DOCTOR REACTS TO THE SIMPSONS | Psychiatry Doctor Analyzes Bart Simpson's ADHD

Bart has ADHD. Duh. But on this episode, he's prescribed "focusyn", a made up medication. I'm keen to see if their depication of ADHD in any way resembles reality and how we would treat ADHD today.
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[@haileybalmer9722]

The thing about this episode that drives me nuts is that several early episodes have gorgeous portrayals of ADHD, they just don't call it that. There are pieces of it here and there, but it's most prominent in "Bart Gets an F" in season 2. He's a good kid, he's extremely creative, he's clever, and all of that gets shoved to the side and ignored because he's got focus problems and he acts up in class. He tries his hardest, and it's still nearly impossible for him to study. He starts daydreaming about the people in his textbook instead of reading it. He does his very best, and he still fails his test and nearly gets held back a grade. This is all pitched as just part of who Bart is, but it's textbook ADHD. The Focusyn episode feels like they jumped on the "it's not a real problem we need to stop giving kids drugs" commentary that was so popular at the time.

[@DefaultName-du3kr]

Bart knew everything on the test too, he just doesn't do well in them. Edna gave him a D when he started demonstrating that he knew the material.

[@haileybalmer9722]

@@DefaultName-du3kr That's exactly why I love the joke "John Hancock's writing his name in the snow!" That's really, really funny, and it's witty enough that we understand that Bart is absorbing the material he's supposed to be studying. He's just easily distracted and highly imaginative.

[@lydialademence9341]

I always thought that Bart can't study well in that episode because it's the first time he's trying and studying is something you learn to do and get better at with practice. He just sat down and tried to read the textbook. Some people can do that, but other people use a highlighter or take notes or use cue cards, set up a reward system for themselves (like finish a chapter and watch an episode of TV), come up with little songs or rhymes to help with memory, etc. Test taking is the same. You learn time management, strategies like answering the questions you know before taking on the ones you're less sure about, etc. Also, not everyone is good at written tests. He was able to recall information when he felt it was relevant to him. These aren't things that most people are just good at naturally. The point of school is to learn how to learn, much more than it is about memorizing facts. I totally agree with you that he's a character with potential that isn't being allowed to flourish. Of course, because it's a sit-com style show, there can't be too much character development because the formula relies on the characters remaining pretty much the same.

[@DoctorElliottCarthy]

You've hit the nail on the head. That's where the inattention part of ADHD is so underestimated and instead the portrayals are always about hyperactivity. I'll look at Bart gets an F soon

[@allisonhennessy553]

Yeah, with the weird scientist drug developers, I was really feeling the “we shouldn’t be medicating all our kids” vibe more so than an authentic look at the pros and cons of meds for a character with ADHD. I would love to see a review of this other episode.

[@Arakai13]

A look at the episode “The Good, the Sad, and the Drugly” (the episode where Lisa is given an antidepressant called “Ignorital”) might be interesting as well!

[@paulg3336]

Ah yes , the smiley faces!

[@Handington]

Another fun fact, it's been hinted at through many episodes that Bart is interested in law. So him collecting everything into one class-action lawsuit would technically be something he'd already have known, and thus in-line with his character.

[@gabsy_ferreira]

Hes also gets interested in falconry and drums in certain episodes. Bart is a very imaginative kid and can do great things if stimulated properly. Sadly, that's how educational system works. I'm a teacher myself and I've seen lots of situations like that :(

[@Handington]

@@gabsy_ferreira I wish you strength in your future teaching endeavors

[@tahraethestoryteller6079]

In the future episode he mentions wanting to go to law school

[@milesd.s1848]

My parents used to call my ADHD meds focusin, I'm glad I finally found where that came from.

[@solidsnakemgs2180]

That’s adorable hahaha

[@IlcotheOtter]

I have ADHD and I can control it a bit but it's difficult to do so. I can focus on something for at least 30 minutes to a hour. While one of my doctor's kept using my dose (I left that doctor) I tried to control my ADHD.

[@ddsjgvk]

Ralph has a leprechaun friend who tells him to burn things. Sooooo take it as you will.

[@TabbyeLynne]

Sounds like hallucinations to me

[@epicrabid1857]

@@TabbyeLynne nah just a average irishman

[@robertmonroe6434]

"Ye did good laddy.... now burn the house down! Burn them all!"

[@neonswan1482]

On simpsons tapped out game he has a action saying 'burn things'. In newest eps ralph images a bear covering his eyes on the Caddy ep

[@MetalFusionMaster]

Edna was an amazing character the one that said "No stop think of the children" and rolled her eyes, sadly her VA passed away a few years back so instead of replacing her VA they retired her character making it seem like the character herself died as no one could of replaced her VA her VA was just amazing and no one could do the Edna role justice but her

[@ILIKEOTTERS]

"nobody needs to study for 17 hours a day" schools thinking we do: 😦

[@natiraine4260]

Surprised you didn't correct the "we use 10% of our brains" line. That "fact" always irks me every time I hear it. Great video though! :)

[@user-sl6gn1ss8p]

it was a nice subversion though, even if still wrong

[@SjofnBM1989]

To be fair he wasn't technically incorrect he said people use 10% of their brain not they ONLY use 10%

[@natiraine4260]

@@SjofnBM1989 True, but even if you take it as "we use 10% at any given time" it would still be false. Even when we're resting/sleeping, most of the brain is active. I do realise I sound a little nitpicky right now though lol

[@VicenteTorresAliasVits]

To be fair, it's what most people believed in back when this episode first aired.

