Many children suffer from ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Despite what many people think, ADHD is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children. Patients are usually diagnosed early, but this condition often lasts until they become adults. In some cases, it may go beyond and last well into adulthood.
There are many symptoms of ADHD that parents dismiss because they think that these are fairly common among children. For example, the young patients may be daydreaming a lot, forgetting things more often than not, have trouble getting along with others, or have trouble controlling their impulses.
You might expect them to grow out of this behavioral pattern, eventually, but children with ADHD do not. These symptoms can become more and more severe if they’re neglected. This is why you must consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist as soon as possible if you think your child has ADHD.
Causes and treatment
While the exact pathogenesis of ADHD is still not ascertained, scientists have been studying and researching some possible risk factors like low birth weight, brain injury, and intake of alcohol and tobacco during pregnancy. Fortunately, there are many treatments available for psychiatric disorder. The best course of action can only be suggested by a certified professional.
However, your son or daughter can also greatly benefit from the help of ADHD coaches. ADHD coaching or consulting helps diagnose the issue and deal with the problem in a much easier way. You can check out ckadhdcoach.com. However, the most trustworthy regimen includes a combination of medication and behavioral therapy.
Common myths about ADHD
Despite its commonness, there still remain a number of myths and misconceptions surrounding ADHD.
ADHD isn’t real
This is perhaps one of the most common misconceptions that surround this condition. ADHD has been recognized as a medical condition by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Psychiatric Association.
ADHD has been shown to be hereditary – one in four patients had a parent with the same disorder. Therefore, if your child has ADHD, then there is a one in four chance that you or your spouse has it too. You may even be struggling with it because it is undiagnosed. ADHD can have a real and heavy impact on your child’s neurodevelopment, leading to serious repercussions in their social life as well as their academic life.
ADHD is an excuse; they are just lazy
A lack of motivation does not cause ADHD; it isn’t a form of indolence. In fact, many children with this disorder try their best to focus because they are motivated by external factors, but they just cannot. It is because they are unable to.
This is better understood with a common example that many people cite. Asking a child with ADHD to focus is like asking a nearsighted person to try and look farther than they can. People with ADHD have brains that function in a slightly different manner, and their brains’ structure is different as well.
ADHD is exclusive to boys
While the statistics show that ADHD is twice as likely to be diagnosed in boys than in girls, it doesn’t mean that girls cannot get ADHD. It is just less likely. This misconception that ADHD can happen only to boys is extremely harmful because it leads to a lot of parents ignoring the symptoms in their daughters. This may lead to your daughter’s symptoms becoming worse.
ADHD is a complex problem; it can manifest itself in simple yet numerous ways. On top of that, it can look a little different in girls than in boys. Girls are not as inclined towards being hyperactive or impulsive. They have less problem dealing with these two elements of ADHD; instead, they are more daydreamy. They tend to be in their own thoughts while other things are going on. This is what adults call “being zoned out.”
Children outgrow ADHD
This is the most common misconception around ADHD. Children do not just grow out of this condition. While symptoms and how they manifest themselves become different when you grow up, people generally learn how to manage them more efficiently. You cannot grow out of ADHD, especially without treatment and medication.
The symptoms of ADHD can lessen or disappear with the right treatment. However, many children carry this condition with them to adulthood. This misconception can lead you to avoid treatment, which is extremely harmful to your child’s social and neurological development.
All children diagnosed with ADHD are hyperactive
The perception that all kids with ADHD run around wildly and cannot sit in one place is definitely more widespread than it should be. While it is true that this disorder frequently lists hyperactivity as a symptom, not everyone who has ADHD experiences it. Even as children with ADHD grow, their tendency towards hyperactivity declines, although gradually.
There are three kinds of ADHD: predominantly Inattentive presentation, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation, and combined presentation. Children with the first kind of ADHD, also sometimes called ADD (attention deficit disorder), do not experience hyperactivity as a symptom. It mainly impacts the child’s attention.
Children with ADHD cannot ever focus
While it is true that people with ADHD struggle with giving attention to one thing at a time and have problems focusing on things generally, it is not true in all cases. For example, some kids tend to display a lot of attention when it comes to games or other leisure activities. This is because they enter a state called “hyperfocus.”
Hyperfocus can exist in children and adults alike. Some kids with ADHD may not be able to focus on anything but a particular game; similarly, adults affected often pour all their energies into some aspects of their work that they are more interested in while not even bothering to look at the other.
Conclusion
While ADHD is common, there are still many misconceptions around it. These misconceptions can often lead to parents dismissing their children’s symptoms. By dismissing symptoms, the children with ADHD suffer more because it leads to delay in diagnosis and treatment.
What is more concerning is that people with ADHD are often judged and ostracised. There aren’t enough accommodations for them because of the label that they carry. People aren’t very welcoming to children affected by this disorder either because they think that they are constantly throwing tantrums.
This disbelief in a scientifically proven condition has many consequences. Therefore, if you think that your child is displaying symptoms of ADHD, you should take them to a certified psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.