ADHD is common in children these days. People have various opinions about ADHD. Which of these have you heard? ADHD is caused by bad parenting. People with ADHD are just plain lazy, or maybe dumb. It is an excuse for bad behavior. Doctors use medications to confirm an ADHD diagnosis. The kid will outgrow it.  Medication just drugs the child. There is no such thing as ADHD. Do you realize all of these are myths?

While bad parenting can encourage negative behaviors, it is not the cause of ADHD. Researchers have found ADHD is a medical condition with chemical imbalance in the brain that makes distraction easy and concentration difficult.

Boys tend to have the “classic” symptoms of constantly moving and getting into things. They are not lazy, just distractible. Girls who stare vacantly at the teacher then stay up late re-doing homework are not lazy or “dumb,” but distractible.

Arriving at an ADHD diagnosis is a challenging process. Caring mental health professionals do not want to apply labels unnecessarily. Doctors use behavioral criteria, not medication, to diagnose ADHD. Medications are not “psychostimulants.” Medications are monitored (some by federal law) to avoid overmedicating. The proper amount of medication helps sufferers concentrate without feeling drugged. Ongoing research is producing new drugs each year.

ADHD is not an excuse for unacceptable behavior. Sufferers are unable to help themselves. Some think children will “grow out of” ADHD behaviors. In reality about 50 percent carry symptoms into adulthood. Some adults have suspected they suffer from ADHD when they accidentally took their child’s medication.

ADHD is not a “life sentence;” living and coping with ADHD is possible. As with other mental health diagnoses, the best treatment is a combination of behavioral changes, applied coping skills and medication.