[@tommytomthms5]

@@natiraine4260 I think it could be true to say though that only a small percentage of the things we know ever really apply to a given situation.

[@TheBahamut0]

Honestly I low key hate this episode because it reduced Barts ADHD down to how it looks from the pov of parents or teachers when they have done much better at showing him struggling with ADHD before without even mentioning it (and probably without realizing that they've done it). A much, much better episode depicting his ADHD imo is Bart Gets an F and I can just recommend checking that one out. It's an absolute gut punch and shows the whole thing from a perspective that goes much deeper.

[@annabelvanpelt1196]

Exactly

[@CourierSixMojaveExpress]

As an avid watcher of the Simpsons I can say bart is actually very smart and acts out to highlight Lisa's intelligence. Like he could take it away if he wants but he doesnt because he knows its important for her to fit in somewhere. Bart is both smart and charming. Lisa is just smart lol

[@laurene988]

Agreed. I mean I liked the idea that hed become a lawyer because it seemed perfect for him. Smart, crime and charm all his favourite stuff rolled into one

[@CourierSixMojaveExpress]

@@laurene988 that would be amazing!

[@amandah661]

It’d be really cool if you could analyze more Simpsons in general. A lot of characters have disorders and it would be interesting to see how accurate the portrayals are like Moe with his depression and Skinner with his PTSD, off the top of my head

[@Flynn94]

“The coat hangers are to block the satellite that’s been spying on me!” “Psychosis.”

[@Honeycomblife]

Hmmm but its true

[@davidjones3165]

But satellites were spying on him.

[@chair547]

I wish more people would talk about the hyper-focus side of ADHD. It gets lost

[@henrysanji3989]

There is no hyper focus. We are just able to focus like normal people from time to time.

[@chair547]

@@henrysanji3989 obviously everyone is different but normal people don't play a video game for 8 hours straight without eating or drinking, and I, an adhd person, have done that many times on weekends.

[@henrysanji3989]

@@chair547 Again. I would strongly recommend you stop romanticizing a mental disability. Literally almost every boy plays or has played for that long. What we need is help and medication. We don’t have a super power.

[@ThomasJefferson-xc8wg]

@@henrysanji3989 Who the hell was "romanticizing" it? Also, no, most people DON'T do things for 8 hours without considering things like eating or drinking. That IS a symptom of ADHD, sorry. And it isn't really a fun one, so, still don't get why you're treating it like people are saying it's a super power or something..

[@henrysanji3989]

@@ThomasJefferson-xc8wg They do. Look, I just got my meds and started to feel a lot better already. Do the same, it’ll help you. It’s toxic to romanticize mental illness. Kanye does the same. He stops taking his meds cause he thinks bipolar disorder is the source of his creativity. He’s wrong and you are wrong.

[@jasonbrennan9918]

If you like 'The Simpsons' there is a 'Futurama' episode, 'Insane in the Mainframe' that takes place inside of an institution.

[@neonswan1482]

Robotic institution

[@jasonbrennan9918]

@@neonswan1482 While the HAL Institute is indeed designated for criminally insane robots, given the how human-like Futurama robots are, I'm not sure it really makes much difference.

[@neonswan1482]

@@jasonbrennan9918 they made fry insane..

[@athenarocks7657]

The reason he doesn't get better through the seasons is actually referenced as an offhand joke in later episodes. It's revealed that he's trapped a raccoon as a pet and is feeding it his ADHD meds when Snake is trying to hide in his treehouse.

[@eclatshwartzbaumcybertune2063]

Hhmmm that is a interesting continuity.

[@sunny1031]

i have adhd and adderall is my best friend. now i can focus on things :) if only i could pick what i focus on :(

[@nefariousyawn]

Relatable.

[@takkycat]

Same! Hyperfixation is so annoying!

[@isaaczaragoza4198]

right there with ya brother

[@killrcupcake2994]

Omg meds don't stop you from focusing on random things??? Nooooo I'm doomed I don't want anything anymore

[@Icecreamandradness]

I still remember my first medication review. The psychiatrist was going through the usual questions, asking about any signs of psychosis, and when he asked if I had heard anything that wasn’t there I said “Not any more often than I already do! :)” I meant that everyone experiences auditory hallucinations sometimes, but he obviously didn’t take it that way. Jesus, that was an awkward five minutes of explanations.

[@tudorjason]

There's another episode of Bart suspected of having a mental illness. In it, Homer and Marge have Bart take a sociopath quiz. The episode is called Paths of Glory.

[@TurquoiseStar17]

"At my house, we call them uh-ohs!" A top 5 Ralph line. The troubling part is that's not the first time in the series he's had that attitude toward burning things.

[@normairizarryni]

PLEASE do more videos on ADHD. I absolutely loved this.

[@ChestersonJack]

9:08 True, but Bart is highly intelligent, that’s something proven over a couple different episodes.

[@Victor-bl2ge]

My boy is a legit polyglot. He learned enough French to communicate while he's being forced to work for the two French guys, and learned Spanish ON THE PLANE RIDE to Brazil. It's implied his Spanish is fluent too.

