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November 29, 2006

Running Myths about ADHD

Living with ADHD all of my life has led me to research daily about what can possibly cause it, what can help ease the symptoms and what can “cure” it. Most of these things are “myths”. They are misconceptions that people assume about ADHD and some are just ways to earn money from disparate parents willing to try just about any thing to help their children over come the hurtles that ADHD has thrown in their paths. Here are a few of the myths that I have found with a simple explanation on why they are incorrect but, there are many more that are not listed.

1. Children with ADHD are just not disciplined enough at home. With ADHD, the brain makes it difficult for children to control their behavior. Researchers have been unable to find the exact cause of ADHD, but they have discovered a distinct change in the size of the brain and the activity in the children with ADHD. Children with ADHD are some times labeled as “bad” but that could not be farther from the truth.

2. Stimulant medications will stunt a child’s growth. Stimulants may have an effect on some growth, but more recent studies reveal that the effects on growth are only a temporary. Children that take stimulants through out adolescence will ultimately grow to their normal, expected height.

3. Herbs and vitamins can treat ADHD. Many of us have heard the stories and advertisements “We have found the “MIRACLE CURE” for ADHD. These methods that I have listed have not been proven in any scientific studies;
• Any anti-motion-sickness medications used to treat the inner ear
• Candida yeast infection treatments
• Optometric vision training (asserts that fautly eye movement and sensitivities cause the behavior problems)
• EEG biofeedback
• Mega-vitamins and mineral supplements

4. Eating too much sugar causes ADHD. There is not research that supports that sugars can or does cause ADHD. In fact, it’s unlikely that sugar affects the size of a child’s brain at all.

5. ADHD doesn’t co-exist with other conditions. Most children with ADHD have at least on co-existing condition. The most common co-existing conditions are the following:
• Conduct disorders; about 35% of ADHD children have some sort of oppositional conduct disorder. They tend to loose their temper easily, defiant and/or are hostile toward authority figures.
• Mood disorders; around 18% of children with ADHD have mood disorders. Mood disorders are more frequent with children with inattentive and combined types of AHD.
• Anxiety disorders; Anxiety disorders affect about 25% of ADHD children because they have difficulty functioning because of extreme feelings for worry or fears.
• Learning disabilities such as reading and math. Adhd is NOT a learning disability it’s self. But, it is common adjunction to other learning disabilities.

6. Only hyper children have ADHD. Even though hyperactivity is the most common symptom of ADHD, some children suffering from it may not be hyperactive. ADHD has three different subtypes;
• Predominantly Inattentive – Children who fit into this subtype may not be hyperactive, but still suffer from ADHD.
• Predominantly Hyperactive*Impulsive-Usually cannot wait turns, blurts out answers, feels restless and fidgets and squirms around in chairs often.
• Combined – The most common of all three.

7. Children that take ADHD medications are more likely to take drugs as teenagers. Most ADHD people are naturally more impulsive and more likely to take risks; patients that take stimulants to treat ADHD are actually at a much lower risk to use illegal drugs.

8. Children will outgrow ADHD. Children with ADHD can and do grow up to be successful adults, if they are taught to develop their strengths and structure their environments along with proper medications when needed. In many cases, careers with high-paced, high-energy behavior patterns can be a huge asset for both the ADHDer and the employer.

9. Ritalin “cures” ADHD. Ritalin is one of the most common forms of treatment for ADHD. It is helpful for children in the areas of focusing and hyperactivity, but it does not “cure” ADHD. There is no cure for ADHD.
10. ADHD children will not succeed in their adult life. That cannot be further from the truth. Many famous artist, politicians and scientists have ADHD. I have surfed the internet to get a list of well known house hold names with ADHD. Here is a short list.
• Bill Gates
• Benjamin Franklin
• Jack Nicholson
• Emily Dickinson
• Robert Frost
• Zsa Zsa Gabor
• John F. Kennedy
• Abraham Lincoln
• Elvis Presley
• Mozart
• Joan Rivers
• Robin Williams
• Ty Pennington
• Frank Lloyd Wright
• Wright Brothers
• Tennessee Williams
• Sylvester Stallone
• Vincent Van Gogh
• Winston Churchill
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Thomas Jefferson
• Socrates
• Albert Einstein
• Alexander Graham Bell
• Benjamin Franklin
• Henry Ford
• Pable Picasso
• Jim Carey
• Whoopie Goldberg
• Steven Spielberg
• Dustin Hoffman
• Anthony Hopkins
• Alfred Hitchcock

By: Margo Richter 11/29/2006
Sources: American Medical Association; American Academy of Pediatrics, http://www.discoverthefacts.com

Posted by margo1 at November 29, 2006 09:02 PM

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