ADHD: Fact or Excuse?

[Luanne]

Do you think ADHD is real or do you believe it is just an excuse people use for bad behavior (impulsive, distracted, or forgetful) on their part or the part of their child?

[Parrothead]

My opinion only. I know ADHD is very much real. But I feel it is often used as a crutch by some. I also feel that public schools often push for an ADHD diagnosis for perfectly normal yet active children. it seems some have forgotten that children are not meant to sit for 7 hours a day.

[beaners]

Are you serious, or just trolling?

 

Let's just say the difference between my ability to handle daily life with and without medication is startling, and I'm currently not able to take anything for a few reasons. My family suffers for it. I suffer. My inability to function the way I would like to has been painful. I joke about it to some extent, but it's real, and it hurts.

 

Whether or not some people use it as as excuse or if it is misdiagnosed is an entirely different matter.

[Luanne]

Are you serious, or just trolling?

 

Let's just say the difference between my ability to handle daily life with and without medication is startling, and I'm currently not able to take anything for a few reasons. My family suffers for it. I suffer. My inability to function the way I would like to has been painful. I joke about it to some extent, but it's real, and it hurts.

 

Whether or not some people use it as as excuse or if it is misdiagnosed is an entirely different matter.

 

I am totally serious. My daughter was diagnosed with this when she was 5 and my sister keeps claiming it isn't real and we are just making excuses for her to be forgetful, distractable, and impulsive. My daughter is now 24.

[Juniper]

Fact. That said, when my very impulsive (often a danger to themselves) boys could no longer take mess we found that moving to a very slow paced, rural, rustic, adventuresome community made them more the norm rather than the exception. I suppose this lifestyle attracts a type of ADHD personality and therefore the community is more accepting of the children's antics.

My boys went from being the extreme to being the model of exemplary behavior. I think the individual community culture plays a huge factor.

[Impish]

Both.

 

I completely believe that some ppl have ADD/ADHD. No doubt in my mind.

 

I also believe that there are some that use it as an excuse, a crutch, and that it's been grossly overdiagnosed in some segements.

[Karen in CO]

Yes - to both questions.

I know it is very real. My nephew has ADHD. My sister worked for year to keep him from being medicated and to have schools work with him to help keep him from being distracted and be able to do his work. When they finally had him do a trial of medication, he both loved and hated it. In high school, he took it so he could more easily complete his school work because it let him focus better. Now as an adult, he works hard, works outside and doesn't take it anymore. He is never going to be able to sit in a cubicle for 10 hours a day a desk job, but that is okay. There is a place for him in the world to be who he is. He never used his difference as a crutch and was never held to different standards. He is who he is which is wonderful.

 

I also know some rotten kids that claim ADHD makes them that way.

 

People are complex. It makes the world more interesting.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I believe it is fact, because my ds definitely has it.

 

However, we are not seeking a formal "on paper" diagnosis because the doctor said it's a mild to moderate case, and we would never medicate.

 

We refuse to use it as an excuse for his behavior, and with constant training he is getting better every year. We also make sure we keep food dyes out of his diet and use natural products whenever possible. And it works. It's exhausting, and hard work. But the work pays off, so we stick with it.

 

I have seen other people use adhd as an excuse for bad/distracted behavior. Having adhd does not mean that the child can't behave properly, they just require more training- so just saying "oh, johnny is doing that because he has adhd." And just letting it go, only makes the situation worse.

 

I have also seen parents who have kids who behave badly and/or malociously because the parents do not discipline or teach them AT ALL, and they say things like, "maybe he has adhd" or "I think he has adhd", because a diagnosis and a prescription would be so much easier than proper involved parenting.

[Luanne]

I do agree that it is overdiagnosed and some people do use it as a crutch. Anyone (including my sister) who has been around my daughter at all from very early on would realize it is spot on in my daughter's case. She scooted off my parent's bed at 6 weeks of age onto the floor (fortunately she wasn't hurt). She hasn't been still since the minute she was born (practically). Of course, this is the sister (my only sister) that I have had issues with on other fronts so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised she thinks ADHD is a complete and total myth. It doesn't help that she thinks she knows everything.

[Tammyla]

I agree to both.

[clarkacademy]

i AGREE TO BOTH.

[Alexigail]

I think that it's very real but that there should be a lot more research into why people are experiencing it. There are so many issues these days that don't fit neatly under a particular label but are very real to the families who experience them. I often wonder if our brains are all reacting to the same overload but it shows up in many different ways.