[@ChestersonJack]

@@Victor-bl2ge Yes exactly!

[@ZombieSandwiches]

Please do a reaction to King of the Hill. Bill's depression, the psychosis episode in Pigmalion, Bobby taking ADHD meds, just to name a few

[@TheTazo999]

Great content, entertaining and informative. Please do more Bojack Horseman reactions

[@smallvoices9564]

Yesss, all the Bojack!!

[@veritasnow57]

Yessss! Would love to listen to your insight on Bojack and all the characters! Breaking Bad and Frasier! 👍🏼

[@jman5675]

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, this might be why Bart has always been my favorite character

[@Kimmie6772]

I remember when I took methylphenidate for the first time and it blew my mind. It was so different to how I was used to thinking that I had to adjust to it. I had no idea that people without adhd could just kind of choose things to focus on. I thought everyone just kind of waited in their chair for their brain to cycle through random thoughts until something relevant and useful appeared when doing something like writing a paper. Even though I dont take medication for focusing for various reasons anymore, that insight into how being focused and present is supposed to feel really gave be a grounded example to draw from when I'm trying to get something done. Growing up I barely knew what level headed was supposed to feel like in certain situations. It genuinely freaked me out because I'm used to having tons of wildly different thoughts cycling through my head constantly. Music kind of puts the dog on the leash so I can focus on stuff sometimes. Unless, of course, music just becomes the distraction.

[@eskreskao]

If we're doing ADD, and/or ADHD, its hyperactive cousin, I'd like to suggest episode 3 of Clone High.

[@GabrielKnightz]

Community would be a good show to give insight into. Thanks for making these.

[@matthewgallaway3675]

The obvious thought is Abed. I like Abed.

[@GabrielKnightz]

@@matthewgallaway3675 Everyone else has their own metric tons of baggage too.

[@Delarissa]

The t-shirt at the military base referring to a syndrome is possibly not referring to PTSD but to Gulf War Syndrome that caused a lot of soldiers to become sick after being exposed to depleted Uranium tank shells. It is an enduring chronic multi-system illness that the soldiers have had to deal with since the early 90s. Seeing as this episode came out in 1999 it's right around the right time for it to have been a major thing. The fact that they mention the Persian Gulf specifically with the word Syndrome makes me think that this is more likely.

[@bookbook9495]

I scared the crap out of at least one school while I was on Ritalin. I thought fairies were planting bombs in my classroom. This did not go over well with my teachers.

[@carmen_says_hi]

Damn! Did they give you too much or something? Must have been scary.

[@bookbook9495]

@@carmen_says_hi no, it was the proper dosage. This is just a thing that can be done to a brain. The worst bits though were that I’d constantly hallucinate my dad calling me from across the house, so I’d have to go ask him what he wants every time since I couldn’t tell which one was real.

[@gothnerd887]

When you say fairies do you mean the magical creatures or what homophobes call gay people?

[@bookbook9495]

@@gothnerd887 the creatures.

[@rebbyberard8150]

what I thought was a missed opportunity in this episode is that in the principal's office, it's hinted that homer also has ADHD, but later on the meds don't affect him as they do Bart, implying that he does not have ADHD. While it's true medications for the same thing don't always work for everyone, it would have been really good to see how ADHD runs in families. The fact that both my dad and sibling were already diagnosed was one of the reasons getting my diagnosis was relatively easy.

[@johng808]

i love watching your videos when i take a break from my psychology homework. it helps me feel like im taking a break but im at least still kind of on topic

[@DenderFriend]

You really oughta review the episode of Steven Universe Future "Growing Pains" and see how accurate it is to childhood PTSD!

[@NoxAtlas]

Honestly, I hate Steven Universe Future because it makes people with PTSD look like sociopathic assholes with anger issues. I went through many traumas during my childhood and feel very uncomfortable with this mini series, especially how they decided to solve it.

[@DenderFriend]

@@NoxAtlas Not everyone with PTSD is going to act the same, and it would've been impossible to encompass everyone who's had C-PTSD. Plus, I didn't get 'sociopathic' in the slightest. Also, the hug did not solve his PTSD, it just got him to stop seeing himself as a monster.

[@NoxAtlas]

@@DenderFriend I know not everyone deals with PTSD in the same way but it really ticked me off how Steven was portrayed. He killed Jasper, almost killed his faher in anger, almost killed White Diamond and traumatized Pink Peal even further (i refuse to call her by her nickname because "volleyball" is a disgusting nickname to a victim of physical abuse). I know the hug didn't cure his PTSD but I hate it that the show didn't show him going to therapy and actually working on his problem. Sorry for phrasing it the wrong way. English isn't my first language so I mistook the words. Sociopathic wasn't the right word to describe him. Steven reminds me a lot of my sister who dealt with borderline personality disorder. If this series was going to focus on PTSD, it shouldn't have portrayed people suffering from traumas as violent murderers with anger issues. It can cause more mental scars for people who are having problems and don't know what to do. They might think they'll someday turn into violent angry murderers too.

[@DenderFriend]

@@NoxAtlas I don't think the fact that Steven did questionable things during his outbursts means that they're trying to imply that having C-PTSD will make someone a violent monster. Steven is a very specific case because he has a lot of power that he doesn't know how to control.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

@@DenderFriend I hope to resolve this in the future. My dream career is to be a part of Cartoon Network.

