There are not many psychological conditions that have generated more discussion in recent years than attention deficit disorder (ADHD). People continue to harbor many mistaken beliefs about ADHD. If you wish to learn the truth, read on.
Myth 1: Willpower
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Many people believe that ADHD is just a lack of willpower and that people with ADHD focus only on things which interest them. They should be able to focus on any other tasks if they really wanted to?
In fact, ADHD may look like a willpower problem, but it is not. It is essentially a chemical imbalance in the brains management systems.
Myth 2: Intelligence
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Everybody has the symptoms of ADHD, and anybody with adequate intelligence can overcome these difficulties.
This is not true, ADHD can affect people of all levels of intelligence. Although everyone sometimes has symptoms of ADHD, only those with chronic impairments warrant an ADHD diagnosis.
Myth 3: Psychiatric Disorders
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Many people believe that someone can’t have ADHD and also have depression, anxiety, or other psychiatric problems.
This could not be further from the truth as a person with ADHD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder than most people. ADHD usually overlaps with other disorders.
Myth 4: Diagnosis
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If you were never diagnosed with ADHD as a child, you can’t have it as an adult.
Many adults struggle all their lives with unrecognized ADHD. They haven’t received help because they assumed their difficulties, like depression or anxiety, were caused by other impairments.
Thomas Hill