[Dory]

Yes to both. There are those who truly are ADD/ADHD, and there are those that use it simply as an excuse for behaviour. I also know of some instances where kids are mislabeled simply because the adults around them don't remember that small children can't sit for long periods.

[Aslana]

I voted other because I don't think it's as black and white as that. I do think it is very real for some, but as others have said, I also feel it's VERY over-diagnosed. The other part comes in because I feel there is a third section that isn't necessarily an over (or wrong) diagnosis, but it's also not that they don't have it. It's more of a "they aren't truly ADHD, but there is something going on, but rather than figure out that thing is just because of lazy parenting, since there are enough checks marked off, we will call it ADHD."

 

Which I understand does sound a lot like over or mis-diagnosis. But I do think this third sect should become part of it. So there is very real/over and mis-disagnosis/ and parental diagnosis with doctor approval.

 

Meaning, I have neighbors who have two children--boy and girl. Neither are true ADHD. But because the parent could check off a few more boxes than "just a mild case", the doctor agrees to drug them. What it actually is, however (and I can say this with certainty because I have babysat these kids for 7 years and am close with this family) is a major lack of parental discipline that is consistent and meaningful. In other words, the parents do nothing while the kids have everything.

 

I may not be explaining it well enough, I admit that. But knowing this family, I can understand why some would believe it to be not true, simply because of how these parents act.

[Arcadia]

#9 reported

[Night Elf]

I know it's real, but I'm certain it's over diagnosed. FWIW, I meet the criteria and was diagnosed with ADD. I have never had bad behavior. I'm sure I would have done better in school if we knew about it back then. I found coping methods on my own, but thought it was because I was dumb. I now know I'm not, but after so many years of thinking it, it's hard to let go.

[gardenmom5]

I voted it is very real. that's doesn't mean it isn't over diagnosed. I attended a seminar taught by a MD who runs an ADHD clinic. (he has adhd.) he said at least 50% of the previously disagnosed patients who come to him do not have adhd. My sons ped diagnosed all three of them with add - and medicated two. One it helped - but he actually has dyslexia, not adhd. the 2nd one the Rx did absolutely nothing but make him very anti-med. 2 and 3 both have an identified genetic mutation that adversely affects how they process/absorb nutrients and leads to deficiencies in specific neurotransmitters/enzymes/other brain chemicals, thus has an adverse affect on how the brain functions and everything they do. typical diagnoses for such people can range from anxiety/depression -to ocd/adhd/asd - and even bipolar/schizophrenia. they are under the care of a ND (does extensive blood testing) and doing a whole let better than when they were being seen and treated by a MD/DO who did nothing but slap on a label and throw drugs at them.

[LibraryLover]

Over-diagnosed, especially in very young children,especially little boys, but very, very real. As real as diabetes or dyslexia.

[Orthodox6]

Absolutely a fact that ADHD/ADD exists. It is more like a curse, frankly, and not some sort of "creative blessing". One child has it, and so do I. I wish that I had known this during college and graduate school. Knowledge and treatment sure would have helped my university experience to be better, as well as my subsequent outside career.

 

As already pointed out, some ADHD/ADD individuals claim the condition as a crutch and/or as an excuse for avoiding responsibility.

[mommymilkies]

I think it's overdiagnosed, and some cases may in fact be environmental (media exposure, lack of play or outside time, food choices, etc.), but it is very much real. I have it. It's not fun. I will say that I do find being outside helps me. But not completely, and I can't exactly hike in the woods every moment of my life. ;)

[Orthodox6]

I know it's real, but I'm certain it's over diagnosed. FWIW, I meet the criteria and was diagnosed with ADD. I have never had bad behavior. I'm sure I would have done better in school if we knew about it back then. I found coping methods on my own, but thought it was because I was dumb. I now know I'm not, but after so many years of thinking it, it's hard to let go.

 

 

It's not all about "behaviour". Nobody considered me a behaviour problem.

 

If my former psychiatrist is to be believed, that you developed coping methods indicates that you are very intelligent. She told me that the only reason my condition did not "appear" until my college years was that, by myself, I had developed coping mechanisms that failed only because, for the very first time, life became too hard for me.

[Orthodox6]

Are you serious, or just trolling?

 

Let's just say the difference between my ability to handle daily life with and without medication is startling, and I'm currently not able to take anything for a few reasons. My family suffers for it. I suffer. My inability to function the way I would like to has been painful. I joke about it to some extent, but it's real, and it hurts.

