When a disorder is poorly understood myths are spread about, which is when stupid and dangerous ideas are spread, especially with the internet, such as bleach is a cure for autism. Below is 10 of the widely spread myths that surround attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and the reasoning behind why these myths are incorrect. As it is really important to learn the truth behind these misconceptions, (Please note not in any particular order).
Myth 1 ADHD is over-diagnosed
There has been media reports, doctors and parents believing in this making these claims. They have the belief that the children that are diagnosed are just simply immature or energetic, i.e kids being kids!
Now to say that this is incorrect is untrue as there is a number that is misdiagnosed. But there are misdiagnosed all the time such as cancer, and nobody thinks cancer is over-diagnosed. However, the stigma that follows ADHD is more likely because it is actually being recognised as more is being learnt. So really the issue is catching knowledge up to the general public, especially as studies have found that ADHD has not been over-diagnosed when compared to the general populace.
Myth 2 People with ADHD are stupid
I have to admit this was something I really believed in myself for a long time. As I came from the generation that never got any help, instead of being told: “I just need to concentrate more”. So let us debunk this myth and explain why it exists. As you may already know the symptoms within ADHD the issue that we have is maintaining focus and short-term memory and is caused by a failure in a frontal cortex on the brain, where for example dopamine is absorbed too quickly.
So the back of the brain which stores knowledge is not affected at all, it is getting information there that is the issue, but once it is there you can be at the same level as others, it just means taking a different route in comparison to people without ADHD. Once you have mastered the method of how to get around the frontal lobe through good organisation, you will find that you will not have an issue with intelligence.
Myth 3 Medication can cure ADHD
There are some who believe that medication will “cure” ADHD, and unfortunately, I am afraid to say this is simply not true. ADHD is a genetic disorder that is a part of you from birth, so it would be like saying someone without the use of their legs can be “cured” by medication, it simply is just not a possibility, so why bother with medication in the first place?
This is the key thing to learn and understand, what the medication is used for like a wheelchair is used for someone who can’t walk, medication is used to support the part which isn’t able to support itself. Depending on which one you use the purposes of the medication is to boost the part of the cognitive thinking, allowing you the ability to bypass the symptoms.
That being said around 80% of people actually gain from the medication, so it is really down to the person, wherever or not the medication can be of use. Many learn how to manage their symptoms and simply work around them. So in truth, the medication side has a use and for younger people, it really can be very important, but it is not the be all and end all cure to ADHD.
Myth 4 ADHD only occurs in children
The fact this site exists really shows that this myth really is untrue. In the early stages of understanding the disorder, it was believed that the hyperactivity part was the symptom to watch out for, and as the children with ADHD got older the hyperactivity part faded so did the disorder. If you know about how the mind develops from a child to an adult, the parts of the brain which controls motor functions develop faster than the parts which control them, so thus the hyperactivity as the mind simply cannot control the body functions. However as the person gets older the brain matures and allows the motor skills to be controlled more and more, and although it may not be fully controlled to stop fidgeting, the mind has far more control, and this was the reason why people had the belief that only children were affected by ADHD, but hyperactivity is not the only symptom.
The ability to stay focused on a task, the lack of inhibition, the easily distractable nature, they all continue onwards forever, and that has been documented in recent times, so it is now just old stigma that keeps this myth going, rather than actual knowledge.
Myth 5 If you have ADHD you cannot get other psychiatric problems, like anxiety or depression
This I think anyone who has ADHD knows that this is not true. In fact, the risk of further psychiatric problems is six times more likely than a person without. The reason for this is down to the differences in the frontal cortex. The human brain is a very complex organ and it is still not fully understood. For example some doctors believe that depression is caused by low levels of serotonin and taking Prozac will fix it all, however, a study on this found that there is no conclusive evidence that serotonin made any difference, (the study can be found here).
For a person with ADHD depression can come in waves and anxiety can affect anyone with or without the disorder, it really depends on the individual and their own situation. Their own past history and the family history can all be a part to play in psychiatric problems. As there is simply no one thing fixes all with an individuals mind.
Myth 6 ADHD stimulant medication leads to addiction.
