Disclaimer: This blog is targeting people who “doctor shop” to get diagnosed with a mental health issue, not the good people who actually have a mental health issue. If you have a real issue, I hope you are able to find affordable help or services for your condition. I wish only the best for you… to the folks who shopped around for a diagnosis, you are the worst type of people.
I remember as a child growing up, there would be maybe one student/child at school with a learning (mental health) disability. Again, one whole child at the entire school! I was always enrolled in private school, which tends to attract more special needs kids because class sizes are smaller, and they usually have a program specifically for them to tailor to their needs.
As I grew older (High School & College years), suddenly more and more students were taking a pill. It was typically Adderall which is prescribed to people who have a hard time focusing. While this could be true, I always thought it was tied to being declared a “mental health issue.” See, in High School and College, if you had any type of learning disability/mental health issue, you got added benefits other students didn’t enjoy. Typically, the rules didn’t apply to you anymore. If you were late for class, acted out, etc., you were excused because you were considered a special needs student. You also got unlimited time on tests/quizzes and got extended deadlines on reports. It birthed the idea of an IEP (individual learning plan) and lowered an already low bar for education even lower. Now having a special need is not seen as a liability, it’s seen as having benefits. The number of “special needs” kids at my high school went from a couple to classrooms full when it came to final exam time. At first, I thought it was just my generation trying to work the system… boy was I REALLY WRONG!
In my years since graduating, the special needs fraud has gotten far worse. If you are accused of a crime, it’s now a priority to be declared special needs. Not only does it guarantee leniency, but it also likely results in dropped or dismissed charges. If you want a medical marijuana card? Just go doctor shopping, hell my sister got a doctor 3 counties over to issue her a diagnosis for a medical marijuana prescription for her monthly visitor. NO one in this county or the surrounding ones would issue it, but head to Modesto, swipe your insurance information, and viola here you are. Smoke and toke like Cheech and Chong, you’re good to go.
Lastly, in the last 10 years, I have no idea what happened. The people old enough to be my parents started getting in on this. They see it as the new “race card” that needs to be played when they are cornered. Suddenly people in their 60s are claiming mental health or “brain fog.” They shop for a doctor and get put on a pill.
In the next installment I’ll speak about the older generation and “mental health.”
Part 1/ 3.