Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is likely a concept we have all heard about at some point in our lives.
It’s a neurotype that impacts how individuals interact with the world and can cause hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention.
ADHD individuals may also experience emotional dysregulation.
ADHD is common in both adults and kids.
In fact, according to the Canadian Centre for ADHD Awareness, about 4–6% of adults and 5–7% of children are diagnosed with ADHD in Canada.
This amounts to about 1.8 million Canadians.
Thanks to the improvements in the research out there surrounding ADHD, society’s understanding of ADHD has improved.
But despite these improvements, myths about ADHD still prevail to this day.
These myths can make it more difficult for ADHDers to access support and receive a diagnosis.
Finding an ADHD coach or therapist who truly gets it may be more difficult.
At Blue Sky Learning, they have a team of neurodivergent-affirming therapists and coaches who debunk some of these myths within this blog.
Read on to discover more.
Myths about ADHD
While society can celebrate the positive strides we have made in relation to ADHD acceptance, there is still a lot of work to be done to debunk the myths.
Here are some of the most common myths about ADHD:
ADHD isn’t real.
ADHD is overdiagnosed.
You can’t have ADHD if you are not hyperactive.
Only boys have ADHD.
Bad parenting causes ADHD.
ADHD can be cured.
Those with ADHD are just lazy.
ADHD is only a childhood problem.
ADHD is a learning disability.
Accommodations for ADHD are an unfair advantage.
Myth: ADHD isn’t real
Since there is no single test to diagnose ADHD, understanding ADHD as a real condition can be confusing. Some people may even go so far as to believe the myth that it isn’t real.
Despite this lack of understanding, there is evidence to suggest that ADHD is a real genetic condition that can be passed down from family member to family member.
There are key differences in specific areas of the ADHD brain that can be passed down. A 2019 study found that increases in functional connectivity in specific brain areas are linked to the symptoms of ADHD.
Not only this but ADHD is also recognized as a real condition within the medical and psychological communities.
For example, the American Psychiatric Association recognizes ADHD in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
Myth: ADHD is overdiagnoseD
Professionals are diagnosing ADHD at higher rates than in previous decades. Given this, you may have fallen for the myth that ADHD is overdiagnosed.
Instead, professionals believe that the increased rates of ADHD diagnoses have to do with the increased understanding and research surrounding ADHD.
In the past, there were likely just as many people with ADHD, but many ADHD people may have gone undiagnosed due to a lack of efficacy in diagnostic tests for ADHD or a lack of awareness of what ADHD looks like in different populations.
Even to this day, certain populations, including women, BIPOC, and 2SLGBTQIA+ people, are more likely to go misdiagnosed or undiagnosed due to a lack of research on these population groups and how ADHD presents for them.
Myth: You can’t have ADHD if you are not hyperactive
The name attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is kind of misleading. It may lead people to believe that you can only have ADHD if you are hyperactive.
Contrary to popular belief, you can have ADHD without experiencing any hyperactivity symptoms.
There are three main types of ADHD, which all have different profiles for the symptoms they present.
The hyperactive-impulsive and combined types of ADHD both contain hyperactive symptoms, but the inattention type of ADHD is different.
Inattentive-ADHD-type individuals will have predominantly inattentive symptoms of ADHD with no hyperactive symptoms.
Individuals in this group have difficulty focusing on tasks that require sustained attention, trouble with organization, and forgetfulness.
Myth: Only boys have ADHD
Past research on ADHD was focused on cis, straight, white males.
For this reason, the studies tended to focus on hyperactive symptoms, which boys are more likely to present with than girls. Boys were also more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.
But this doesn’t mean that only boys have ADHD. Girls can have ADHD too.
Nowadays, there continues to be a lack of understanding surrounding the presentation of ADHD in girls. Girls are less likely to present with hyperactive symptoms and more likely to mask their symptoms.
More research on ADHD in girls is needed to make way for improvements in diagnostic testing and treatments for ADHD.