Now this one you can easily understand why people believe this is a fact. If you are from the UK and you get stimulants from the pharmacy, your notice a big red warning sticker on the bag they come with, warning that this is not something that is normally prescribed. However, the truth behind stimulant addiction is different scientifically.
Studies that have been made have not found any evidence that stimulants lead to addiction, in fact, it has been shown that people taking stimulants are less likely to suffer from substance abuse. If you think about it one of the things that some people with ADHD can be likely to take up smoking. The reason for this is because nicotine is a really effective treatment for the symptoms of ADHD, but of course, comes with not only addiction but all the poisons that cigarettes come with. So the prescribed medication will not only be safer to take but as it treats the symptoms you won't require alternative solutions.
Myth 7 People with ADHD could focus on tasks if they wanted to!
This is similar to the myth where people with ADHD are stupid, there are some that believe that if a person with ADHD really tried they could focus on a task, but the truth is that it’s simply a matter of ability. No matter how much a person with the disorder wants to they simply cannot stay focused on a task. I have mentioned about this already in this blog when for example going to a supermarket to pick up cat food, and you come out of there with everything but, simply because your mind lost focus. It is simple people who have ADHD cannot rely on their working memory, it is simply too unreliable. It is why it is recommended to always have a method of noting down things and use that as working memory.
Myth 8 Males are more likely to have ADHD than Females
So if you have done any research into ADHD, you would have most certainly heard that males are around three times more likely to have ADHD compared to females. This is even mentioned in the centres for disease control and prevention (although why when ADHD is not a disease is beyond me, but that is another topic).
The truth though is that there isn’t really any difference between male and female having the disorder, where the difference lie, however, is in the diagnosis. Boys tend to be more external with their emotions, for example, they tend to be more physical when fighting, where girls tend to be more verbal and far more internal in regards to their personal feelings. Both sexes share the same traits that show a person has ADHD, but due to females, in general, being more reserved in comparison, it just means that females are three times more likely to go through life without knowing they have the disorder.
Myth 9 ADHD is caused by bad parenting
Oh yes this old chestnut, it is a myth created by taught ignorance and lack of any real knowledge, which may sound harsh but let me explain. At the time of writing this, people of around the age of 60 plus in the UK, I would suspect in general never completed school and got any qualifications. Not all of course, but back then you could just leave school and instead of going to a grammar school to completed education, instead, you could just go straight to work and train there.
So there you are 15/16 years old without any internet to get knowledge from your only source of information is other people. Now back in the 50’s mental health was also not as widely researched as it is now, so opinions were the only lessons taught. This means that people who had not experienced children with mental health problems just didn’t understand why that child was not being good like theirs, or if they did have a child with a mental disorder, they would be thinking why are they so different, so naughty?
This myth I feel will die out as time passes and more people are better informed, as it is of course untrue. ADHD is a disorder that comes from genetics and is nothing to do with how a person is raised. However, one thing to note, although it is not a cause of ADHD if a child is parented harshly and more critical can worsen the symptoms. An example of this I can give from my own personal experience when my father would come down on me as a 7 year old really hard for not being able to do maths that he found really simple. That feeling of can’t do maths carried on throughout my school life and I left school with an unclassified in mathematics, and it wasn’t because I couldn’t do it because later on in my life I passed mathematics easily, but at the time I just believed I couldn’t so I didn't try.
Myth 10 If you can keep focused on something you do not have ADHD
This again is a myth caused by a lack of knowledge, a bit better than the previous myth as the person has some information, just not enough. The truth is we can focus on something if we are really interested in it, if I couldn’t focus on anything then I would never have written this article! Now some people have heard of hyperfocus which in the medical world is argued if it is real or not and I will cover that later, but the fact of the matter is if a person with ADHD has something that they really take an interest in, then they will most certainly be able to focus on it for quite some time. Not indefinitely of course and the mind can still be easily distracted by external influences, however, it is possible compared to something which we do not have any interest in.
If we do not have any interest in the task then it becomes an absolute battle to stay focused, which then becomes an internal battle of will, and this is what most people know about in regards to ADHD. Again as the internet allows knowledge to spread this is another myth that will most likely fade away.
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