What Are Some of the Myths About Treatment for ADHD?
Dr. Margaret H. Sibley discusses what to do if you’re interested in a supplementary or alternative ADHD treatment you have learned about online.
Myths of ADHD
Few psychological conditions have generated more discussion in recent years than Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Yet people continue to harbor many mistaken beliefs about it.
People with ADHD just can’t concentrate: MYTH!
Fact: Individuals with ADHD can concentrate when they are interested in or intrigued by what they are doing.
MYTH: ADHD is overdiagnosed
Fact: The rates with which ADHD is diagnosed vary so much primarily due to diagnostic criteria and measurement methods used. by Eric Taylor, FRCP FRCPsych(Hon) FMedSci When people say that “ADHD is overdiagnosed” they are usually referring to the routine practice in a particular region or country. The rates with which ADHD is diagnosed do … Read more
Is ADHD Caused By Bad Parenting?
FACT: Researchers do not yet know exactly what causes ADHD.Brain-imaging studies show that differences in brain structure and wiring cause problems with attention, impulse control and motivation. by Elaine Taylor-Klaus For parents of kids with ADHD, the struggle is real. As an invisible condition, ADHD is difficult to diagnose and treat. In addition, children are … Read more
Myth: Only boys have ADHD
FACT: Boys are diagnosed two to three times as often as girls, but about 4.2% of girls have received a diagnosis of ADHD at some point in their life (and that’s not none!). By Michelle Frank, Psy.D. Since ADHD was first studied in the late 1700’s, it has predominantly been studied in boys: white, hyperactive, … Read more
Everyone has a little ADHD: MYTH!
Fact: Everyone does have a physical difference in their brain. But it’s not necessarily ADHD!
ADHD is caused by bad parenting: MYTH!
FACT: Parents do not cause ADHD. The disorder comes from the accumulation of many environmental and genetic risk factors.
ADHD medication is addictive: Myth!
FACT: The therapeutic use of stimulant medications for ADHD prevents addiction
Children with ADHD just need more discipline: MYTH!
FACT: Developmental studies that have followed families over time concluded that discipline and relationship problems in families are the consequences of ADHD behavior problems in the children, not the cause.
ADHD is just an excuse for laziness: MYTH!
Fact: ADHD is really a problem with the chemical dynamics of the brain and it’s not under voluntary control. by Thomas E. Brown, Ph.D. It’s easy to see why many people believe that ADHD is just an excuse for laziness. Everybody who has this disorder has a few activities or tasks where they have no … Read more