March 18th called Limitless. The movie tag line was "What If A Pill Could Make You Rich And Powerful?" and it features some big names such as Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks and Robert DeNiro.

The story centers on a down-and-out writer who gets his hands on a top-secret pharmaceutical drug that makes one smarter. He experiences sudden financial and social success, but soon discovers that the drug has lethal and lasting side effects. The preview suggests "we only access 20% of our brain, what if we could access all of it?" The movie promotion centered on the fact that a drug could make you the best person you are capable of being, the best possible you. It reminded me of ADD/ADHD medications and how they are sometimes promoted as being the answer to everything. Don't get me wrong, medications have their place and can be beneficial; however they can also be overprescribed and positioned as the answer.

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With ADD/ADHD, there is no magic pill, and dealing with it takes a lot of research, coaching, self-growth, and acquiring new skills. It is a constant learning process. Thus, the name of my ADD blog is Pills Don't Teach Skills. There is no magic pill to cure ADD or ADHD, but we do have the tools to learn to help correct and manage it.......so, in many ways we are limitless.