[@themoabrigade]

Honestly I think Bart is a really smart kid, the meds helped him focus to a cartoony level, thus they didn't make him smarter

[@chrishubbard64]

I grew up with adhd and being both on and off medicine. I did ritalin, dexidrene, adderall, all the fun standard stuff. It was amazing what a difference it made. Like, on the meds, i could TELL when I was losing control and had the chance to reel myself back in. Off them? I would go nuts until I ran out of gas. It wasnt until my sophomore year of high school that I could exert enough control to function without the meds. Sometimes I still regret going off them though as im sure it negatively effected me even if it was still within the realm of acceptable behavior and such. Plus I gained an absurd amount of weight. I was so used to eating whenever I was hungry due to being so skinny that when i went off the meds I didnt even think to stop. I was 90 pounds and 5 feet in 8th grade, nearly 200 and 5 foot 7 when I graduated high school.

[@johnsims5330]

As someone who has lived with this for 50 years, I have come to learn that ADHD is as big a curse as it is a blessing to have.

[@Jakey4000]

Since I've started my adhd meds at 23 I no longer want to get drunk or high all the time, now not at all.

[@TomPitcherOfficial]

Got my diagnosis at 25 never bothered getting meds but hearing this really makes me want them

[@Jakey4000]

@@TomPitcherOfficial give it a try, the worst that can happen is you don't like them, stop and go back to your current normal. Untreated adhd can lead to early death by 13 years~ because of impulse decisions like drugs or alcohol. As long as you don't have any heart conditions you should be fine, your doctors will closely monitor you for the first week or 2 to make sure it's all going well :)

[@samjohnson4458]

Ok, your content is amazing

[@DoctorElliottCarthy]

Thaaaaanks 😊

[@sebastienrobinson2758]

I as a kid felt bad because I didn't act like Bart but my doctor said I had ADHD. I thinks it's important to ensure we agnoladge that different people present differently and the consequences of me changing tasks regularly doesn't harm others.

[@Bloody-Butterfly]

I have aperger's and when I was 7 they misdiagnosed me with adhd and put me on ritalin for years. It was terrible.

[@gabsy_ferreira]

Damn, are you okay? Ritalin is hell :(

[@NoxAtlas]

Same happened to me, but my parents quickly stopped using the medication because it didn't help at all and it made me feel worse. I didn't get a proper diagnosis until I was 29 years old

[@evilmonkeyspeaks7801]

Mom tried to stuff that shit down my throat for 5 years. All I got when I took it was a hard time eating and experiencing what a zombie felt like. Good thing I made sure most of it went down the toilet...............

[@matthewgallaway3675]

As someone with Adhd I can confirm that if you can't make yourself start a paper even while you're on Adderall, taking more Adderall does not help. Don't know if that's in the episode but I want to spread that. Edit: I don't know what the difference between Adderall and Ritalin is, can someone explain it?

[@buddytheoc]

They are both stimulants but they are not the same chemical. Ritalin consists of Methylphenidate while Adderall is a combination of 4 amphetamine salts. Can't tell you about the pharmacokinetic difference, though.

[@charity5394]

Rittalin (methylphenidate) inhibits the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine which basically leaves more available for the frontal cortex to use. Adderall (amphetamine) increases the release of norepinephrine from nerve endings. (Also has some reuptake inhibition im pretty sure) They have essentially the same goal of providing the frontal cortex with dopamine and norepinephrine, just do it a little differently.

[@harmonicajay91]

Yeah, as someone who has ADHD, I used to get REALLY annoyed by my parents giving me meds all the time because it felt like I was out of control in my life and that there was something wrong with me. I know now that they are necessary, but I feel like they should just be a component of the treatment rather than the solution. It felt like I was repressing a lot of stuff. That and sometimes the meds would react badly with certain foods. Course, I also know that I am high functioning autistic along with a touch of depression, and I am glad I'm taking my meds. When I was off them briefly after moving, I felt an immense difference in mood and focus.

[@killrcupcake2994]

Tfw shows portray realistic disorders on accident and completely butcher and stigmatize them when they try to do it on purpose

[@takkycat]

As an adult with ADD, I can safely say ADD SUCKS!! My symptoms have actually gotten worse as an adult! It doesn’t help that it is near impossible to find a doctor willing to help with adult ADD...

[@johnjones_1501]

I think ADHD medications in the states get a bad rap because they are often wrongly prescribed for folks who don't have ADHD. Thanks to drug commercials, and the media only seeming to be able to focus on one type of learning disability at a time, we seem to go through phases where one type of learning disability gets overhyped, and kids with lots of other learning disabilities get misdiagnosed with which ever one is currently trending. Because of the commercials and hype, parents go into the doctors office, ready to explain their child's symptoms to a professional, but instead of giving a complete and accurate picture, they pick and choose examples that fits the diagnoses they have come up on their own. The doctors do eventually get things right, but this takes time.

