Mr. Cheeseburger 
Doctors and researchers are trying to use Michael Phelps as the new face for A.D.H.D., the same way Lance Armstrong became the face for cancer after a string of Tour De France victories. What a way to get attention to a disorder that’s not even on par with that of cancer.
Companies, researchers and even doctors will do anything to get attention these days. I guess they could use Phelps since he’s the new hot celebrity (he made an appearnce on Entourage Sunday night) and he has A.D.H.D. Why does this disorder need a celebrity endorsement? It’s not life threatening like cancer.
What Lance Armstrong did was simply amazing. Surviving cancer and then winning the Tour De France seven times is an amazing feat. Phelps didn’t have to survive attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, he just has to live with it. And with today’s medications, I’m sure he’s in better condition than any other person with the disorder.
I just hope all those parents don’t think that since Phelps is the new face that things will be great for their child. He can be an inspiration but it’s not an inspiration they should have their kids looking up to. A.D.H.D. is not serious enough to warrant a celebrity endorsement. I hope people don’t take this endorsement to mean anything great because it’s not at all.
Is A.D.H.D. a disorder that needs a celebrity endorsement? Do you think Phelp's A.D.H.D. is that serious, considering he had no problem focusing while winning eight gold medals?
Comments (52)
i agree. good post
I think this might cause more harm than good.
yea. using Michael Phelps as the face of ADHD is like saying everyone with ADHD has the same upbringing, culture, goals, and personality. That's so not true and I agree that it will add more pressure for kids diagnosed with this.
So the moral of the story is:
It doesn't matter how good you look, how fast you swim, etc. In the end, no one is perfect.
Finally. Someone to share my "disability" with.
I agree with you.
I've got mixed feelings with him being the face of ADHD/ADD.
Yes sure it will show kids that they can overcome their disorder and make themselves something great, yet at the same time that can cause parents to go into "Stupid" mode.
When I have children, if my ADHD genes get passed down to them, I'm not going to be like "OMG see that, [kidname]! Michael Phelps is super duper amazing and perfect, so you should be too!" -.- No, I'm going to let my kid be who s/he is and support them along the way. Of course I'll be guiding them and all that, but I'm not going to force my kids to become the next "Great Swimmer"!
I do think he'd make a good "face" for ADHD, as long as parents don't go stupid on their poor children.
Not a serious disorder to warrant celebrity endorsement? PLEASE! Almost everything has some kind of endorsement from one person or another. Why should ADHD be any different? After all, it IS a real disorder, even though many people still think its "just a phase" or "too much sugar".
Wow. Now isn't that degrading? It's kind of like saying that if kids can't focus, they have some serious problem that needs help from everyone to overcome.
Personally, I think that ADD and ADHD are way overdiagnosed. Kids are supposed to be hyper, they're supposed to be unfocused; in general, at least, kids just ARE.
Mostly I think it's a lack of focus because, honestly, who wants to pay attention in Algebra? It's not fun. So they don't listen. Discipline and willpower can fix that. They don't need pills, nor celebrity endorsement.
Now, I do think it exists, of course. But I think any disorder (within reason) can be overcome or coped with if enough willpower is applied. I have some OCD, and sure, sometimes it makes me cringe inside and panic a bit if I click the mouse hard enough, but if I try I can ignore it; most of the time. It would take practice. But I LIKE having issues sometimes, and of course, it's much more fun to doodle than listen to a math lesson. No? So why try?
Ugh! Another ADHD post where I have to bring up the fact that NO ONE CAN PROVE IT'S OVERDIAGNOSED!
And it is a real disorder, that deeply affects people's lives. I think that warrants a celebrity endorsement. It is a chemical imbalance just like depression. Only with ADHD, therapy doesn't work. So what's the real disorder, if one you can change through therapy and one you can't?
(Not saying that depression isn't a big deal, but that it is way overdiagnosed. Or at least the medication is.)
Let's talk about other health issues than ADHD and anorexia, please!
@ToxicWishes@xanga - I agree!
If coca cola can have celebrity endorsers, why not any disease, condition, etc. The point of bringing in a celebrity face to garner attention and raise awareness. I see nothing wrong with that. It is a real disorder. People live with it every day, and bringing attention to it can't be wrong.
its one thing to use someone's face for a product in order to sell something to a specific type of consumer. i think that a disease or disorder is something that should not have a face to it.
I'm not denying that ADD and ADHD exist, but I think they're overdiagnosed & the medications are overprescribed. From what I've personally observed, parents can't take control of their kids & issue proper discipline, so they have the meds to do it for them. This goes for other disorders, as well. There are the kids who have to have their crayons in a specific order, and then their parents are worried that they have obsessive compulsive disorder... So just drug them up and everything will be fine, right? Or your teenage daughter has mood swings; acknowledge the fact that she's growing up, or that maybe she's craving some kind of attention, or go to the extreme & hit her up with some Cymbalta. Easy fix, is it not?
Eh, I see it happening a lot, but I don't think so.
