Tag: adhd

Let’s Talk About ADHD

adhdorsomething:

missmentelle:

Of all the mental disorders out there, none is taken less seriously than ADHD. Lots of people believe that it’s made up. Some people believe that ADHD is nothing more than bad parenting. And plenty of people believe that it’s an excuse to medicate otherwise normal children. But here’s the thing:

ADHD is a very real disorder, and it profoundly affects the lives of those who have it. 

Let’s look at some facts about people with ADHD:

– 35% of teens with ADHD will not complete high school – that’s double the dropout rate of average teens.

– 30% of kids with ADHD will fail a year of school, or be required to repeat a grade.

– 45% of kids with ADHD get suspended from school at some point.

– Only 5% of teens with ADHD will earn a college degree, compared to 28% of the general population.

– Only 0.06% of people with ADHD will earn a graduate degree, compared to 5.4% of the general population.

– They have four times as many car accidents as the general population.

– They are 4 to 9 times more likely to go to prison.

– They are 11 times more likely to be unemployed.

– 61% will be fired at some point, compared to 43% of the average population.

– They earn, on average, $2 less per hour than their non-ADHD counterparts.

– They run a significantly higher lifetime risk of depression, anxiety, and antisocial disorders than people without ADHD.

ADHD is not a made-up disorder; it is a very real thing that has a profound effect on the lives of people who have it. 

So what other myths about ADHD are floating around?

– Contrary to popular belief, ADHD is under-diagnosed. While there is some evidence to suggest that little boys are being over-diagnosed with it, girls are being grossly under-diagnosed. Teachers and parents’ are quick to recognize the disorder in boys; girls with ADHD, on the other hand, are dismissed as ‘ditsy’ or ‘spacey’, preventing them from getting the help they need. Doctors estimate that ADHD occurs equally in boys and girls, but boys are six times more likely to be diagnosed and treated.

– ADHD is not a childhood disorder. Studies have found that anywhere from 30% to a whopping 80% of childhood cases of ADHD continue on into adulthood, affecting sufferers for the rest of their lives. Even when cases don’t continue, the education gaps created in early years can affect a person long into adulthood.

– ADHD is not caused by diet. The vast majority of cases of ADHD are genetic. Other major causes include prenatal exposure to alcohol, and traumatic brain injuries. No cases are caused by food dyes, or excessive consumption of sugar.

– ADHD is not a “short attention span”. People with ADHD do not lack attention spans, they lack the ability to regulate their attention. When people with ADHD discover an activity that highly interests them, they can focus on it single-mindedly for hours, ignoring all other activities, much like you’d see in autism. 

– ADHD medication turns kids into “zombies”. The medications prescribed for ADHD are not addictive or dangerous. In kids with ADHD, they ease symptoms and allow children to regulate their attention and control their impulses. Untreated children with ADHD are more likely to grow up to be drug or alcohol addicts; medication significantly reduces that risk. 

ADHD is one of the most common mental illnesses that any of us will encounter, but despite that, it remains poorly-understood, and is not treated as a serious disorder. People have grown skeptical of the disorder entirely, and look down on cases of ADHD as poor parenting or simple ‘drug-pushing’. The reality is that ADHD can make it extremely difficult to lead a normal life or achieve goals, and no one should look down on the treatments that make it possible for so many people to function. 

!!!

adhighdefinition:

if u shit on your child’s adhd by constantly talking about how difficult it is for you, how hard you have to struggle w it, then pls take a hard look at yourself and consider how difficult it is for your child to be in this position and on top of that to have to hear you say those things about them. i don’t care whether it happens intentional or not. you don’t get to make your child’s struggles about yourself. yes, adhd can put a significant strain on the whole family but that is no excuse to treat the affected child like dirt

gohosginoquisi:

Once again guys, say it with me: adhd/add/c is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has serious effects on how your brain functions and how you process things. It is not just about daydreaming or getting rambunctious in class in elementary school.

drcyan:

riyirowe:

celticpyro:

fearnograve:

tilthat:

TIL that 40% of U.S. schools have eliminated recess, which negatively impacts their ability to focus and develop healthy relationships.

via reddit.com

..and caused a severe growth of misdiagnosed ADD and ADHD. Effectively drugging children for no reason other than wanting to be children.

