Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common diagnosis within children, in fact according Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 6.4 million children between four and 17 years of age have been diagnosed with ADHD as of 2011. Certain stigmas have long surrounded this condition, but making sense of them can help you understand the disorder more clearly.
Joshua Cabrera, MD, clinical psychiatrist and assistant professor at the Texas A&M College of Medicine dispels these myths.
Fiction: my child is hyper, therefore they probably have ADHD
All children develop with high energy, so it’s hard to use this one characteristic to back up a diagnosis.
“ADHD is a real mental disorder,” Cabrera said. “There are a myriad of reasons why children are inattentive, such as anxiety or inadequate sleep, but a child with attention-deficit disorder (ADD) or ADHD does have a condition. Diagnosis will require observations of numerous symptoms in multiple settings and evidence of significant impairment.”
Fact: ADHD is becoming more prevalent
“There has definitely been an upward trend in diagnosed ADHD cases,” Cabrera said. “If the condition is over-diagnosed and the stimulant to correct the condition is taken casually, then treatment won’t be durable and it could ignore other problems in their environment that are the actual stressors, like: internal worries, home conflicts and learning disorders.”
Fiction: The only reason to be worried about ADHD is in the classroom
This isn’t to disregard that if a child is suffering from ADHD they are at risk for reduced school performance but that’s not the only problem. “Children with ADHD are more likely to experience social rejection in childhood,” Cabrera said. “Research suggests that they also have an increased chance of developing a conduct disorder and have increased chances of substance use and incarceration later on.”
“They have difficulty appropriately valuing long term benefits and thus make decisions based on immediate rewards,” Cabrera said. “This deficit seems to be connected to a broader problem with timing that extends to motor and perceptual timing.”
Fiction: Bad parenting develops ADHD
Since it can be so difficult to diagnose ADHD, its also not easy to pinpoint what it is exactly that causes it. But the usual agreement is that it’s a result of the interaction of genetics with the environment.
“It’s clear that early emotional neglect has profound consequences for brain development that can affect the brain structure, connectivity and capacity, including impairments in focus and attention,” Cabrera said. “Exposure to toxins, such as alcohol or nicotine, in utero increases the risk for ADHD in a dose-dependent fashion.”
Fact: ADHD can be treated
Some people do find success in their treatment of ADHD, but its also good to note that people with ADHD for some will continue to have long-term impairment.
“Many people with easier to treat ADHD can successfully manage their symptoms,” Cabrera said. “Unfortunately, many others will struggle with ADHD in all aspects of their life despite the best possible treatment.”
If you’re questioning whether your child has ADHD, be sure to speak to a psychologist or primary care physician who has experience with this disorder to proper ways of treatment.