 

Whether or not some people use it as as excuse or if it is misdiagnosed is an entirely different matter.

 

<<< EMPATHY >>>

 

I could have written a nearly identical post. I cannot take medications for ADHD/ADD or for any of my other medical conditions. Very tough row to hoe; however, I get by.

 

Wishing you all the best!

[Mandylubug]

absolutely factual. I do agree some use it as a crutch and it creates a bad opinion in some. It is unfortunate that the families, like myself, are intimidated from getting their children a proper diagnosis because of others telling them it is all in their head, a discipline issue or the like. The diagnosis and finally the administration of medication was life changing for my family!

[Tiramisu]

I do agree that it is overdiagnosed and some people do use it as a crutch. Anyone (including my sister) who has been around my daughter at all from very early on would realize it is spot on in my daughter's case. She scooted off my parent's bed at 6 weeks of age onto the floor (fortunately she wasn't hurt). She hasn't been still since the minute she was born (practically). Of course, this is the sister (my only sister) that I have had issues with on other fronts so I guess I shouldn't be so surprised she thinks ADHD is a complete and total myth. It doesn't help that she thinks she knows everything.

 

I'm sorry that you're not getting more support from your family. :grouphug:

 

I have one who escaped from a five point baby seat harness before one year of age. She is not dx'd. She is rather bright and can compensate very well, but I'm keeping my eyes wide open because some day she may not be able to anymore, or not as well. As it is, she can keep it together only so long. She's great in school but lets her hair down once she's home.

 

I have one who doesn't have ADD but another neuro glitch, and I can tell you there's a price to pay by not facing these things, in terms of your relationship and your dc's emotional health.

[Koerarmoca]

Very real, very very very. Over diagnosed yes! I suffer from it and it makes motherhood very hard at times. My nephew also has it (and is bipolar) though I see more bipolar than ADHD in him.

[justamouse]

Both.

 

I completely believe that some ppl have ADD/ADHD. No doubt in my mind.

 

I also believe that there are some that use it as an excuse, a crutch, and that it's been grossly overdiagnosed in some segements.

:iagree:

[Joanne]

Of course it is real.

 

Over diagnosed, maybe.

 

 

[AMJ]

I am totally serious. My daughter was diagnosed with this when she was 5 and my sister keeps claiming it isn't real and we are just making excuses for her to be forgetful, distractable, and impulsive. My daughter is now 24.

 

 

Some people don't want to believe until they have a reason that strikes too close to home, and then they want to deny, deny, deny. And it doesn't help that overdiagnosing and claiming it for an excuse or crutch have been so much in the news.

 

There's also fear of the label, and what someone can "lose" being saddled with it.

 

Then there's the people who believe you can simply fix it with drugs. My own MIL told me I should get a new dr when I told her medication is not indicated for DD. "But it works for B--" (my nephew) -- never mind he's a boy, and has different issues (though diagnosed ADHD), and is having a different set of issues caused by the meds. MIL's parents were both teachers, and our decision to switch to homeschool is anathema to her, despite the fact that DD's slow processing speed is the biggest problem (something they can't fix with meds).

 

The biggest problem is ignorance. I'm learning as I go, and I didn't know much to begin with.

 

I would be interested to see if any homeschoolers would say ADHD is all fiction. Seems to me the vast majority have reason to know better, even if it is just an appreciation that different kids learn differently.

[wapiti]

Real, of course.

 

My guess is that ADHD is often *misdiagnosed* as much as overdiagnosed (or there's a co-diagnosis that gets missed due to the symptom being lumped under ADHD when it should be separate). I worry that some significant proportion of kids diagnosed with ADHD have some other issue that hasn't been discovered or dealt with, from learning issues to nutritional issues - there are numerous possibilities.

 

I'd recommend that, at a minimum, educational testing (IQ and achievement tests), with a neuropsych, ed psych or other psych specializing in LDs, be done for any child for whom an ADHD diagnosis is being considered. There are symptoms that may overlap in appearance with other issues. Sometimes this involves multiple experts (e.g., the psych may refer to auditory, speech, vision, sensory, etc. for additional testing). There are far too many things to rule out for a pediatrician to do it well - the ped just can't have all that expertise, and possibly no one doc can, but the psych would be the specialist to go to and the psych can issue-spot much more effectively with the IQ test results in hand than a ped who can't analyze distinctions in subtest scores.

