10 Myths and Facts about ADHD

Much has been said about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), also known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, not everything that is said corresponds effectively to the truth and the characteristics of children with this disorder.

Thus, it is important to clarify some of the myths and facts that arise around PHDA:

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MYTH 1: PHDA is a recent disease and is an invention. It exists only because of the lobby of the powerful global pharmaceutical industry, which influences doctors to prescribe methylphenidate.

DE FACTO: PHDA is a neurodevelopmental disorder and not an invention. If PHDA were a recent invention or a justification for disruptive childhood behaviors, it would not be described for so many years and always with the same behaviors.

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Myth 2: The diagnosis of PHDA is not reliable, as there is no clinical exam or hyperactivity test.

DE FACTO: It is true that there is no clinical exam or other objective test that “proves” the existence of PHDA. The diagnosis of PHDA is clinical, which means that it results from the integration of information from different sources, the collection of data on developmental history, current difficulties and the interpretation of the results of various assessment tests that measure executive functions and frame behaviors according to what is expected for the age group.

Myth 3: PHDA is the parents' fault. They do not educate their children and lack patience for their behavior.

DE FACTO: The way parents interact with their children and set boundaries naturally has implications for their behavior. In the case of PHDA, because these children are more inattentive, impulsive and/or reckless, from a very early age they pose challenges to parents that are much more difficult to overcome (they rarely listen to the first, do not stand still, do everything at the same time, disperse with everything around them,...). Parents of children with PHDA are faced with a greater demand on the way they organize and communicate, which can become quite difficult and exhausting.

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Myth 4: PHDA affects only children and disappears in adolescence or adulthood.

DE FACTO: PHDA is a condition that accompanies the child throughout life. Vulnerabilities will always exist. What happens is that their manifestation and impact of characteristics change throughout life according to human development itself, the demands of the context and the very skills and strategies that are being developed.

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Myth 5: Does Sugar Cause Hyperactivity?

DE FACTO: Sugar does not cause Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. However, both sugar and processed foods and soft drinks are harmful to health. Even so, there is a current that argues that sugar interferes with hyperactive behavior and that a specific food diet should be made as a treatment.

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Myth 6: Is PHDA genetic/hereditary?

DE FACTO: Hyperactivity has a genetic basis, but it is also influenced by other environmental and developmental factors. Studies have suggested that there is a tendency for hyperactivity to manifest itself in families, which suggests a genetic component. However, the full picture is complex and not yet fully understood.

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Myth 7: You should not give the prescribed medication, as it is addictive.

DE FACTO: Methylphenidate is not addictive. Its function is to attenuate the symptoms, so when its time of action ends, the symptoms appear again as before. The dose recommended by the doctor results from the weighting between the weight and the measure of impact of the symptoms, and, as a precaution, doctors tend to start with the lowest dose and, progressively, increase until they obtain evidence of its effect. Therefore, it is common that over time there are dose readjustments, not by habituation but by changes in the previous questions.

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Myth 8: Medication causes a reduction in the growth of the child.

DE FACTO: As with all medicines, there are side effects when taking methylphenidate. However, there is no confirmation that there is a causal relationship between taking the drug and a slowdown in growth.

Despite this possibility, the decision to resort to medication is always the result of a reflection by the doctor and parents about the benefits and impact on the emotional well-being of the child and his family, social and academic life.

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Myth 9: After diagnosis of PHDA, it should preferably be treated without medication.

DE FACTO: Each case is a case, depending on the age, intensity and impact of the symptoms in the different contexts of the child's life. There will be situations in which the introduction of a pharmacological intervention is not justified, others in which only medication can be chosen and others, in most cases, in which a multimodal approach will be recommended, including pharmacological and psychological interventions aimed at the child, the family and the school context.

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Myth 10: Hyperactivity medications such as methylphenidate (Rubifen/Ritalin/Concerta®) will make a child or young adult dependent on drugs.

FACT: Recent studies have shown the opposite. When there is a path with medication and other interventions, the child is more likely to make a successful path, which often prevents the manifestation of behaviors that put them in situations of risk.

Also, because the medication alleviates the symptoms of PHDA, adolescents or adults end up having greater control of their impulsivity and avoid risky behaviors.

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As you can see, there are many myths that exist around PHDA. Before starting any treatment or intervention, inform yourself and do it with specialists, where the characteristics of the child/young person will be taken into account and where the treatment will be individualized and designed for him.

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Above all, do not blame yourself!