But I suppose endorsing any type of disorder or disease etcetera is an okay way to go. I mean, if you truly have a problem & struggle with your disorder, then I'm assuming that endorsement may mean a lot to you, but I personally wouldn't know.
i think people are getting out of control. they want a face to represent everything. aw davey its okay, michael phelps has adhd so dont feel bad. ugh. gag me. adhd is one of the most common disorders and its so easy to treat it that little davey is just a pill-pop away from being an overcomer.
i have rheumatoid arthritis. id like to see someone represent that... i dont mean to sound harsh but id gladly support a celebrity who has a true medical disorder, not a mental one that everyone claims to have in order to get through college or get an instant high.
@dreamxperfection@xanga - agreed.
I have an adult relative who was diagnosed with adhd when one of her kids was being screened (aspergers syndrome). She compares living with adhd and not taking meds to having bad eyes and not wearing glasses.
Another young relative has to be badgered by his parents to take his meds. The difference it makes is between being a C- to D student and being a B+ student.
So, does it help to have a "face" for adhd? For someone like my nephew, yes! It helps us convice him to be responsible with his meds in order to be competitive in the real world. It's the difference between having a successful role model to encourage him to continue his education beyond highschool, and having him give in to the "sped" tag (special education) and aspire to a job asking "do you want fries with that?"
"Considering he had no problem focusing while winning 8 gold medals"?
Clearly you don't know what ADHD is ...
people with it DO NOT have difficulty focusing on most activities they enjoy.
However, it becomes a LARGE problem for children when it comes to school work. They fall behind, many have to repeat grades...
And I see that you talk about today's drugs ... what do you know about ADHD drugs? What have you read about them? Do you know anything about the side effects which make a lot of people choose not to take them?
I don't understand why you are comparing this, whatever.
Yes, having a person with ADHD be the best at something helps those that consider their ADHD a barrier to success.
I don't think he was put out there for parents of kids... but for the kids themselves.
i hate to be a downer, but lance armstrong may very well have won the tour de france 7 times BECAUSE he survived cancer. after his recovery, he was much faster because he lost a buncha weight he couldn't take off before. and his pain tolerance was (greatly!) increased, making him power through the hardest parts while everyone else struggled. not saying he didn't conquer an incredible feat, just pointing out that he definitely came out of cancer way stronger and more powerful than before cancer.
well i think thats an awful assessment especially with the comparison to armstrong. Phelps had ADHD, and at some point his life was hindered by a disease that makes opperating in life through status quo. He over came it and decided he wants to speak out and be a face for it, its not like some corporation came to him and said "hey how would you like to be the face of some disease that has nothing to do with you. We'll pay you big bucks." I'm sure he's getting paid, but even from a marketing stand point it makes no sense for it to matter at all to him. What would you prefer him to come out as the face of cancer, or heart disease or people that dont know how to swim? Be a little weird and ironic, and possibly insincere.
Both Armstrong and Phelps have accomplished enough in their life that they can lend their fame to any cause or product or At&T internet commercials or sub par owen wilson features (mr. armstrong). Anything they see fit for any reason they see fit. as far as the criticism of the disorder being "significant enough" or "enough of an obstacle" I think the expression "judge not lest ye be judged" doesnt exactly apply, however "before you judge someone walk a mile in there shoes" fits pretty well.devils Advocate says :cancer in remission doesnt really affect competition, ADHD makes it hard to focus, makes racing and breath whilst swimming slightly tricky.
I think it A.D.H.D does warrant a face because it warrants a voice too. Don't you think it's unfair to the children struggling with this to be just tossed aside because someone thinks their diseasr isn't life threatening? Think about it. It's a hinderence in their life. They'll have to take meds just make sure that they can handle their surroundings. There's nothing wrong with having children dream that they can surpass their disorder and be just as strong as Phelps, just as athletic as Phelps or even just as famous as him. And yes, please trying walking a mile in someone else's shoes before passing judgement...
I don't think any medical condition/product/brand should ever get celebrity endorsements.
I think celebrities are exploiting their disease (or whatever they have) when they try to garner so much attention for it. It disgusts me, in a way, like when people on Divorce Court air all their dirty laundry in front of thousands of people, just for attention.
As far as product and brand endorsements, I believe that a high-quality product that fills a need will speak for itself.
Let's stop giving all of these celebrities so much power and wealth. Let's admire them for their talent, and not think that their talent makes them qualified to advise us in any other field- whether it be politics, products, medical decisions, diet advise, whatever.
Let's take back our self-respect and rely on ourselves to figure out what is worth buying, what disease research we want to support, what we think about world events.
I think mental illness deserves attention if the "spokesperson" can communicate the truth about the matter.
though not fatal, a.d.h.d is still a serious disorder. Nobody is comparing a.d.h.d. to cancer. If Michael Phelps can bring attention to a problem that can possibly be prevented, then why the fuck not?
This is really stupid.
People think that ADD has to be a disabler, but that's not always the case. There are circumstances where having ADD actually gives a person an advantage, and I think Michael Phelps has found out how to make that work for him.