Myth: Bad parenting causes ADHD
This myth is spread by those who believe that not being strict enough with your kids causes ADHD. People assume that acting out is a sign of something going wrong at home.
But this simply isn’t true. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental difference, like autism.
This means that the brains of ADHD individuals differ from that of those without ADHD.
When someone blurts out answers in class or acts on impulse, it is because the brain is wired to have a difficult time controlling impulses.
Anyone with any parenting style can have a child with ADHD. Punishing kids for things they can’t control may make ADHD symptoms worse, not better.
Myth: ADHD can be cured
There is no cure for ADHD, although there are treatments, such as ADHD coaching, that can help a person with ADHD manage their symptoms.
It’s a neurodivergent condition, which means that the brains of those with ADHD create differences in the way they interact with the world.
Some individuals with ADHD may acquire skills that allow them to better manage their symptoms as they age, but ADHD is nevertheless still there. It never entirely disappears.
Myth: Those with ADHD are just lazy
This is a prevalent and harmful myth. It assumes that individuals with ADHD should just try harder.
But the truth is that those with ADHD are trying just as hard as those without ADHD, but they face barriers to full participation.
ADHD is not a matter of laziness or a lack of motivation. Instead, tasks that require executive functioning, such as focusing and waiting, are more difficult for ADHDers.
Telling someone with ADHD to just focus or pay attention would be equivalent to telling a blind person to just try harder to see.
It has nothing to do with attitude.
Myth: ADHD is a Childhood Condition
While ADHD is commonly diagnosed in childhood, many adults are also diagnosed with it.
Therefore, anyone of any age can be diagnosed with ADHD, so it is not a childhood condition.
Moreover, while ADHD symptoms may change over time, they do not fully disappear.
There are long-term studies that show that ADHD is a lifelong condition.
One of the studies shows that ADHD persists from childhood to adolescence in 50%–80% of cases and into adulthood in 35%–65% of cases (Owens et al. 2015).
Myth: ADHD is a learning disability
It’s more complex than this.
ADHD can be considered a disability and ADHD symptoms can impact your learning.
But ADHD is not itself a learning disability like dyslexia is.
It isn’t a learning disability because it doesn’t involve an impairment in a specific area of learning by itself.
But even though ADHD is not a learning disability, it is frequently comorbid with learning disabilities.
Some studies show that around 20–60% of ADHD individuals also experience learning disabilities (Czamara et al., 2013).
Myth: Accommodations for ADHD are an unfair advantage
Individuals with ADHD experience significant barriers in school and the workplace.
This can be evidenced by the unemployment rate among those with ADHD. Adult men are 2.1 times more likely to experience unemployment than those without ADHD (Biederman et al., 2006).
For women, the statistics are better, but not by much. Women with ADHD are 1.3 times more likely to be unemployed than adult women without ADHD (Biederman et al., 2006).
For this reason, accommodations are aimed at providing those with ADHD with an even playing field so they can have equal opportunities for success in employment and school.
Accommodations, such as flexible working environments and flexible work hours, support those with ADHD to achieve positive outcomes, such as finding and maintaining employment and graduating from school.
They do not create an unfair advantage because those without disabilities don’t need these accommodations to succeed.
They may prefer remote working but could be fine without it. This is different from needing remote work or other accommodations to stay employed or graduate from school.
Continue Learning About ADHD
Here, you just learned about 10 myths related to ADHD. We encourage you to continue to learn about ADHD.
It would also be appreciated if you could share this post with those you know because the more people who understand ADHD, the better off society will be.
Book a Free Consultation With Blue Sky Learning
Blue Sky Learning team members embody values of compassion, empathy, and person-centered approaches to care.
Are you an ADHDer looking for ADHD coaching or therapy?
Or, are you looking for an adult ADHD assessment?
Book a free 20-minute consultation with one of the Blue Sky Learning team members by emailing hello@blueskylearning.ca or go through the link below.
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