Let’s get right to the point here, I have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, emphasis in the 'attention deficit' part. I was diagnosed when I was 7, and I’m 21 now. So that’s 14 years of knowing about my condition, and there’s about a 100 percent chance I will have it for the rest of my life. Now, everybody thinks they understand ADHD. Everyone has been in class with that one fidgety kid They’ve seen that one sitcom with the one kid who’s always running around and getting into trouble, and his parents make some sort of passing remark about how they ran out of Ritalin or something. Now the audience thinks they’re all experts on it. Well newsflash for you, unless you are a neurologist, you are not an expert. Heck, I have it, and I still don’t consider myself an expert. So I’m going to debunk some myths and misconceptions about ADHD so that we’re all on the same page.
1. ADHD is all in your head and isn’t real.
Well, yes it is all in my head; it’s a neurological disorder so it is literally in my head, or my brain to be more precise — that’s how these things work. But, it is definitely a real condition. Various studies have shown that certain connections in the brains of people who have ADHD may not be as developed or mature as those in the brains of people who don’t have it, making it more difficult to stay focused. So basically, my brain just works differently.
2. People with ADHD are stupid.
Many people think that, due to the shortness of attention span or the hyperactivity of people with ADHD, they are not as intelligent. This is not true. The attention span of a person has no bearing on their intellect. There are many intelligent and creative people with ADHD including: four-time Super Bowl winner Terry Bradshaw , renowned reporter Lisa Ling, comedian Howie Mandel and award winning musicians Justin Timberlake, Adam Levine and wll.i.am.
3.People with ADHD are lazy.
Let’s be honest with ourselves, who isn’t a little bit lazy? Everyone enjoys vegetating from time to time; but, people with ADHD are no lazier than anybody else. Look at the people listed in number two, do they look lazy to you?
4. Only kids have ADHD.
While it is more likely to be diagnosed as a child, and there is the possibility to grow out of having ADHD, plenty of people continue to have symptoms well into adulthood and for their entire lives.
5. ADHD is caused by bad parenting.
This is a very damaging myth about ADHD. Not only does it ignore the very real biological aspects of ADHD, but it also blames the parents for a disorder that affects them just as much as it does their child. I can tell you first-hand that my symptoms also take a toll on my parents. To say that a person is a bad parent because they have no control over their child’s genetics is cruel, hurtful and only serves to further stigmatize mental health.
6. Having trouble focusing means you have ADHD.
Everyone has trouble focusing on occasion, but that does not mean you have ADHD. If that were the case, then everyone would be diagnosed with it. Because ADHD is a real medical condition, you must meet certain criteria in order to be diagnosed. If you are really concerned about whether or not you have ADHD, you should go to a neurologist and get tested instead of self-diagnosing.
7. Medication cures ADHD.
Yes, medications — like Ritalin or Adderall — can help with the management of symptoms, but they do not cure them. ADHD is not like bronchitis where you can just take antibiotics and it goes away; it is as much about the behaviors it causes as it is about the neurology behind it. The world we live in is not made for people with mental health issues, and so on top of taking medication, if that is something a doctor recommends, people with ADHD often have to go to therapy to learn various coping behaviors to help them function to the best of their ability.
8. ADHD medications lead to addiction.
On the other side of the medication talk is the idea that Ritalin and Adderall lead to narcotic addiction, but instances of this are incredibly rare, if they happen at all. In fact, studies have shown that ADHD patients are less likely to abuse any substance than the average person.
9. Only boys can have ADHD.
No, both boys and girls can have ADHD. What is true, however, is that boys are more likely to be diagnosed because boys are more likely to be hyperactive than girls.
10. If you have ADHD, you must be hyperactive.
Many think that because the word “hyperactive” is in ADHD, that must mean that everyone who has it is hyperactive. Not necessarily. There are three major types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combination, which — as the name implies — includes symptoms from any combination of the other two. Personally, I have inattentive which means I have a very difficult time staying focused and on task and remembering to complete tasks. If you know me as a person, you know that I would much rather have quiet time with myself or just spend time hanging out with a few people than do anything that involves running around. So no, not everyone with ADHD is hyperactive.
11. ADHD isn’t a big deal.
I saved the one that bothers me the most for last because this sentiment could not be farther from the truth. ADHD is more than just getting distracted easily and being hyperactive or impulsive. ADHD affects every aspect of life, from relationships to social skills, to academic and job performance all the way down to the very minutia of day-to-day living. I have to struggle to complete even the most basic tasks because I am constantly getting distracted. And don’t get me started on homework. What would take a “regular” person 30 minutes may take me an hour because my mind wanders, and I have very little control over where it goes and course correction is often an uphill battle. I struggle regularly with whether or not doing anything matters because I know that once I start something I will have to fight to finish it, and I am constantly asking myself if any given fight is even worth it. This disorder is exhausting on its own, and it becomes more frustrating when people who don’t understand it minimize it and trivialize my daily battles as me just being lazy or stupid because I know that I’m not Well, maybe I’m a little lazy, but that’s beside the point. The point is that ADHD is a big deal for the people who have it and for the people in their lives.
These myths and misconceptions are all very hurtful and perpetuate the stigma surrounding not only ADHD, but also surrounding mental health in general. If, while reading this, you found that you were guilty of believing some of these that’s OK, you don’t have to feel bad for yourself or apologize to me or anyone else. What you should do, instead, is keep learning about mental health and maybe one day, we can end the stigma together.