*shoves Ritalin down an 8-year-old’s throat* Damn, what’s with all these kids wanting to run and jump around and not sit at a desk 8 hours a day?

If you have ever interacted with a child who actually has ADHD (there is no ADD anymore, btw) you would know that it isn’t just kids needing to be active. My nephew, when he hasn’t taken his meds cannot do anything. He can’t focus on the things he wants to do. He can’t make himself listen long enough to another person to interact with them in a reasonable manner. His parents tried everything they could before turning to medicine, and when he started taking them it was like a switch had been flipped and he was able to make friends, pay attention when someone was talking to him, sit down and read a book or watch a TV show, listen to instructions, and play without destroying things.

ADHD is a real disorder, and has real consequences for those who live with it. Is it misdiagnosed sometimes, probably. But doctors are getting better at it, and they are getting better at treating it. Don’t dismiss it just because you don’t understand it.

(I’m not going to talk about the recess thing here, because several comments say the source is bad, but I will say that recess is a good and necessary thing)

thank god someone took the time to explain what life is like on adhd. yall aint got a clue.

adhighdefinition:

i’ve watched A LOT of documentaries on adhd over the years. some good, some bad… okay, mostly bad. but there’s no moment that haunts me as much as the one i’m about to describe. it was toward the end of the film and the interviewer was talking to this 9 year old kid they had been following for some time and one of the last things they asked was “what promise did you have to make to your psychiatrist?” and the kid hesitantly and quietly answers “… that i won’t kill myself”. it really struck a chord with me and still does to this day. this right there is why no one should ever doubt the seriousness of adhd ever again

Things I didn’t know were ADHD until I had to pry it out of my family

videogamelover99:

  • knowing exactly what I was going to write here two seconds ago, and not knowing what to write
  • 3PM “Oh cool.” 6 PM “I’ve got tons of time!” 7PM “It’s fine. I’ll get there.” 9PM “Shit I should really get there.” 11PM Anxiety and inability to do anything. 2AM Crying
  • Doing a thing but then remembering about another thing, so the thing you’re working on never gets finished because you’re too busy thinking and worrying that other thing
  • Remembering half-way through the conversation that somebody’s talking to you, then pretending you know what they’re talking about.
  • You can’t hear a word from the person across from you, but you know that Sharon in the back of the room is getting really tired of her relationship and stop trash talking your boyfriend, Sharon, I’m trying to think.
  • Listening to a lecture. Hearing the words. Not knowing what the fuck those words mean. 
  • Points at diagram. Oooh. I forgot what it’s called though but I know that’s that thing. 
  • Having a conversation with someone and having an exciting thought in the middle so you have no idea what they’re saying bc you’re too busy thinking your thought.
  • “So then we-” “HEY GUYS I REALIZED BLACK ISN’T A COLOR. FOB WERE WRONG.” “…” “Sorry.”
  • Skipping in public
  • Weird tics include: stepping on leaves, ripping up leaves, ripping up paper, crinkling paper, rubbing feet on the carpet, rubbing feet on the pavement, twirling hair, chewing on hair, running hands though hair, tapping, jumping up and down, snapping, smelling old books? Smelling paint.
  • Doing a task and then getting up and pacing because new idea.
  • Making up excuses like going to the bathroom/ sharpening already murder-capable pencil in order to pace. 
  • Singing? Though mostly avoid in public
  • Words. Do not. Work in mouth.
  • Forgetting the name of the friend you had since middle school, but remembering that the Reign of Terror made a religion that worshiped a giant paper-mâché hill. 

adhighdefinition:

by the way, it is possible to criticize pharmaceutical companies without invalidating the real struggles people face because of adhd. one of them being the idea that it’s a “made-up” disorder which was only “created” to sell drugs to children. total bullshit. if you honestly believe that’s the case then get your head out of your ass and educate yourself beyond ridiculous conspiracy theories on the internet