[@RalucaBojor]

I'd like to see a video on Homer's undiagnosed ADHD 🤣 He clearly has it. And it's genetic, after all, which would explain Bart's diagnosis 😎

[@robertsmithfan877]

the simpsons rly made a character w almost all the symptoms of adhd and said "haha adhd isnt even real stop giving kids drugs"

[@DavidAJones11]

Great content! I learnt a lot. btw, 12:36 is a reference to Gulf War syndrome rather than PTSD

[@seamstressdragon8707]

Watching this again and after seeing your latest video on the Bobo clown experiment makes this all the more funnier seeing Skinner punching one! Laughing and learning :D

[@takocos]

I just want to point out that Bart learning law is not really him knowing something he didn't know before. Bart helped Krusty win lawsuits before this, and has a real knack for and love of the law. If you watch the future episodes his final fate is that he becomes a Supreme Court Justice. He works all his anger out in a demolition job and goes to law school. It does not shock me at all that he could reorganize Homer's lawsuits into a class action case at ten. Both the Simpsons kids are geniuses. This is the kid who learned fluent French by being in France and hearing it spoken.

[@cahyasatixoxo7207]

In America we have a really distorted image of ADHD, anybody with trouble focusing or some extra energy is considered to be adhd whereas the true condition is shockingly debilitating, for me getting on stimulants when I was a kid was a matter of life and death because I couldn’t stop myself from running in front of cars.

[@MadePramana]

Great reaction video.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

12:40 I always thought it was a reference to Gulf War syndrome. Reported variously to be caused by exposure to the oil well fires, organophosphates, nerve agents, nerve agent antdotes... can't emember offhand what happened about that whole thing.

[@archerymidnight3422]

Yeah, there was a ton of stuff that people shouldn't have been near to in the Gulf. The anti-malarials they gave to the enlisted (not the officers, they were given good stuff) had some pretty bad side effects like really weird night terrors and the worst diarrhoea they've probably had in their life. There's also the fact they just burned their sewage when the US first got involved, the chemical agents they were exposed to, and the long-range radios giving a dose of radiation to anyone who got too close (which was hard to avoid when infantry were carrying them in their backpacks).

[@Finkeldinken]

Ooph, from what you said around 14:30 about checking before calling psychosis: I had a breakdown when I was in my late teens and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Back then they didn't know about girls with ADHD, much less adolescents with ADHD, and I lost focus under the Rorschach test, which was part of a huge battery of psychological tests I went through. The clinical psychologist noted my lack of focus and decided I was having hallucinations, which landed me with a schizophrenia dx and on antipsychotics for a bit. I was 31 before I found out about ADHD and got assessed. Learning about my ADHD changed everything for the better. I am currently in therapy to help me deal with the trauma of those three months in the psychiatric hospital. It's a whole thing. I know it seldom happens with really bad misdiagnosis and the tsunami of "professional mishaps" I had happen to me back then and lasting over a decade, but boy...when things go wrong in psychiatry, they can go really wrong. It feels like there's a lot more knowledge and also professional humility around now than then, and I can only believe that that is a good development for all parties involved.

[@Uhlbelk]

Well, the problem about trialing adhd meds, is they work on virtually everybody to some degree. One of the most used drugs in higher education.

[@Uhlbelk]

I also see a high level of what could be called an addiction. Patients tend to worry about having their medication and get a lot of anxiety when there is a chance they could run out. The diversion like we see on the playground with the other kids is also a significant problem as well as abuse. Its definitely not a simple solution to a medical problem.

[@DoctorElliottCarthy]

You bring up some good points. Yes it can certainly be used as a performance enhancer by many, especially in academic circles but lots of those people don't have any baseline impairment in their function (unlike those with ADHD). At high doses (above what are prescribed) then can also be abused like other stimulants. This is where the importance of an accurate diagnoses before treatment is important where possible.

[@Uhlbelk]

@@DoctorElliottCarthy have you looked into the harvard testing they have been attempting. a large apparatus that is like a video game that tracks eye movement, response speed, and accuracy, as well as shoulder and leg movement. Its an interesting attempt to standardize diagnosis.

[@charinav3556]

It may help you study better for higher education but it helps me do my laundry and shower more than twice a week so no, its not quite the same.

[@Jakey4000]

@@charinav3556 same here, it's honestly been a miracle.

[@asterix7842]

I love the videos where experts review comedies and cartoons as if they’re serious shows.

[@xx3868]

Love the warped floorboards from absorbing so much water. Ruined and so damn funny, those writers never miss a trick. They really should be advisers in the govt so nothing could get past such as foreign tricks or troop movements ect. Those guys are right on the hammer!!

[@Sailorsega]

Since you seem to enjoy The Simpsons, I’d like to recommend season one, episode 6 “Moaning Lisa” and season 9, episode 3 “Lisa’s Sax” as both episodes show cases of juvenile depression.

[@eldermillennialcougar7985]

I had a serious relationship with a man who had very severe ADHD,autism,oppositional defiance disorder and dyslexia. I can attest to the fact that he actively enjoyed the chaos his hyperactive, impulsive and socially inappropriate behavior caused. Much like Bart with his malicious little snicker when people react negatively to his pranks and bad behavior.

