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Quick, here's a trick. Grab some letters - three or four should do it - and try to make a disorder out of it. Then, claim that you've got it! Let's try "SAD". Hmm... "seasonal affective disorder" sounds good! So good, people might even buy it! Oh wait, they have already.

I'm pretty sure that when my grandparents were children, the number of "disorders" were significantly lower. I'm fairly certain that people who were down in the dumps were told "get off your ass and make yourself useful." I'm fairly certain that if you felt like shit, it would pass.

Women in the 30s did not have PMDD (pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder). Hell, they may not have even had PMS. I'm sure menstruation sucked as much as it does now (or was worse, as they probably didn't have Midol), but dammit, did they complain? No, they cooked dinner, knitted, and did whatever women back then did.

It's not just a woman thing. I was diagnosed with ADD as a kid. Riiiight, ADD. I was bored in class, of course I had trouble paying attention. Hell, find me a kid these days that isn't "afflicted" with this disease.

"Good Morning, Miami" was just on, and they talked about the "disease" of alcoholism. I'm grateful that I'm not "afflicted" with this disease. But it's not a disease. I wouldn't even call it a disorder. It's something that is troubling, yeah... and it's something that takes time, willpower, and whatever else to get through. But why must everything these days be a "disease" or a "disorder."

It's going too far. When we have mothers killing their children and trying to go for the insanity plea because post-partum "made them kill their baby" then we've allowed the "disease" and "disorder" label to stick to too many things. After all, what's to stop an alcoholic from getting rocked and taking an Uzi to a schoolbus, then claiming that he's "mentally ill" and thus fully capable of filing an insanity plea?

Like I said, I don't currently believe I'm "afflicted" with anything, and frankly, I hope I'm not. Should having a big ego be a "disorder?" Cuz hey, count me in... I'll be the one guy in the world with "GIBD" - Great In Bed Disorder. (This is a very weak attempt at humor, I realize.)

The point remains, however... that the next time you hear about this "disorder" or that "disease," step back and ask yourself if may we're taking things a bit too far...

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