In honor of October being ADHD awareness month, we wanted to dispel seven of the most common myths around ADHD. There are many preconceived notions of what it is and what it isn’t, and we want to help people see past the label and focus on the able. Before we get into the top myths, let’s start with some definitions.
7. ADD/ADHD Isn't Real
Some people think that ADHD isn't an actual medical condition, and that those who claim to have it either exaggerate or make it up. This is not the case. All the major medical groups -- including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and National Institutes of Health -- recognize attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as a valid condition that should be treated. ADHD is one of the most common diagnoses among children. Millions of Americans live with ADHD. Studies carried out have proven that it directly affects the development of the brain and is hereditary. Having a parent with ADHD makes you 50% more likely to have this condition yourself.
6. People with ADHD are Lazy
Children and adults with ADHD can be incorrectly labeled as unmotivated or lazy. A 2020 study looked at the symptoms of ADHD to see if they could identify specific patterns of behavior. According to the researchers, those with ADHD showed deficits in executive functioning and different types of attention.
Executive functioning is the ability to plan, remember instructions, and carry out tasks to completion. Those with ADHD may find these tasks challenging, making it appear to be a lack of motivation.
To outsiders, it can appear that people with ADHD are not engaged with school assignments, tasks at work, or day-to-day errands. However, what many people may not know is that they are probably trying extremely hard to pay attention and keep up with their peers. Lower levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine can affect reward centers in the brain, causing a lack of enthusiasm for starting or completing tasks.
5. Those with ADD/ADHD Can Never Focus
While struggling to focus is a classic characteristic of ADHD, some people don't realize that children and adults with ADHD can also slip into "hyperfocus." This means that they can switch from being completely unable to concentrate on a particular task, to being obsessively consumed by another. In children, this could be a failure to do any homework but then be pulled away by a game. Adults could get almost nothing done at work, while they spend hours researching a topic that has caught their eye.
4. ADHD = Hyperactivity
A common stereotype is that children with ADHD are constantly moving; unable to sit quietly. However, not all those with ADHD experience hyperactivity. In fact, there is a subtype of ADHD that has no impact on activity levels whatsoever. Hyperactivity is also the characteristic that decreases most with age, and is seldom seen in adults.
3. ADHD Only Affects Boys
You may have heard that ADHD only affects boys. The fact is that males are 2-3x more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than females. The myth that all people with ADHD are hyperactive likely accounts for the reason that girls and women with the condition go overlooked. Girls are less likely to show hyperactive behaviors compared to boys, and are less likely to be properly diagnosed, only showing symptoms of inattentiveness.
2. ADHD is a Learning Disability
While ADHD may have an impact on a person’s ability to be able to learn, ADHD isn't in and of itself a learning disability. It's possible to have a co-occurring learning disability that does inhibit learning, making reading, writing, spelling, and math difficult. Learning disabilities are neurological. Many people with ADHD can struggle with learning and schoolwork because of the executive function problems related to their ADHD, yet they do not have enough of an impairment to be diagnosed with a learning disability a learning disability.
1. You Can Outgrow ADHD
Did you know that ADHD wasn’t always called ADHD? In fact, it used to be called hyperkinetic disorder of childhood. This name insinuated that ADHD affected children only. However, this isn’t the case. In 1987, the American Psychological Association (APA) revised the DSM-III to reflect a new name: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Despite the name change, we continue to see a common misunderstanding that once a person reaches adulthood, he or she can outgrow ADHD. This is a myth.
It's true that some outward expressions of ADHD can lessen as one gets older, but it isn't correct to say that it's possible to outgrow it. The vast majority of children diagnosed with ADHD will experience symptoms throughout adulthood. However, people adapt as they get older, more likely to have learned ways to manage their ADHD over time. According to CHADD’s National Resource Center on ADHD, 10 million American adults have ADHD. That’s roughly 4.4% of the adult population in America, according to the National Institute of Public Health.
In observance of ADHD Awareness Month, we hope you enjoyed the debunking of the seven most common myths around ADHD. If you would like to learn even more about this topic, check out our comprehensive guide on ADD/ADHD here.
