ADHD, autism, postural tachycardia syndrome, and Ivan Illich

People with ADHD, autism, and postural tachycardia syndrome have something wrong with them. They don’t feel right. They are not imagining or faking their wrongness and discomfort. There are many more people with these conditions than when I was at medical school in the 1970s. Indeed, ADHD and postural tachycardia syndrome did not exist then, and autism was a severe condition that was rare and suffered by children. The appearance of these conditions and the huge increase in the number of people with them, particularly in the past decade, make people wonder what exactly is happening. Somebody who has ideas on what might be happening was Ivan Illich, a critic of modern medicine who died in 2000. Once a Catholic priest, Illich became a critic of industrial society and foresaw much of what is happening, including environmental breakdown and political polarisation. He said that industrial tools—think cars and artificial intelligence—first enslave and then execute us. He saw industrial…

Commenting on Bubbles has been removed. Why? If you want to talk about this post, write to the author, use the comments on their blog if it has them, or reply with a "RE:" post on your own blog. Suggestions? feedback@bubbles.town