Not Everything You Hear is True: 10 Myths About ADD/ADHD!

​Whether you call it ADD or ADHD – the condition is the same. The older designation is attention deficit disorder (or, ADD); the current name is attention deficit hyperactive disorder (or, ADHD). The latter has three presentations as it is currently called, or subtypes: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. So, you or your child can have trouble paying attention, be very overly active and impulsive, or can exhibit both kinds of behavior, hopefully at different times (for your sanity)!

Did you know that as of around 2011 when data was collected, 8.1% of adults in the US between the ages of 18-44 have been diagnosed with ADHD? Nearly 10% of children (6.4 million) were also diagnosed with ADHD ages 2-17. Seen globally, about 7.2% (129 million) kids have this condition. Scary, right?!

Hold on – not all behaviors that seem to fit into this diagnostic category mean you or your child has or doesn’t have ADHD. Let’s explore some myths about ADHD.

1. ADHD isn’t really a medical condition. Oops – wrong! This is a real medical condition with corresponding physiological anomalies, recognized by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Psychiatric Association.
2. People with ADHD Only Need to Try a Little Harder. No, definitely not! This condition is not about whether you’re motivated, unmotivated or lazy. It has nothing to do with attitude, either. People with this diagnosis often try very hard but cannot overcome it without some assistance (of which there is plenty).
3. People with ADHD just can’t focus. No, also not true! While those with this designation have trouble focusing, they can often do something called hyperfocusing. This can be a confusing facet of ADHD – sometimes kids who normally get easily distracted may have a difficult time shifting attention from doing something they like, such as video games.
4. You can’t inherit ADHD. Oops – wrong again! This condition is definitely heritable. Often you or your parents have it whether it was diagnosed or not, and it can be passed on down to your children. (Not to worry – there are both medicinal non-medicinal ways to get a handle on it [if you’re worried about medicine and their side effects].) There have been about 2,000 studies conducted on ADHD and genetic connections, so we know with certainty that you can indeed inherit ADHD.
5. Only boys or men have ADHD. Sorry – this one’s also not right! While boys have this condition diagnosed about twice as much as girls do, they are often overlooked so they do not always get diagnosed. This may be because girls are thought to be more inattentive (day dreamers) than hyperactive, so they don’t get the same attention as boys who tend to show more impulsive behavior.
6. ADHD is over-diagnosed. Well, you may (or may not) be right about this one! We don’t yet have enough data to say, and with females being under-diagnosed, we’ll keep trying to figure this one out. There are ways to deal with this in any case.
7. Kids with ADHD outgrow it. No, sorry, also not true! As kids grow up, they may be able to get a handle on some of the symptoms, but do not outgrow the condition. Most people carry their symptoms into adulthood.
8. ADHD is the parents’ fault – bad parenting. Whether there is good or not-so-good parenting present, ADHD is a condition of how the brain works, not parenting style. So, parents of kids with ADHD – do not blame yourselves! (If your parenting style could use some help, that’s another matter and you should definitely try to improve.)
9. If you have ADHD, you are always hyperactive. No, sometimes people really are only inattentive, and do not manifest symptoms of impulsivity and hyperactivity. The only way to really know is to get tested.
10. Medication cures ADHD. Sorry again – there is no absolute “cure” but there are approaches which help quiet down symptoms so people with this disorder can lead calm, focused, and very productive lives.

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I urge you not to be afraid if you and/or your children and other loved ones have this condition. There is so much help available, both in the conventional treatment realm as well as the holistic one. Plus, not everything costs much money to achieve real and lasting improvement.

For more information about ADD/ADHD on our website, visit our ADHD information and courses page or the course Healing ADHD Naturally. 

As always, have a happy, holistically healthy day!