Summary:
Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a global phenomenon of enormous proportions. During the last decades, ADHD has become very common, while its visibility on social media or the press is generally increasing. Having that in mind, the purpose of this paper is to examine what we really mean by referring to ADHD. In order to do this, we begin by looking to the past, so that we can understand the present. As it will be indicated, ADHD is a rather controversial diagnosis, which leads us to a critical analysis of what is often viewed as "normal". Trying to denaturalize this so-called "normality", the first step is to study the existing literature, the history of ADHD. Drawing from social constructivism, we tried to analyse ADHD through a critical approach, especially regarding ADHD in western societies. Taking into consideration that the organic etiology ADHD has not been proven yet, but is been repeatedly disputed, the question that arises is whether the most commonly used treatment, which contains strong stimulant drugs (i.e., Ritalin), is actually appropriate, especially when it comes to children. Within this frame, our main purpose is to examine how the "normal" and "deviant" child is constructed through psychiatric diagnosis.
Keywords:
ADHD, childhood, social construct, normality
