The 9 Biggest Myths About ADD That You Need to Know

Content updated from previous publish date. “I’m so ADD.” “I’m having an ADD moment.” “Everyone has a little ADD.” People often use these common phrases whenever they get distracted, fail to follow through on something, or show up late. But these off-handed comments don’t reflect the reality of having attention deficit disorder (ADD), more commonly called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, they perpetuate several ADD/ADHD myths that are harmful to the millions of Americans who have this condition. Research shows that ADHD is, in fact, underdiagnosed. Less than half of all children with ADHD are being treated and fewer than 20% of adults with the condition are currently diagnosed or receiving treatment.

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9 HARMFUL ADD/ADHD MYTHS

Myth #1. ADD/ADHD is not a real diagnosis. It’s a flavor-of-the-month illness, a fad diagnosis. It’s just an excuse for bad behavior.

Fact: ADD/ADHD is real, and it devastates many people’s lives. ADD/ADHD has been described in medical literature for over 100 years. A search for “ADHD” on PubMed, an online hub for scientific research, pulls up more than 45,000 results. Among them are hundreds of brain-imaging studies showing differences in the brains of people with ADD/ADHD compared to those who don’t have the condition. According to the CDC, 9.4% of children ages 2-17 have at one time been diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. It is the most common learning and behavior problem in children, but the issue doesn’t end there. It also affects 4.4% of adults.

Myth #2. ADD/ADHD is overdiagnosed. Every child who acts up a bit, or adult who seems lazy, gets diagnosed with it.

Fact: Research shows that ADD/ADHD is, in fact, underdiagnosed. Less than half of all children with ADD/ADHD are being treated, according to statistics. And fewer than 20% of adults with ADD/ADHD are currently diagnosed or receiving treatment.

Myth #3. ADD/ADHD is only a disorder in hyperactive boys.

Fact: Compared to girls, boys are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. According to the CDC, 11.7% of boys and 5.7% of girls have been diagnosed with the condition. However, girls are more likely to go undiagnosed because they tend to have the inattentive type of ADD/ADHD. Females may not be hyperactive or disruptive, so the condition goes unnoticed. These individuals are frequently daydreaming, have trouble with motivation, and may appear “spacey” or preoccupied. They are often ignored because they do not bring enough negative attention to themselves. Many of these children, teenagers, and adults earn the unjust labels “willful”, “lazy”, “unmotivated”, or “not that smart”.

Myth #4. ADD/ADHD is only a minor problem. People make too much of a fuss over it.

Fact: Left untreated or ineffectively treated, ADD/ADHD is a very serious problem. Not only does it have a significantly negative impact on the individual with the condition, but it is also detrimental to the people in their lives and to society at large. For example, findings in the Journal of Psychiatric Research show that an alarming 33% of those with untreated ADD/ADHD never finish high school, compared to the national dropout average of 15%. Untreated ADD/ADHD has also been associated with increased risk of:

• Depression and anxiety
• Decreased academic performance
• Job failures
• Relationship breakups
• Traffic accidents
• Financial problems
• Substance abuse
• Obesity
• A sense of failure

Myth #5. ADD/ADHD is an American invention, made up by a society seeking simple solutions to complex social problems.

Fact: ADD/ADHD is found in every country where it has been studied. A review of 175 studies on the prevalence of ADD/ADHD worldwide in children 18 years of age or younger estimates that 7.2% of kids have the condition. A 2021 study in the Journal of Global Health found that 6.76% of adults around the world have symptomatic ADD/ADHD, which translates to over 366 million adults worldwide. The prevalence of persistent ADD/ADHD in adults around the globe is 2.58%, representing nearly 140 million individuals.

Myth #6. Bad parents or bad teachers cause ADD/ADHD. If only our society had old-fashioned values, there wouldn’t be these problems.

Fact: Ineffective parents or teachers can certainly make ADD/ADHD symptoms worse, but they are generally not the sole cause. ADD/ADHD behaviors often make even the most skilled parents and teachers feel stressed and inept.

Myth #7. People with ADD/ADHD should just try harder. Everybody gives them excuses and coddles them.

Fact: The truth is, for people with ADD/ADHD, the harder they try the worse things get. The brain SPECT imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that in people who don’t have the condition, concentration is associated with increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved with concentration, focus, and follow-through. However, when people with ADD/ADHD try to concentrate, there’s a decrease in activity in this part of the brain.

Myth #8. Everyone outgrows ADD/ADHD.

Fact: Many people never outgrow ADD/ADHD and have symptoms that interfere with daily living throughout their lives. Research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry in 2021 shows that approximately 50% of childhood ADD/ADHD remain in adulthood.

Myth #9. Medication alone is the best treatment for ADD/ADHD and has few side effects for most people.

Fact: Stimulant medication is often the first-line treatment for ADD/ADHD. Although it can be effective for some children and adults with ADD/ADHD, it is not helpful for everyone. In fact, stimulants exacerbate symptoms in some people. The brain-imaging work at Amen Clinics shows that there are 7 types of ADD/ADHD, and each type requires its own treatment plan. For example, people who have an ADD/ADHD type called “Ring of Fire,” in which the brain is overactive, do worse on stimulant medication. In general, medication should never be the first and only thing you try for ADD/ADHD. Treatment must be properly targeted to an individual’s ADD/ADHD type and needs to involve a comprehensive approach that includes beneficial forms of therapy, neurofeedback, lifestyle strategies, parenting skills, nutrition recommendations, and personalized supplements or medications (when necessary). ADD/ADHD and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.