Top 10 Myths About ADHD

So if you dont fit in the box like everyone else,,,,,,,,,,,you got it. And take the drugs like a good American.

ADHD is a very real disorder that affects not only the person who has it but the family that lives with it as well. Unless you've dealt with it personally or live with it daily, you have no place in commenting [yeah that means you "they see me trollin"] My daughter has been diagnosed with ADHD since she was7. She is now 12. without medication she would not be able to participate in daily school life without anxiety or depression becoming debilitative. Regular ADHD medication was as Jessie says too sedative so with the help our doctor we've chosen a basic SSRI "Lexapro" to deal with the hyperfocusing aspect of the disorder. It has changed her life so much for the better and we couldn't be happier!

Unfortunately many people find the reality of mental illness too upsetting to acknowledge. Outside of the realm of fantasy and pseudo-science that L. Ron Hubbard instigated there is a need to feel ‘in control’ that causes serious bias in people when dealing with this issue. This need and the conditioning of fear and denial through many media sources (combined with the lack of knowledge concerning the human brain in general) is crippling any ability for the science of psychiatry to move beyond its adolescence and into a place where progress can be made for many of those suffering.

It is easy to jerk one’s knees back when confronted with the inadequacies and irresponsibility of individuals in such a field. But the truth is that the problems within the psychological and psychiatric communities are largely due to our societies inability to face reality and demand of its government more interest in a necessary system. Mental illness is a very real issue, and social awareness/acceptance of this fact has a long hard road in which to travel into the place where lucidity can transcend prejudice.

I appreciate the attempt to express information concerning ADHD on this site, but I think you are speaking through preprogrammed waves of interference. Here’s hoping someone can hear you above the din.

Cheers and Godspeed.

ADHD is a real disorder. It is not a result of bad parenting and not every hyperactive child has it. That is just small-minded thinking.

You naysayers are quick to make judgment on something you apparently know little of. I am a 55yr old father of 2 and one has been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, or if you may, a somewhat high level of autism. Along with that comes symptoms of ADHD which has posed a very difficult situation at times. When I saw him growing older it was obvious things weren't quite right, so I began testing from two of the best universities dealing with that which confirmed both symptoms. So there were no mad dashes to the pediatrician to "dope him up". And on top of it all, going through it with my son, reading all I could on the subject, I started recognizing some of the same issues....within myself. It explained a lot on the struggles I've had growing up, and it can be and is debilitating, down right crippling, which has effected all aspects of my life. So understand that this real, not "propaganda" from Yahoo.

ADHD exist. I grew up before ADHD was discussed as much as it is now. I believe my parents were great parents and it has nothing to do with them. I believe it is hereditary. One of my sons had symptoms since he was 3 years old and is now 13 and never placed on medication as of yet. I also do not take medication for it. The problem is there are too many "experts" on it. You cannot sit through an hour appointment and fill out a questionnaire and determine if you have ADHD. That is how children without it end up on medication. Only truly educated doctors should be allowed to prescribe. Unfortunately, some parents don't know where to turn and others don't want to deal with the behavior of their kids. I feel many kids are taking it who shouldn't be and some who truly need it are not- that is where the over diagnosed and under diagnosed come into play. It took me 10 years of my own experience and child's experience to see what problems he truly has as well as myself. He is a mild case because I worked his whole life to lessen his ADD like weaknesses. At some point, he will decide for himself if he needs medication help, as he just last year discovered he had it through his own diagnosis, or he will overcome/outgrow symptoms. I never mentioned ADHD to him or discussed it with him even though, I felt he had it. As a parent, for me it is a struggle to know what is best - to medicate or not. I have done everything in my power to not medicate. It can come at a cost to self-esteem and depression for some kids. Kids who cannot deal with it usually end up on street drugs at that point. ADHD affects executive functioning in the brain and that includes working memory, for him, this is his biggest weakness. He cannot remember more than two tasks at a time. I have read over 100+ books and articles on the subject as well as living it and with it. I am a Newly certified Life Coach who is specializing in ADD Coaching. For the people who do not believe it exist....Before you make comments have some real knowledge, experience, and research to back it. Don't show your ignorance.