[@mustpaike]

Going off this particular episode, there might be a few of the fun things to react to: Family Guy - 14x01 - Pilling Them Softly. the effects of ADHD medicine on people who may need them vs people who certainly do not. The Simpsons - 20x17 - the Good, the Sad and the Drugly. The effects of anxiety medication. Limitless - The movie (from 2011)is good as well, but of the TV series I would recommend the pilot and episode 20. Again, analyzing an ADHD/ADD treatment type nootropic agent an its depiction. MASH has many great episodes regarding mental health (including the first half of the final one) but one similar to this would be 06x23 - Dr Winchester and Mr. Hyde, with one of the main characters abusing amphetamines, with all the associated effects.

[@Silkenray]

As a psychiatrist I was wondering if you could give your thoughts on the challenges of diagnosing children. I’m not one of those people who thinks children are being overdiagnosed, but I do have personal experience of being given a wrong or at least incomplete diagnosis as a child. I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD but actually had OCD. Dealing with intrusive thoughts and extreme perfectionism can be distracting and can make it difficult to complete school work. It’s hard to concentrate in class if you can’t stop worrying about if people you love are going to go to hell, or if you’re going to catch rabies because a dog slobbered on you!

[@catewright1575]

I always thought of ADD and ADHD as those kids that vouldn't stay still and kept getting in trouble. So it was hard to come to terms with the idea that my short attention span and random impulsive bursts, among other things, were signs of ADHD. With my official diagnosis i'm waiting to start medication and honestly, looking really forward to it. It's so hard to try and be productive when you keep getting distracted and end up doing a million other things before you remember what you were supposed to be doing. Then the cycle starts again before you can finish it. Smh

[@JoeOG]

I'm not sure I agree with your statement that taking amphetamines curbs drug usage in people with ADHD. I know there are studies done which align with your theory, but there are also studies that indicate the opposite. It is a controversial issue in Psychiatry. In my personal opinion, having grown up with ADHD is that amphetamine medication "raises the bar" for the amount of dopamine you expect to receive for certain actions. When you're coming down from the meds or you stop taking them altogether (which I did), the expectation of that amount of dopamine is not met, so the temptation for mind altering substances like alcohol or marijuana is greater. But I do understand the argument of reducing impulsivity, that must help to some degree, but I feel like it's a double-edged sword because even when used at prescribed dosages, amphetamines are addictive. Awesome video, I love your content and how engaged you are with the comments. I'm not a psychiatrist btw just some guy with a useless associate's degree in psychology.😂

[@zaithehedgewolf4587]

I remember I took this pills all the way to high school since I had problems focusing at school but I stop taking them in 11th grade cause I was getting drowsy and my bones started hurting when I stop taking them for 2 days my bones stop hurting and I wasn’t feeling drowsy

[@cahyasatixoxo7207]

YES THANK YOU. I have true debilitating ADHD and Schizoaffective disorder and it has been such a nightmare trying to keep my stimulant medication on board throughout my treatment even though I’ve found a schedule to maintain 20mg/day without developing a tolerance and it seems like if the stimulants were going to trigger psychosis at such a low dose it would have already happened.

[@Djsouthpaw1987]

Stopping medicine over "weekends" and summer breaks while it might help prevent buildup of tollerance and ensure the effect doesn't lessen, can however have some very bad effects. I've been on them all, ritalin, elvanse, concerta. But the longest run and most successfull for me personally effect-wise was metamina (dexamfetamine). And my mom got the advice to stop medicating me for 2 weeks in the summers during school breaks. It made the family vaccation a bit of a nightmare for everyone else, i was groggy and sleepy half the day before acclimating as well. Due to not being prescribed it anymore when i foolishly sold it to school mates as an yearly teen teen. Then caused me to abuse food with the increase in apetite and once again reduced impulse control. That and a dangerous use of it to self-medicate for feelings (not quite depression in a clinical sense) and boredom. My life would have taken a far better path had i not had a medication that had such a street value, and had it's apetite supressing effects not swung the other way, playing into my situation and poor impulse control. I now choose to go unmedicated due to my difficulty in maintaining health care appointments and just prefer to cope without meds than constantly going off and on, as the process of going off them is hellish and zombielike.

[@damienburroughs2119]

i was told a bad joke from my friend with ADHD: I have HDADD, i barely pay attention, but when i do it comes in crystal clear.

[@brianalambert1192]

The problem I have with the ADHD thing in general is how readily children will be put on those drugs. I myself had mild issues with depression and anxiety, but no trouble focusing, no acting out in school, no hyperactivity. My psychiatrist decided to randomly put me on ADHD medication in addition to my antidepressants to see what happened. I'm not even kidding, that's exactly how he phrased it. It didn't do much for me and gave me some pretty immediate side effects. I went off it quickly, but the attitude of "Let's try it and see" never sat well with me, especially since I had no symptoms. Then they put my sisters on it. My sisters were bad in school, but it turns out it was because they didn't do their homework, at all. Did the teachers tell my parents this? No. And the doctors just put them on the medication instead. I believe it's a legitimate condition, but I'm seeing way too much evidence that the label and medications are used way too readily on children

[@r0bw00d]

I used to have ADHD when I was a kid, but got over it once I became an adult. The medicine helped me to focus, but did nothing for my hyperactivity. In elementary school, I actually had permission to leave the classroom to run around the school twice if I had so much energy that I couldn't remain seated. Unfortunately, I kept getting all of the rare side effects from the various drugs that I was taking. Ritalin kept dislocating my jaw and Haldol made me feel like I had bees in my pants, but I got nothing from Lithium, thankfully, except the urge to stop taking medicine already because I was so tired of doing it. I did, and according to my mom, it coincided with the doctor's recommendation that I quit taking the pills.