[athena1277]

It's real, but vastly overdiagnosed. It's used as a crutch all too often, especially in the ps. It was the "disability du jour" when I was teaching. One year, our ps FAILED one third of the children in K and put in every one of those children to be evaluated. Nope, it was a case of taking away all play time, recess and PE that year...

 

I have often wondered if the number of new kids diagnosed as ADHD would drop if schools brought back more recess or PE time. So many kids, especially little boys, need to burn some energy before they can sit at a desk for very long. My kids don't have ADHD and we have had days where I could tell they needed to get outside and run around or they were going to spend the rest of the day getting in trouble.

[Lady Florida.]

Do you think ADHD is real or do you believe it is just an excuse people use for bad behavior (impulsive, distracted, or forgetful) on their part or the part of their child?

 

Edited. Sorry. I didn't read your later post about your sister.

[MissKNG]

Very over-diagnosed, which is why ADHD validity leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

[bobbeym]

I agree to both.

 

It's very real as DS14 and I battle it daily. But we don't do meds and do watch what we eat very closely, along with other behavior modification. He has a tendency to try to use it as an excuse but I don't allow it. He needs to learn to adapt.

 

I also believe it's wrongly diagnosed and over-diagnosed by parents and teachers that don't want to take the time to deal properly with kids.

[Murmer]

It is real! It is used as an excuse by some people but as someone who has lived with a child who has ADHD it can be debilitating. That said I think the biggest problem is that people think that medication is the be all and end all of ADHD. It is not these children need more help than just medicate and go. Medication allows things to get in but there needs to be a well rounded treatment plan. That said the other issue is that people stop looking at problems as soon as the ADHD label gets put on which leaves some children left hanging when they have other issues.

[TexasRachel]

It runs rampant in my family. I have it, a couple of my brothers have it, and my dad had it. And my dad managed to get a masters degree, so my brother using it as an excuse to not do school work never held any water for me. Yes, it makes things more difficult, but it's still possible to get something done.

 

My DB once told DH he couldn't clean his room because he had ADD. :rollseyes:

[Stayseeliz]

Having struggled with attention issues for years, I think ADD is very real. The only way I made it through college was playing a Tetris game in my lecture classes while listening to lectures. I'm scatter brained and have trouble even now focusing, staying organized and staying on task. I deal with it but it's tough.

 

My oldest DD struggles too. After controlling her diet, exercise routine, sleep pattern etc We just started a low dose of medicine for her. We combine it with coping strategies but she needs the help.

 

I think ADD can be used as an excuse in some kids but others really struggle.

[Catwoman]

My DB once told DH he couldn't clean his room because he had ADD. :rollseyes:

 

I keep trying to use that one, but so far, no one is buying it. ;)

[Lisbeth]

I have ADD. I didn't believe in it in the past, and I think it IS overdiagnosed. However...I have had to come to terms with having it myself. Ugh.

[twoxcell]

Both.

 

I completely believe that some ppl have ADD/ADHD. No doubt in my mind.

 

I also believe that there are some that use it as an excuse, a crutch, and that it's been grossly overdiagnosed in some segements.

:iagree: It is real for many but on the other hand I believe many people say they have it and they do not.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I believe it is real but over diagnosed because some families make choices ( lack of sleep, crazy schedules, too many activities, inconsistent parenting) that produce results/behavior similar to ADHD). Also my son who had eye tracking issues was pegged as ADHD by the school. The kid couldn't SEE. That has made me cautious.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Real and overused. My ds carried an ADHD combined type diagnosis. The only criteria he meets is being hyper. He doesn't focus on things because of his lack of language. Take spoken language out of his school work and he's a different kid.

 

His new neuro has said, and written (finally!) hyperactivity without attention deficits.

 

Meds should not be the first answer for it (it could hopefully weed out the overused cases). Behavior training for the parents, sleep hygiene training, more playtime.

 

It could also help if drs were willing to look for a cause of it. If a kid has sleep apnea that, when treated, eliminates the ADHD, it was never ADHD.

 

I could take my ds to any dr and walk out with any med *I* request. It's sad. If I don't ask for meds, they're offered. Nurses at intake question me to no end when I tell them that he's only on meds for asthma. "Are you sure?" "He *only* takes advair?" "No meds for behavior or attention?"

[MomtoCandJ]

It is real, I have ADD. I tried 1 medication for it but it made me sick, we don't have the money for me to go to a doctor to try something else. I do think it is over diagnosed in children, it seems the more they take away the energy outlets, the more children are diagnosed.

[Lady Florida.]

