The Cure for Mental Conditions Is a Better Society Danny Moss

                                    The Cure for Mental Conditions Is a Better Society

Danny Moss

John Morgan

What if I told you we had the cure for every single mental condition the world has ever known? Anxiety? Gone. Autism? Gone. ADHD? Gone. Depression? Gone. But… what remains when they are gone? It’s normal to feel anxious before an exam—it motivates us to study and prepare, and Autism is not an “illness.” History has proven time and time again that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can live normal, if not extraordinary, lives. It is widely believed that Nikola Tesla, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, and even the creator of Pokémon had autism. ADHD is one of my favorite examples. High school students are forced to sit down and stay quiet for eight hours a day. Anyone who struggles with that is labeled as having a “mental illness.”

When organizations like Cure Autism Now claim that people who don’t conform to traditional ways of thinking must be “Cured.” they ignore the failures of our system: one that tries to mold every single child into the same behavior patterns. Children diagnosed with mental conditions are not “diseased” and do not need to be “cured.” Instead, society must adapt and accept the fundamental truth that we are a diverse group of individuals with different ways of thinking about the world.

To begin, I want to talk about insomnia. Insomnia is a mental condition that makes falling asleep difficult, causing people to spend countless hours tossing and turning in bed. Because of this, students with insomnia might need extra time in the morning to adjust. Most high schools start the day at around 8:00 AM. Given the time required to get ready and commute, students often need to wake up by 6:30 AM. It’s even worse for athletes who must wake up even earlier for practice. However, the average high school student needs around nine hours of sleep per night, meaning they should be asleep by 9:30 PM. The problem? Puberty naturally shifts the sleep cycle, making it difficult for teenagers to fall asleep before 11:00 PM.

Not only does this system deprive high school students of sleep, but those diagnosed with insomnia face an even greater disadvantage. As anyone knows, a lack of sleep impairs learning, reaction times, and focus, which leads otherwise intelligent students to be labeled as “dunces.” If high schools instead started later or allowed students to shift an early class to the afternoon, we could see improved retention, better grades, and a stronger overall education system.

Now, let’s discuss ADHD. ADHD is a broad condition often associated with difficulty focusing, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. But is it really a “disorder”? It’s completely reasonable to not want to do tedious and boring tasks. Hyperactivity, for example, is a great asset in physically demanding jobs.

Yet, modern workplaces force people to sit at desks for hours on end, which can be particularly difficult for those with ADHD. Research shows that people with ADHD are 66% more likely to be fired. Simple accommodations, such as allowing movement can dramatically improve productivity. Exercise has also been shown to help manage ADHD symptoms. One such way to implement this is providing under desk pedals that allow for workers to bike on the computer if they need it. Furthermore, reducing unnecessary clutter in emails and providing distraction-free environments benefits not just those with ADHD, but everyone. This brings me back to my earlier point of letting people get the sleep they need, it just makes things easier for everyone involved.

I take issue with the term “mental illness” because it implies that people with things like autism are diseased and unhealthy. In reality, autism allows people to see the world differently. For example, take Dan Aykroyd. His obsession with the paranormal, a characteristic often linked to autism, led to the creation of Ghostbusters:

“I became obsessed by Hans Holzer, the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film Ghostbusters was born.”  John Elder Robison was credited with helping the famous band KISS with their Amplifiers and guitars. He was diagnosed with autism in his 40s. Despite the issues that people with autism face, it is not a death sentence.

John Elder Robison, another autistic individual, contributed to the success of the rock band KISS by helping design their amplifiers and guitars. Despite the challenges that autistic individuals face, autism is not a death sentence. ASD stands for “Autism Spectrum Disorder” because it affects people in different ways. Some may struggle with social contexts, others may choose to avoid social interaction, and some may simply have unique hobbies. “Curing” autism would mean stripping people of their personalities and forcing them into a mold that society calls “normal.” That is not only wrong but unethical. Of course, we shouldn’t normalize harmful behaviors, but if a person’s way of thinking and hobbies doesn’t harm anyone, we should embrace it. Society benefits greatly from individuals who are committed to their craft and gives a new perspective towards an existing problem. At the same time, we should provide autistic individuals with education about their condition, helping them understand social cues while also reassuring them that their differences are not an illness but simply another way of experiencing the world. Knowledge is power.