[@netto6681]

I think this is the first time I’ve seen one of these things where the expert has a sense of humour.

[@Gosmokeless28]

"Not the sky, that's where clouds are born!" That made me laugh my ass off, lmao! XD

[@commandosolo1266]

I've always wondered, how would a psychiatrist diagnose Mr. Spock, from Star Trek? Borderline, Asperger's, or simply stoic?

[@bethanyoneal5789]

I love that episode

[@gr8aussief--kup]

I am new to you but I love you

[@DoctorElliottCarthy]

Thanks so much and really glad you've found the channel 😊

[@amandasnider2644]

My parents figured out I was different when I was around six. First clue was when they took my grandparents to my kindergarten school so they could say hi to me at recess... they found me by myself standing with my head between my legs all recess. I was watching everything upside down and what's funny is that I remember doing this. Second sign was I kept sliding off the chair whenever they were reading to me and teaching me to read. I'd learn a new word and turn the page and not remember what the word I just learned on the previous page was. The only ADHD traits I don't have were frequently getting in trouble.

[@Melissa0774]

The syndrome they were talking about on the t shirt in the army base wasn't talking about PTSD. It was a reference to Gulf War sickness, which is a mystery syndrome that a bunch of soldiers got during and after they went over there. I think it was believed to be caused by some kind of toxins they were exposed to and I don't remember if they ever figured out the cause for sure, or if the government ever acknowledged that it was real and took responsibility for it.

[@tsukiyakikid8950]

When I was in elementary school(is it called primary school in the Uk?? I don't know...) I had to take adhd meds, but it screwed up my appetite really bad and I got very underweight so I had to stop taking it.

[@bruceappleby6222]

13:56 theres just one little thing i should point out that the tank should not of been able to shoot down the satalite

[@CrippledMerc]

Serious question about what you said at this bit here 9:05 about what treating adhd actually does. Because you said it doesn’t make you smarter it just lets you apply the information you already have. So what about when it comes to taking in new information and retaining that information? Would it be better than when they were untreated or is it at about the same level as it was before?

[@saraperlstein]

As they say: just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not watching you.

[@misspinkpunkykat]

7:22 There actually is a residential "school" for special needs children and adults in Massachusetts that actually does use a devise similar to a shock collar when the student engages in a behavior the staff of that place thinks of as problematic. They got in trouble with the UN a while ago but someone were able to get the shock devices back. The Law & Order episode "Cruel & Unusual" was based on that place.

[@mikemoss9559]

2:50 the fact he slept on this brilliant joke saddens me. Skinner: "your son has attention deficit disorder" Marge: "like john leguizamo?" Skinner: "how should I know?"

[@resplndnt]

I’m glad you say ADD, because the DSM merged ADD and ADHD, which I don’t care for as someone with ADD, because I wasn’t diagnosed for being hyperactive, I was diagnosed because I space out. Though I’m a bit concerned that my parents had me take it every day as a child. And I think my mother especially was negligent as she was concerned I didn’t eat while I was prescribed adderall

[@scottjarred3390]

well medications for me early in life caused psychosis, Ritalin and zoloft were prescribed to me

[@RainbowDrop]

Hey I take zoloft and my sis takes Ritalin 👉😄👉 (Although I have a slew of disorders the only one I can't handle is my anxiety)

[@InterDimensionalLizard]

That scene in the playground, where all four boys have medications for one condition or another, may be a commentary on the over-prescription of medications in the US.

[@he-mememan359]

One thing that still bugs me about when I was diagnosed, got asked the typical questions about how is it I have no problem focusing on something like a video game or a show and gave the typical answer that I was interested in them. To which point I would be lectured bout how I should be "interested" in the things I was having trouble focusing on. That's purely a word game, what they meant by "I should be interested" is "I should find it important", which isn't the same thing at all and isn't at all how it works.

[@Celeste-jh2lj]

Ive been diagnosed with ADHD so I really liked this episode

[@Mixxie67]

This episode bugged le when it aired because it reflects what so many people think about ADHD meds (eta: i forgot he winds up in Ritalin in the end but it seems like an add-on the main focus was on not medicating kids). I was diagnosed in the late 90's when I was 28. The only thing that effectively helps me, and by no means is a magic pill, is Adderall. I have a few strategies like alarms and apps that help a lot but without the meds, it's really hard to stick to the strategies. Right now, I'm on a very low dose because I have mild hypertension and my doctor is concerned. The thing is, the dose i'm on (10 mg) does nothing for me. I had been on 45 mg (keeping in mind I've been taking it since around 1999. I started with ritalin but I couldn't remember to take it so I didn't take anything for awhile. My current problem is I need to lose weight in order to lower my blood pressure and to be ready for knee surgery but it's very hard to stick to any sort of nutrition and exercise routine when I can't manage my ADHD symptoms. I've put it this way to my doctor but he has yet to relent. My blood pressure has been very good the last few visits and I think its because I've learned deep breathing exercise that makes the extreme discomfort a lot more manageable. I'm fairly convinced my original high reading was because of a particularly bad experience. I'm only on 5 mg of Amlodipine a day. I asked my doctor if I could go off the meds and then get another reading but he's wasn't having it. It's very frustrating for me.