Of course it is real. It has a genetic component. The Human Genome Project identified genes associated with ADHD.

 

I also believe it is often UNDER diagnosed and UNDER treated, especially in girls and adults.

[QueenCat]

My opinion only. I know ADHD is very much real. But I feel it is often used as a crutch by some. I also feel that public schools often push for an ADHD diagnosis for perfectly normal yet active children. it seems some have forgotten that children are not meant to sit for 7 hours a day.

 

 

:iagree: 100%. Like Aspergers, I believe ADHD is overdiagnosed by those who are not competent in diagnostics. Both are very real but I don't buy the current numbers. I have children with both.... but I no longer believe the older one ever had ADHD but was pushed into a quick diagnosis, with parents who were ignorant at the time.... Much research has brought me to the above conclusions.

[Orthodox6]

Of course it is real. It has a genetic component. The Human Genome Project identified genes associated with ADHD.

 

I also believe it is often UNDER diagnosed and UNDER treated, especially in girls and adults.

 

 

 

AMEN !!!

[Live2Ride]

I 'have' ADHD. That being said, I don't medicate. I think we as a society are too quick to medicate.

 

I have learned coping skills, DH is wonderful about keeping me on a more even keel and helping me. I stay very busy with multiple projects or crafts so that when I'm bored I can move on to something else for a time. I stay quite functional that way. They say its heriditary and I can see it some in my family members (dad especially), but he is just the busy type. There are people in this world that just move to a different beat....we don't always need to medicate them (especially children). And I agree with a PP in that children are not programed to sit for hours on end being still and listening. They need to create, explore, run, get messy, yell, etc. They learn by doing and that can happen in more ways than just by sitting.

[WishboneDawn]

I am totally serious. My daughter was diagnosed with this when she was 5 and my sister keeps claiming it isn't real and we are just making excuses for her to be forgetful, distractable, and impulsive. My daughter is now 24.

 

I think the real issue is just learning to shut her down.

 

If she starts bringing it up just do a modified "pass the bean dip," maneuver.

 

"I'm not going to talk about that. So how did your baseball game go?"

 

Don't bring up ADD to her, don't try to educate her or explain things to her. Just shut her down and refuse to talk about it. After all, your daughter is now an adult and she doesn't need to have relatives discussing such matters when she's not present. If she tries to press the issue then it's:

 

"No. I want to know about your baseball game," or, "It's not up for discussion. Wow, I love your purse! Is it new?"

 

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

[Aubrey]

Um...if so many people are at least suspicious that ADD/ADHD aren't real, don't you think it would make a *terrible* crutch/excuse? Anything can be used that way by the lazy, dishonest, etc of society. I think it's fairer to compare apples to apples--there are lazy people who claim ADD & lazy people who claim to be "busy" & lazy people who claim disability, illness, poverty, etc. And...to be fair, I guess all of those problems are blemished by people using them as an excuse for poor behavior.

 

But if we limit the sample size to only people that we'd otherwise respect...if that makes sense...seeing each of them actually crippling otherwise good people is heart-breaking. If only every *real* problem came with something visible like a wheelchair, I think it would be easier for us humans to be more compassionate toward each other.

 

Now, just to be fair, I'll say--I didn't really believe in ADD before marrying dh. I'd never said so to anyone--that seemed rude. And it took YEARS of frustration w/ him to really believe he couldn't help it. Of course, having pg brain a time or two has made me more understanding, too. (I once dropped my purse on the sidewalk--out of my HAND--& didn't even noticed, just kept walking.)

[Rosie_0801]

Some ADHD symptoms are caused by retained reflexes, so I read in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Reflexes-Learning-And-Behavior-Non-Invasive/dp/0976454300

 

 

Quite a few people have commented about how much calmer my son is now his reflexes are reducing in severity.

[Ipsey]

My husband worked for a contractor for several years who had undiagnosed ADHD. It made him kind of spacey, and busy, and forgetful, but he worked fine, mostly. He also had degrees in engineering, but had struggled through school.

 

His sons were diagnosed with ADHD when they were teens, and one afternoon, the contractor took some of their medication. He told my husband it was amazing how easy it was for him to focus and get things done. He said he was able to concentrate, really have an experience that he could identify as concentration, for the first time in many years.

 

I don't know that he ever got himself diagnosed, but he found that to be a really eye-opening experience.

 

Anyways. That's second-hand, but I can tell you, I do believe ADHD exists. I think it's very common. But I also believe _some_, people do use it to excuse poor behavior and poor parenting.