ADHD Prevelance | ADHD Information

Just a thought. Has anyone researched the prevelance of ADHD in other countries? It seems that America is the one with the most problem. I have relatives in Europe and it is NOT common over there. What are we doing differently to these children? I can probably remember one kid that seemed ADHD during my schoolage years, ONLY ONE! Why are there SO MANY now? It's disheartening! My first guess would be preservatives in food. Obviously chemicals can't be good for you! But what do you do, start farming? Sorry, I'm just really frustrated by the fact of having to medicate my child! It truly saddens me. Actually, ADHD is very prevalent in Europe. Doing research on the Internet can be tricky because the research is only as good as the person writing it. We are fortunate to living in this country because we have the best treatment options for our children. Preservatives in food can exacerbate symptoms in ADHD but they do not cause it. We strive for accuracy when making statements here as parents come here to learn the facts about ADHD. What is sad is the child that doesn't get effective treatment and then goes on to have no quality of life. I think its critical for parents to do good research and look at the bigger picture. No one likes to give their child medication but if the child has a serious medical condition like diabetes, asthma, etc., the parent doesn't hesitate to give the child life saving medication. ADHD med's are also life saving but whether you give your child med's or not is a very personal choice and/or decision. As the parent you will discover what is best for your child but when trying to make informed decisions, speak to a professional to make sure you have all the facts. Don't make your decisons based on non professional opinions. Good luck.

I know what you mean.  We were just talking about this at work the other day.  I don't know if I just notice things more now that I have an ADHD kid but it seems like A LOT of kids have ADHD these days.  There are at least 6 other moms at my work that have ADHD kids.  I don't remember that many around when I was young...or maybe I was just too young to remember.I don't know...  It may be that there are just as many ADHDers as there have always been it's just that we didn't know what it was when I was a kid.  They were just "hyperactive".

I knew several people growing up who were never
diagnosed with ADHD, but I am sure that they would
be diagnosed today.

Many of these kids ended up drifting - dropping out of
school and being labelled as stupid (since many of
these kids also had LD's which were never
recognized).

I am so grateful for my son's diagnosis. So many
people fear the ADHD diagnosis, but I embrace it,
since it allows us to get our son the help he needs.Good for you cleo! Great post