Before I conclude, I want to clarify that this essay does not reject medication for conditions like insomnia, ADHD, or depression. Medication can provide significant benefits, and anyone struggling with these conditions deserves proper treatment. If you feel that you need medical assistance, please seek help from a trained professional.

Additionally, I strongly advise against turning to social media during a mental health crisis. People online are not medical professionals, and some may exploit vulnerable individuals for personal gain.

With that said, the purpose of this essay is to highlight how society often fails those with mental conditions. By improving education options, creating better workplaces, and fostering a more accepting culture, we can make meaningful changes.

Let me say this one more time: mental conditions are NOT death sentences.

Sources:

The Cure for Mental Conditions Is a Better Society

Danny Moss

John Morgan

What if I told you we had the cure for every single mental condition the world has ever known? Anxiety? Gone. Autism? Gone. ADHD? Gone. Depression? Gone. But… what remains when they are gone? It’s normal to feel anxious before an exam—it motivates us to study and prepare, and Autism is not an “illness.” History has proven time and time again that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can live normal, if not extraordinary, lives. It is widely believed that Nikola Tesla, Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton, and even the creator of Pokémon had autism. ADHD is one of my favorite examples. High school students are forced to sit down and stay quiet for eight hours a day. Anyone who struggles with that is labeled as having a “mental illness.”

When organizations like Cure Autism Now claim that people who don’t conform to traditional ways of thinking must be “Cured.” they ignore the failures of our system: one that tries to mold every single child into the same behavior patterns. Children diagnosed with mental conditions are not “diseased” and do not need to be “cured.” Instead, society must adapt and accept the fundamental truth that we are a diverse group of individuals with different ways of thinking about the world.

To begin, I want to talk about insomnia. Insomnia is a mental condition that makes falling asleep difficult, causing people to spend countless hours tossing and turning in bed. Because of this, students with insomnia might need extra time in the morning to adjust. Most high schools start the day at around 8:00 AM. Given the time required to get ready and commute, students often need to wake up by 6:30 AM. It’s even worse for athletes who must wake up even earlier for practice. However, the average high school student needs around nine hours of sleep per night, meaning they should be asleep by 9:30 PM. The problem? Puberty naturally shifts the sleep cycle, making it difficult for teenagers to fall asleep before 11:00 PM.

Not only does this system deprive high school students of sleep, but those diagnosed with insomnia face an even greater disadvantage. As anyone knows, a lack of sleep impairs learning, reaction times, and focus, which leads otherwise intelligent students to be labeled as “dunces.” If high schools instead started later or allowed students to shift an early class to the afternoon, we could see improved retention, better grades, and a stronger overall education system.

Now, let’s discuss ADHD. ADHD is a broad condition often associated with difficulty focusing, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. But is it really a “disorder”? It’s completely reasonable to not want to do tedious and boring tasks. Hyperactivity, for example, is a great asset in physically demanding jobs.

Yet, modern workplaces force people to sit at desks for hours on end, which can be particularly difficult for those with ADHD. Research shows that people with ADHD are 66% more likely to be fired. Simple accommodations, such as allowing movement can dramatically improve productivity. Exercise has also been shown to help manage ADHD symptoms. One such way to implement this is providing under desk pedals that allow for workers to bike on the computer if they need it. Furthermore, reducing unnecessary clutter in emails and providing distraction-free environments benefits not just those with ADHD, but everyone. This brings me back to my earlier point of letting people get the sleep they need, it just makes things easier for everyone involved.

