Writing a scrip is fast, scores you points with the pharmaceutical companies and requires little thought. The average American does not want to "fix" their problems, they want a pill. Take for example the obesity problem in the U.S., a tiny minority has some endocrine problem, the vast majority are just fat bastards who don't want to work at something or knock off the Big Macs. I would agree with the post above that says if the problem is new, the cause is likely recent. I guarantee that I would have been put on Ritalin as a child, if that hyperactive thing was as popular then as it is now