Myths and facts about ADHD
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ADHD is a disorder shrouded in myths, which unfortunately contributes to the distorted image of the condition, the stigmatization of patients, and the reluctance of many psychiatrists to address their problems, so I decided to discuss some of the most frequently repeated untruths.
1. "He doesn't have ADHD, he's just talented, but lazy."
One of the main symptoms of ADHD is difficulty concentrating, which hinders systematic and complete engagement with a given subject. But beware! A person with ADHD can concentrate on topics that fascinate them. Furthermore, they experience hyperfocus, a state of total immersion in a specific subject or topic. She will scour the internet for information on turbine construction, the workings of a clock, or how information is stored on magnetic media. She will become the leading expert on the subject among many others, but... she won't be able to finish a book or even a regular newspaper article.
People with ADHD are often considered lazy. However, when they become interested in a subject, they can delve deeply into it, unlocking their potential.
To an outside observer, they will be seen as someone with enormous potential (because they can understand very complex issues), but at the same time lazy (because they "don't want" to read what others read in 5 minutes or in an afternoon).
In fact, that is precisely the nature of this disorder: the ability to engage in very concise and in-depth activities with interesting subjects and the inability to start or finish trivial things (for example, issuing or paying a bill, reading the operating instructions for the refrigerator).
2. "There is a great trend in the diagnosis of ADHD; currently, this diagnosis is made very frequently."
The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that ADHD is the second most common chronic condition in children (the first being asthma). Studies in diverse populations confirm that 3 to 12% of children and 2 to 6% of adults have ADHD. These are enormous numbers!
Boys who often exhibit hyperactivity and impulsivity, inability to stay at their desks, harassment of other children during class, and running through the hallways during breaks are frequently referred to a school counselor, who sometimes recommends a visit to a psychological and educational counseling center where ADHD can be diagnosed.
It might seem like a success, but unfortunately, even if the clinic diagnoses ADHD, it often doesn't recommend a medical consultation or even offer basic psychoeducation about the disorder. In fact, many times parents don't even know the clinic diagnosed ADHD – they go for a consultation and show their children a report from the clinic listing "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder," and when they discover they've been diagnosed with ADHD, they are very surprised because they were unaware of it.
Boys with ADHD are generally hyperactive and impulsive, which is why they are frequently referred for psychological evaluation. Unfortunately, the results of these diagnoses vary, meaning that the diagnosis rate for this disorder is low even in this group.
The situation is much, much worse for girls, who are more prone to having concentration problems. These girls are quiet at home, usually busy with social media and books, sleep a lot and rest, and don't demand much attention from adults. Unfortunately, they typically begin to underperform in school between the ages of 10 and 13, which causes increasing conflict within the family. However, it is rare for anyone to consider that this might be due to concentration problems – children lack the self-awareness necessary to report these issues to adults, so from the child's perspective, they are simply lazy or interested in something else (usually social media).
3. "ADHD affects children, so as an adult, you definitely don't have ADHD."
Unfortunately, no. As mentioned above, according to several studies, ADHD affects 2 to 6% of the adult population. In other words, it is estimated that approximately 30% of children diagnosed with ADHD outgrow the disorder (the severity of symptoms decreases to a level that no longer allows for diagnosis).
A study published in 2021 in the American Journal of Psychiatry, which followed 558 children diagnosed with ADHD for up to 16 years, found that approximately 30% of children outgrow the symptoms in adulthood. Unfortunately, however, 60% of these children (who outgrew ADHD) experienced a recurrence of symptoms at different times in their lives. Ultimately, the study authors concluded that only 9.1% of the children experienced permanent resolution of ADHD symptoms.
It is often thought that ADHD only affects children. This is partly due to the fact that motor symptoms "decrease" with age. However, there are adult patients whose hyperactivity persists throughout their lives.
4. "She didn't have any learning difficulties during elementary school, so she can't have ADHD."
It is very common for parents of a child with ADHD to be surprised by the diagnosis of this disorder in their son/daughter, because for many years of elementary school the child had very good academic results, including a "red belt" certificate.
It's important to remember that ADHD doesn't mean a person can't concentrate on anything. People with ADHD may have difficulty concentrating on things that don't interest them, but when it comes to subjects that fascinate them, they concentrate even more intensely than people without ADHD.
Because many children are fascinated by learning in elementary school, new subjects and topics excite them, they have no difficulty concentrating on their studies and achieve excellent academic results. The problem usually begins with the onset of puberty, which occurs between 10 and 13 years of age for girls and between 11 and 14 years of age for boys. At this stage, the child's interests change drastically, and their fascination with learning transforms into a fascination with relationships with peers.
In patients with ADHD, this usually means a sudden drop in school performance, often combined with the threat of failing (not passing to the next grade) and a clear (sometimes excessive, as is the case with ADHD) dedication to social contacts.
An additional problem is that the child's high intelligence makes it very difficult to recognize and diagnose ADHD. The child simply compensates for the lack of concentration by assimilating concepts quickly and, unlike other people, doesn't need much time to understand the subject.
5. "I can't have ADHD, people with ADHD are stupid!"
5. "I can't have ADHD, people with ADHD are stupid!"
Unfortunately, this phrase is heard quite frequently (usually in a much more direct way) when diagnosing ADHD in a child. The image of ADHD in the eyes of children and adolescents is, most of the time, shaped by hyperactive and impulsive boys with ADHD who, in a poorly equipped school that doesn't understand the disorder, clash with other children and disrupt the flow of classes.
Other children observe the situation and — as do adults who don't know how to deal with such a child — are extremely critical. Over time, the whole group focuses on fighting the child with ADHD and their parents, demanding transfers or — sometimes — expulsion.
The largest meta-analysis to date examining the relationship between ADHD and IQ found that individuals with ADHD had a marginally lower IQ than the general population, but this difference was so small that it had no impact on functioning. Furthermore, it is very likely that the difference is simply due to the concentration difficulties that individuals with ADHD experienced during IQ tests.
In short, it is highly likely that people with ADHD have, on average, the same level of intelligence as the general population.
Those interested in the latest scientific information from the world of ADHD and sharing experiences are invited to join our group. NuroSens
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*To facilitate reading, we have avoided using gender-neutral language (male/female/diverse). All personal designations apply equally to all genders.
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