LW i have adhd and i promise you it is not cause by societal shifts. i can tell yot his condition has real physical symtoms. the best way i can describe it is sensory overload. its not that i can't tune in , its that i can't tune out. i am hyperaware of every sensation, every sound. in class i was constantly noticing the feeling of the chair pressing into my legs (hence the fidgitiness), every rustle of paper, the fabric of my collar on the back of my neck, the brightness of the teachers blouse...i was taking in everything at once and couldn't focus in on just the teachers voice. it was like my brain was a radio and someone kept switching the station before i could hear what was being discussed.. now as an adult i struggle with the same thing. housework is hard because i can't priorities of block anything out. everything that nees to be done, is weighing on my brain with equal heaviness. i start one thing and then remember i have to do something else. the station keeps changing until i have started 5 things and finished none. no matter how many systems i have oprganized, planners i have bought, filing systems, i am always loosing things, because i get so easily distracted and don't notice where i put things. i wish i could tune out. i wish i could block out background noise, and not notice all the little things going on. i didn't go to college because i couldn't face any more humiliation.

but i will tell you this. this disorder made things hard but i have plenty of talent as well. adhd hasn't held me back in life nearly as much as reactions, comments and perceptions of people like you who think they have the dcondition and those who suffer from it all figured out and never gave me the chance, thinking if they just had a talk with me it would all go away. my daughter now has adhd and i will not let her go through what i did. she is going to get the support she needs to do what she can and not be bogged down by people telling her whats wrong with her when they have no clue.

no one who hasn't faced this disorder has the right to say it doesn't exist. i am an adult with adhd and i can tell you straight out that it does exist and it is a special kind of hell because it invisable. people think you're making it up or you're lazy when yo have to work tewice as hard as them to get half as much done.

first off, its not adhd any more. They got rid of it, its only add. so its off. I have add and i did meds and went off it. with the meds i think clear and im going to start them again.

I feel that type 2 diabetes isn't real. It was made up by the drug companies so that people could be fat and lazy and not worry about the foods they eat. If people would just be more conscientious about what they ate and we all went to the gym 2 hours a day every day, we'd never hear a thing about it again and we could stop throwing away millions of dollars that's wasted every year on research - the answer is right in front of us!

See, sounds more ignorant when you say it about something that more people understand and that doesn't carry the same stigma as a mental health issue.

I grew up in a household with strict (and swift) discipline. Misbehavior was not tolerated, we did not have cable TV until I was in 4th grade, and only then because the teacher insisted that we do a weekly assignment based on a program that aired on a channel that we couldn't get with rabbit ears, and the school backed her up. I was allowed 3 TV shows per week (plus the one for school). Games were limited to a family activity. NO TVs, phones, or even toys (aside from stuffed animals) were allowed in bedrooms. I was an active kid, normal weight to slightly underweight with a healthy diet. Sodas and excess sugars were generally not allowed, the only exception I can remember was when a relative would visit with treats and then quantities were extremely limited.

I learned and retained information well in school, but my grades were limited in certain subjects (like English) where I found it hard to concentrate and even harder to take tests that required lengthy composition of the subject.

I'm proof that a child can get through to adulthood without NEEDING, per say, medication. I think I would have gotten better grades, but going without medication didn't make the difference between graduating magna cum laude from Harvard and jumping from menial job to menial job for the rest of my life. I found college to be somewhat LESS challenging because I had some say in what classes I took.

HOWEVER, adulthood has been nothing but problems for me. Some things are easier to manage than others. Being a kid who often lost important things, I learned to develop an organization system (surprisingly on my own, given that my parents to this day are both EXTREMELY disorganized I don't know where it came from, but I like it). I also littered my apartments with notes EVERYWHERE. Checklists on the door - keys? purse? wallet? money/debit card? ID? - on the medicine cabinet, in the kitchen, on the table, on my desk, etc.

The issue that I couldn't overcome no matter how hard I tried was WORK. I found it extremely hard to hold down a job. When I had to juggle multiple things at once and I had to operate outside of a structured environment, it really fell apart. I had to react to customers, patients, bosses, and coworkers quickly and, maybe this analogy might make it easier to understand, dealing with ADHD is kind of like driving a car with a bad transmission - you are aware of what needs to happen and you do everything you SHOULD do to put the car (your brain) into the proper gear, but no matter what you do it just isn't responding.

So I agreed to give medication a try. The nice thing about most ADHD treatments is that they are a fast-acting medication and only stay in the bloodstream for about 5-6 hours, so you're not "drugged up" all day long. I take a dose in the morning, so that I can focus on the most hectic part of the day, and by the time I get back home I'm fine. Weekends I spend without medication as well.