I take issue with the term “mental illness” because it implies that people with things like autism are diseased and unhealthy. In reality, autism allows people to see the world differently. For example, take Dan Aykroyd. His obsession with the paranormal, a characteristic often linked to autism, led to the creation of Ghostbusters:

“I became obsessed by Hans Holzer, the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film Ghostbusters was born.”  John Elder Robison was credited with helping the famous band KISS with their Amplifiers and guitars. He was diagnosed with autism in his 40s. Despite the issues that people with autism face, it is not a death sentence. ASD stands for “Autism Spectrum Disorder.”

John Elder Robison, another autistic individual, contributed to the success of the rock band KISS by helping design their amplifiers and guitars. Despite the challenges that autistic individuals face, autism is not a death sentence. ASD stands for “Autism Spectrum Disorder” because it affects people in different ways. Some may struggle with social contexts, others may choose to avoid social interaction, and some may simply have unique hobbies. “Curing” autism would mean stripping people of their personalities and forcing them into a mold that society calls “normal.” That is not only wrong but unethical. Of course, we shouldn’t normalize harmful behaviors, but if a person’s way of thinking and hobbies doesn’t harm anyone, we should embrace it. Society benefits greatly from individuals who are committed to their craft. At the same time, we should provide autistic individuals with education about their condition, helping them understand social cues while also reassuring them that their differences are not an illness but simply another way of experiencing the world. Knowledge is power.

Before I conclude, I want to clarify that this essay does not reject medication for conditions like insomnia, ADHD, or depression. Medication can provide significant benefits, and anyone struggling with these conditions deserves proper treatment. If you feel that you need medical assistance, please seek help from a trained professional.

Additionally, I strongly advise against turning to social media during a mental health crisis. People online are not medical professionals, and some may exploit vulnerable individuals for personal gain.

With that said, the purpose of this essay is to highlight how society often fails those with mental conditions. By improving education options, creating better workplaces, and fostering a more accepting culture, we can make meaningful changes.

Let me say this one more time: mental conditions are NOT death sentences.

Sources:

Robison, John Elder. "The Kiss, Guitars, and My Life in Music." John Elder Robison, jerobison.blogspot.com/p/the-kiss-guitars-and-my-life-in-music.html. Accessed 2/25/2025.

Child Mind Institute. "Dan Aykroyd Says Being on the Spectrum Helped Him Make 'Ghostbusters'." Child Mind Institute, childmind.org/blog/dan-aykroyd-says-being-on-the-spectrum-helped-him-make-ghostbusters/. Accessed 2/25/2025.

The Mini ADHD Coach. "ADHD Pacing." The Mini ADHD Coach, www.theminiadhdcoach.com/adhd-symptoms/adhd-pacing. Accessed 2/25/2025.

American Psychiatric Association. "What Is ADHD?" Psychiatry.org, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd. Accessed 2/25/2025.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. "Health Effects of Sleep Deprivation." NHLBI, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation/health-effects. Accessed 2/25/2025.

Better Health Channel. "Teenagers and Sleep." Better Health Victoria, www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep. Accessed 2/25/2025.

UCLA Health. "Sleep and Teens." UCLA Health, www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/sleep-disorders/patient-resources/patient-education/sleep-and-teens. Accessed 2/25/2025.

MedlinePlus. "Insomnia." MedlinePlus, medlineplus.gov/insomnia.html. Accessed 2/25/2025.

AAA State of Play. "The Average School Start Times in Every State." AAA State of Play, www.aaastateofplay.com/the-average-school-start-times-in-every-state/. Accessed 2/25/2025.

Behavioral Innovations. "20 Famous People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)." Behavioral Innovations, behavioral-innovations.com/blog/20-famous-people-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-asd/. Accessed 2/25/2025.

Mostarda, Carolina, et al. "Exercise and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review." Translational Pediatrics, vol. 8, no. 4, 2019, pp. 411–22. doi:10.21037/tp.2019.11.02.

Carskadon, Mary A., et al. "Adolescent Sleep Patterns, Circadian Timing, and Sleepiness at a Transition to Early School Start Times." JAMA Pediatrics, vol. 156, no. 12, 2002, pp. 1215–23. doi:10.1001/archpedi.156.12.1215.

Robison, John Elder. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's. Crown Publishers, 2007.