Diagnosing Ordinary Misbehavior Strips Children of Their Agency
Abigail Shrier · Abigail Shrier: Why the Kids Aren’t Alright · May 21, 2024 · at 7:13
Investigative journalist Abigail Shrier discusses childhood mental health and parenting practices with Shane Parrish on The Knowledge Project.
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“We would pathologize ordinary behaviors and treat them to see themselves as disordered. Oh, that's just, you know, you have ADHD. Oh, that's your oppositional defiance disorder. That's why you acted out. So instead of using the sort of lay terms we've always used that have to do with character, like You know, being a jerk in class or being inappropriate in class, we would say, no, that's your oppositional defiance disorder. So treat them to see it as a brain problem so that they never felt they had any agency to do anything about it.”
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