I don't know why people are so unwilling to accept the fact that it's real. Some research is showing a possible connection as well to the Autism Spectrum, which I think most people are able to agree exists. It IS real, and while it can be more effectively managed with good parenting skills, it is most certainly NOT ***caused*** by bad parents.

it is overdiangonosed

My son has ADHD. I had him only on Ritalin from the time he was 7 to he was16. I knew when he was 2 he had a problem. Not sure what but something. I found an article about ADHD when he was 6, in this article it listed the symptoms he had. I asked his Doctor if he could have ADHD. She told me yes because even waiting in her office he showed some of these symptoms. She sent me to a specialist, That Doctor had ADHD. He gave me Ritalin for my son to take 3 times a day. But I only would give it to him twice a day. I was not going to keep my son on pills all the time. I felt if I couldn't deal with it how could a child learn to deal with ADHD.
But I found if I watched everything he ate, an how he reacted to it I could control the Hyperness. It worked as time went on. Stopped Ketchup, chocolate syrup in milk, certain hot dogs, candy(snacks), certain bread learned to eat more Veggies and fruits. It's the additives in the food. It was a hard thing to sa no to a child but he learned how to deal with it. My son is 26 now, still has ADD, but has learned he can do anything he puts his mind too.
An I am very proud to say Kids don't need all the drugs for ADHD, just parents to stand by them, help them. Put the extra time in to learn to deal wih ADHD. If need be fight to get all the extra help in the schools and colleges.

This is great information for those of you with kids, and or adults with ADHD.

I was diagnosed with "hyperactivity" in 5th grade. I'm now 44 and definately see the signs of ADHD. My mind races sometimes to the point that I can't focus on any one idea. I get antsy and can't sit still. I have major problems with organization. I never finish anything I start. Ask my husband...I rarely can sit still to watch a movie.
My now grown son was also diagnosed. He also had bipolar disorder, learning disabilities and mild retardation to go along with it. My daughter (15) has also been diagnosed but she and I don't take any meds. for it.
Kids with ADHD aren't just hyper. It's like they are driven by a motor. All the time. None stop. From morning until bedtime. This isn't your "normal" kid just being active. They seriously are active to the point that it is bizarre sometimes.
Is it over-diagnosed? YES! Does it exist? YES! If anyone of you doubters had spent a few hours with even one of my kids you wouldn't have had any doubts.
BTW--Myself, as a child, my parents were strict. We ate healthy. I got my arse whooped when I didn't behave. Not beaten, but disiplined. I raised my children the same way.

"sounds to me like its something that doctors, etc came up with in order for someone to qualify for a government draw!"

Add/ADHD has been known, a several different names, since 1904. When I was first diagnosed, in 1969, it was called Minimal Brain Injury/Damage. with or without, Hyperkinetic Activity Syndrome. It was renamed Attention Deficit Disorder in 1980.

Frankly, reading the comments to this article make me sick. My son, who is now 8, was diagnosed with ADHD in the first grade. In kindergarten he was suspended 7 times for inappropriate behavior. I used every method of discipline including spankings, time-outs, taking away toys, taking away anything he liked period. He didn't watch TV, he didn't eat processed foods, he went to bed at 7pm and got up at 6am. But he wasn't behaving at home or in school. He couldn't read or write or hold a real conversation like most other kindergarteners. I requested IST's from the school, which were denied. I transfered him to another school in first grade and was able to get an IST and began taking him to a therapist. For 6 months we tried behavior modification in school and at home and nothing was working. They were threatening to hold him back in first grade because of his behavior (maturity) and reading level. With the decision of his therapist, doctor, school social worker and myself we put him on medication. It was less than a month and he was reading, writing and behaving in school. He was not a zombie and had a rediculous amount of energy still. He plays sports and is in the 3rd grade. If ADHD is a myth, then my son has something else, but the ADHD medication is working for whatever is causing his problems. If you or your child has never faced something as cruel as not being able to control impulsivity, then SHUT UP.

I have an eighteen year old son with profound ADHD. He functions well with a combination of drugs which was tweaked continuously until he was sixteen, when we finally hit on the magic combination. He is also extremely bright, graduated in the top 1% of his class, and is now at a military university where he is succeeding in a very demanding, structured environment. The disorder has nothing to do with bad parenting, mercenary medical practitioners or hype. The comments below are largely affirmations of the article's point--there is so much ignorance of this disorder, but no shortage of the uninformed willing to step forward with an opinion.

ADHD is over-prerscribed and overly used as an excused. If a kid can play a video game for hours without moving.. they don't have ADHD.

the truth is that its a bunch of bull****kids are kids they are full of energy. but nowadays young teachers, are quick to suggest testing to evaluate kids that are being kids (energetic full of life) and of course the pharmaceutical asses quick to profit off the misery of these kids who will grow to be adults on meds (hook them young) and when the meds dont do it anymore...........METH ! cause thats what ritalin is.

I have always thought of ADHD as a myth itself. Then again with television and video games being bigger than ever more and more youths aren't taking time to realize there is a world around them not generated by game developers. As well as how bad off our economy is too many youths are giving up at younger ages.