Shire US inc. …your ADHD Support Company

http://www.bonkersinstitute.org/medshow/femadhd.html

These advertisements by Shire US Inc. boast the connection between depression, divorce and ADHD in adults. The first ad claims adults with ADHD are nearly two times more likely to have been divorced which is backed up by one study. The results are from a survey comparing 500 ADHD adults and 501 non-ADHD adults. Nonetheless, there is no other evidence to back up the claim. This sole study is the only ‘proof’ the advertisers have to make such a bold statement about the connection between divorce and ADHD. The slogans ‘broken promises’ and ‘the consequences may be serious’ imply that ADHD is the main factor involved in a divorce and that one should go to their website for more information and to take a test for self-diagnosis. I wanted to take the test myself, but the website does not exist anymore and directs to http://adhdfraud.org/. Interesting name for a website.

The second ad claims that ADHD is found in 32% of adults with a depressive disorder. This is clearly aimed at a female demographic due to the pink background and a picture of a woman with her arms crossed. The message is clear: the connection between depression and ADHD is most commonly found in females. However, the one study cited is gender neutral with an age range of 18-44. Again, it is disappointing that a sole study was used to support a bold claim. At least the study surveyed 3199 adults as opposed to the other which surveyed 1001. The line ‘I’m depressed… Could it be ADHD?’ makes a very explicit implication that ADHD is the cause of depression in females. The ad later encourages its demographic to visit www.depressionandadhd.com which is another website that does not exist anymore. Huh. This is fascinating to me because these ads are only five years old.

Luckily, Dr. Bonkers has screencaps at http://www.bonkersinstitute.org/simpleadhd.html

Most of the screencaps from Shire US Inc. advertise various drugs which alter the balance of some brain chemicals. Right after the company admits that the cause of ADHD is unknown. Apparently this is all conjecture. Now my first impulse is to ridicule the lack of concrete evidence, but then I recall my former peers who took Adderall and other ADHD drugs as children. The changes in their behaviors were remarkable and I cannot believe it was solely due to a placebo effect. However, the language used in these screencaps and the two previous advertisements is deplorable. The company claims it does not have a hidden agenda, which is ludicrous given the extreme bias language found throughout the bold claims mentioned earlier. In one screencap, the company demeans the naysayers for the sole purpose of pressuring individuals to take their drugs. Moreover, they call their drugs ‘medicine’ to sound safe and friendly. How nice.