Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) requires a clinical diagnosis: A doctor makes the call based on your self-reported symptoms and medical history. Because there is no blood test or X-ray that gives solid proof of its existence, some people may have a hard time believing that ADHD is a real disorder, or that there is a medical cause for many of the disorder's symptoms.
Children with ADHD have been called troublemakers and spoiled brats, and undiagnosed adults may go through life labeled lazy or dumb. Skeptics may think, "Doesn't everyone lacks focus sometimes? You just have to push through it." But in reality, it's not that easy for ADHD patients, says Adelaide Robb, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
"People who really have this condition don't just hate doing their paperwork. They consistently get in trouble at work because they don't do it; they just can't do it," she says. "It's very frustrating to them because they know exactly what they want to do but they can't convey that information, no matter how hard they try."
The chart below, from our
A-Z Health Library, can help you sort the truth from fiction. And if you feel that negative stereotypes about ADHD are affecting your self-esteem or relationships with other people, talk to your doctor about ways to manage these feelings.
Some of the misconceptions about attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) include the following:1
Myths and facts about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) |
Myth |
Fact |
|---|
There is no such medical condition as ADHD. | ADHD is a medical disorder, not a condition of the child's
will. A child with ADHD does not choose to misbehave. |
ADHD is caused by bad parenting. All the child needs is good
discipline. | ADHD is not caused by bad parenting; however, parenting
techniques can often improve some symptoms and make others worse. |
ADHD is a life sentence. | Although ADHD symptoms usually continue into adulthood, the
person learns ways to cope with the symptoms. People with ADHD have plenty of
energy, are creative, and can often accomplish more than people who do not have
the condition. |
Having ADHD means the person is lazy or dumb. | ADHD has nothing to do with a person's intellectual ability.
Some highly intelligent people have ADHD. |
The diagnosis of ADHD is confirmed if certain medications
(psychostimulants) have a positive effect on what seem to be symptoms of
ADHD. | Children without ADHD respond to psychostimulants similarly
to children with ADHD. A trial of medication is not used to diagnose the
condition. |
Medication for ADHD will make a person seem
drugged. | Properly adjusted medication for ADHD sharpens a person's
focus and increases his or her ability to control behavior. |
Medication prescriptions for ADHD have greatly increased in
the past few years because the condition is being overdiagnosed. | ADHD is estimated to affect approximately 3% to 7% of all
school-age children in the United States.2 There is
little evidence to support claims that ADHD is overdiagnosed and ADHD
medications overprescribed.3 |
Psychostimulants are no longer useful after
puberty. | Teens and adults with ADHD continue to benefit from
medication treatment. |
Children with ADHD are learning to use the condition as an
excuse for their behavior. | ADHD is a disability. Children with ADHD have to learn ways
to deal with their symptoms (inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity) that
cause them to have difficulties in life. |
Children outgrow ADHD. | About 70% to 80% of children with ADHD continue to have
symptoms during their teen years and about 50% have symptoms into
adulthood.4 |
If a child has ADHD, he or she can always be diagnosed in the
health professional's office. | A child may not always show symptoms of ADHD, especially in
an unfamiliar setting. Evaluating a child from one office observation may
result in failure to recognize or diagnose symptoms. |
References
Citations
Robin AL (1999). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity
disorder in adolescents: Common pediatric concerns. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 46(5): 1027–1038.
American Psychiatric Association (2000).
Attention-deficit and disruptive behavior disorders. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th
ed., text rev., pp. 85–103. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric
Association.
Brown RT, et al. (2001). Prevalence and assessment of
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in primary care settings.
Pediatrics, 107(3): 1–11.
National Institute of Mental Health (2003).
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (NIH Publication No. 03-3572).
Available online: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm.
Last Updated: April 17, 2008 
