Backfired: Attention Deficit

De: Leon Neyfakh, Prologue Projects

Narrado por: Leon Neyfakh, Arielle Pardes

ADHD may be the defining diagnosis of our time. According to the latest data, more than 10 percent of American children (that’s 7.1 million kids) have been diagnosed with ADHD. And the number of stimulant prescriptions for adults in their 30s has shot up nearly threefold since 2012, hitting 15.3 million in 2021. It’s increasingly common to hear people who haven’t been diagnosed at all say they’re “so ADHD,” as if it’s more of a personality trait—or a zodiac sign—than a medical condition. In recent years, this explosion in demand has combined with other factors—including federally mandated limits on production—to create a widespread stimulant shortage in the US.

In the second installment of Backfired, cohosts Leon Neyfakh and Arielle Pardes look at the unintended consequences of the ADHD industry and trace the surprising path that brought us here.

Backfired: Attention Deficit is the latest podcast from Prologue Projects, the award-winning team behind Slow Burn, Fiasco, and Think Twice: Michael Jackson, and the second season of the Backfired franchise, a show about what happens when solving one problem inadvertently leads to a host of new ones. Backfired: Attention Deficit follows the acclaimed first season Backfired: The Vaping Wars.

For a list of books, articles, and documentaries used to research Backfired: Attention Deficit, please visit bit.ly/backfiredbib.

Backfired: Attention Deficit was hosted and produced by Leon Neyfakh and Arielle Pardes. The executive producer was Andrew Parsons. The senior producer and story editor was Madeline Kaplan. Producers were Dustin Desoto and Danielle Hewitt. Fact-checking by Maggie Duffy. Research by Frank Zhou. Archival research by Francis Carr. Theme song and score composed by Emma Munger. Audio mix by Aman Sahota. Backfired was co-created for Prologue Projects by Kim Gittleson.

©2024 Prologue Projects (P)2024 Audible Originals, LLC.

Title a bit misleading

I thought the series was going to be about ADHD itself, but really it was about the misuse and abuse of ADHD stimulants, and overly irresponsible diagnosing. Most of the information about stimulants here is about people who don’t really have ADHD, but for those who do, stimulants can be life changing. There wasn’t much talk about that except for a couple sentences here and there. For me I spent 5 hours waiting to hear the positive sides, so I felt a bit shorted.

muy bueno

es una muy buena investigación en la historia del ADHD. el formato de entrega esta muy bien adaptado al formato de audiolibro. la posibilidad de revisar las referencias (libros, artículos, etc) en una pagina aparte es sumamente útil

Insightful!

This audiobook is a balanced overview with insightful interview and history on ADD and ADHD... definitely recommend.

Excellent research

I was diagnosed with adult ADHD when I was 26 years-old. While the medication helped me a lot in some ways such as with focusing and understanding as in reading, comprehension there were negatives, such as it made me feel very jittery. I know I have some symptoms of ADHD, but don’t know if I was really on the spectrum that I should have been diagnosed with it, and given drugs. I didn’t like the idea of being dependent on drugs, and I went off of the medication after less than a year. I think the book offered important research, and insights into how influenced by corrupt pharmaceutical companies, doctors and even non-medical individuals are irresponsibly misdiagnosing ADHD and prescribing drugs for it.

All sides

All sides of many issues were covered. I really liked the original tapes of many interviewees. Very thorough.

Nuanced

I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner and dealing with the surge of ADHD diagnosis requests and stimulant shortages has been the most challenging work of my career. This comprehensive overview of the culture and history of ADHD and stimulants should be required for any psychiatric provider who strives to provide the best possible care for their patients. We cannot practice in a vacuum.

Informative and personal

A diverse set of views, conflicting motivations and corporate profiteering, Enjoyable all the way through.

Background of ADHD meds

It was insightful. A bit more science behind other literature. Something very useful in a disorder is : it’s only a disorder if you can’t manage it.

I appreciate that the full investigative story was given.

I like hearing all sides of the story. I don't like that this review has a 15 word minimum. why is this box still red and says '15 word minimum'

So eye opening

I've been noticing this trend for awhile and I this podcast was fascinating. Great insights