[@chapter_black3234]

I have ADD, but am not nearly hyperactive enough. Too easily tired, but also have trouble focusing. Wishing I had the hyperactive part honestly

[@alistaircaradec2180]

I’d like to recommend Scrubs season 8, episode 13: My Full Moon. Not overly fond of the later seasons of Scrubs in general, but this one seems to have a lot going on. You’ve got a patient who believes everyone has been replaced by identical imposters, and a doctor who assumes her patient is anorexic based on her history, even though the patient swears she’s been eating. Thought that brought up interesting points about believing patients with mental health struggles.

[@quirkiness]

You should do a video on the Martha Mitchell effect that this episode an example of.

[@adamshattuck1985]

my brother has adhd. he is a father of 3 kids, and owns his own home. he had to learn how to deal with it BUT if hes given something he wants to focus on and do hes fine. the problem i think is that if your a male child and run around they immediatly go "hes adhd". i noticed that many kids outside of school still have it but others its just the idea opf a confined room that makes em fidgety.

[@bafumat]

Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean I'm wrong.

[@romerogj]

The "syndrome" the t-shirt mentioned is actually gulf War syndrome. It was basically slight radiation poisoning from some of the shells that were used at that time that were uranium enriched. Not ptsd.

[@ChestersonJack]

I’ve taken different ADHD meds my whole life. I’m on adderall again when I haven’t taken since I was a kid, but in all the months I’ve been on it, I’ve only been getting actually focused and productive in the past week, maybe less. My mom wants me to increase my dosage (I’m a young adult dependent) but my appetite and ability to sleep are bad enough as is! Gosh, I just wish I could function like a person

[@johnbarker8305]

When you look at the depth of Bart's pranks and knowledge, he is actually much smarter than Lisa. The Vegas wife offers to teach him how to count cards, Bart says it is fine, he has a system. He learned Japanese, French, Portuguese, was able to hijack a satellite... he is brilliant, just not studious

[@jethrodull5860]

I think the T shirt was actually a reference to something referred to as Gulf War syndrome. It may be tied into inhalation of the burn pits that were used. I'm not super familiar with it, just watched a documentary once.

[@ItsMeEllenB]

I'm so interested about what you said about psychological intervention being rubbish - my GP straight up told me that she's sceptical about my ADHD diagnosis (newly diagnosed as an adult at university) and 'if' I do really have it, medicine isn't a great treatment for ADHD because doesn't treat the 'cause' of it, only the symptoms, (although aren't loads of medication like this? I don't think codeine treats the cause of pain for example). She then told me that stimulants aren't great because of the 'side effects' and that behavioural therapies are a lot more effective in treating ADHD. I'm on a waiting list for ADHD CBT (or something similar, I can't remember!) and I repeatedly tried telling her that my ADHD medication has changed my life after trying a million different anti-depressants and IAPT courses. It's even really helped with things that aren't ADHD symptoms too (but I think they probably are related to my ADHD), for example; I don't binge eat anymore because I remember to eat so have lost (a well needed) two stone, my living space is tidy for the fist time in my life, I'm not worried that I'm annoying people anymore, I feel a lot calmer, I don't have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol anymore and I haven't drank nor even wanted to drink since New Years Eve 2020, I am a lot more confident to speak up in my seminars, and more! But she just refused to listen to me. She even asked me to stop taking my medication because she thought it was the reason that I was unwell (it was actually because I have hypothyroidism and my meds just needed adjusting), which seems insanely bizarre as the medication has been prescribed to me by my psychiatrist? I know she was a general practitioner so not a psychiatrist, but I'm really intrigued about the evidence behind psychological and behavioural interventions! It'd be interesting to know why there's such a misconception that it's beneficial even within the medical community? The GP above hasn't been the only who told me I should get therapy for my ADHD (she's the only one who doubted my diagnosis though haha). I love your channel, you're really informative and you can tell you really care about your patients - as someone who had been dismissed by psychiatrists since I was a teenager because I am not 'classically' ADHD (that is, I don't present like a little boy lmao), it's really nice to see more psychiatry doctors who do really care!

[@bubbleshooterLP]

Unfortunately I can't answer you explicitly, but as a fellow psychologist I do believe that he is right. Maybe rubbish is exaggerated but, you do need medication to be able to concentrated. A psychologist might help you adjust your behavior tho

[@JagNavBrett]

The hyperactivity is misleading because as i got older and out of the age where i was always engaged in non stop motion, its neurological hyperactivity as well. there are certain synapses that are either not firing when they should or firing when they shouldn't.

[@davidokinsky114]

A good short video for you might be the Bryan Cranston and Larry David interaction on Curb You Enthusiasm.

[@JRChadwick]

I have enjoyed these videos, having just stumbled across your channel. I would suggest you try balancing your audio levels. I keep having to turn the volume up and down when it switches between you and the clips.

[@DoctorElliottCarthy]

You're absolutely right. Learning as I go along. Glad you liked the vid 😊

[@JRChadwick]

@@DoctorElliottCarthy There are a lot of things to consider when making videos. I've been making content off and on for 13 years now and I still am figuring out more and more tricks.