Updated June 10, 2015.
There have always been controversies surrounding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Is ADHD a real diagnosis?
Do kids need stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall?
Is ADHD overdiagnosed?
With the recent introduction of Strattera, a new medication for kids and adults with ADHD, the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD has again become a controversial topic.
You may have seen the ads from Eli Lilly and Co.
promoting Strattera, and their online screening quiz, which listed symptoms of ADHD and suggested that you talk to your doctor about adult ADHD if you even occasionally or 'sometimes' had any of the listed symptoms. The problem is that many people, both kids and adults, sometimes have 'symptoms' of ADHD, including being easily distracted, impulsive, and having trouble concentrating. But according to DSM-IV criteria, these symptoms don't add up to a disorder like ADHD unless they are causing 'clear evidence of clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.' Adding a question about whether or not the symptoms are causing any kind of impairment might make the Eli Lilly adult ADHD screener more helpful.
I remember one editorial in a local monthly magazine in which a mother praised her child with ADHD who was getting straight A's in honor classes, was president of the student council and active in sports and community service, all without needing to take Ritalin.
The story bothered me because even if this child had all of the symptoms of ADHD, including being inattentive, easily distracted, impulsive and hyperactive, she was obviously very successful and did not have any impairment from those symptoms. So she might have the symptoms of ADHD, but she clearly did not have ADHD and did not require treatment.
There have always been controversies surrounding Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Is ADHD a real diagnosis?
Do kids need stimulants like Ritalin and Adderall?
Is ADHD overdiagnosed?
With the recent introduction of Strattera, a new medication for kids and adults with ADHD, the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD has again become a controversial topic.
You may have seen the ads from Eli Lilly and Co.
promoting Strattera, and their online screening quiz, which listed symptoms of ADHD and suggested that you talk to your doctor about adult ADHD if you even occasionally or 'sometimes' had any of the listed symptoms. The problem is that many people, both kids and adults, sometimes have 'symptoms' of ADHD, including being easily distracted, impulsive, and having trouble concentrating. But according to DSM-IV criteria, these symptoms don't add up to a disorder like ADHD unless they are causing 'clear evidence of clinically significant impairment in social, academic, or occupational functioning.' Adding a question about whether or not the symptoms are causing any kind of impairment might make the Eli Lilly adult ADHD screener more helpful.
I remember one editorial in a local monthly magazine in which a mother praised her child with ADHD who was getting straight A's in honor classes, was president of the student council and active in sports and community service, all without needing to take Ritalin.
The story bothered me because even if this child had all of the symptoms of ADHD, including being inattentive, easily distracted, impulsive and hyperactive, she was obviously very successful and did not have any impairment from those symptoms. So she might have the symptoms of ADHD, but she clearly did not have ADHD and did not require treatment.
Don't Kids Outgrow ADHD?
It used to be widely believed that kids outgrew ADHD in the teen years, but it is now thought that while they may outgrow being hyperactive, many of the other symptoms of ADHD linger into adulthood and cause problems in school, at work, or in their relationships with other people.Is it ADD or ADHD?
Many people use the term ADHD when they are referring to someone with ADHD who is hyperactive and ADD for people who just have attentional problems, but that is not really correct. The proper term is ADHD, and you can then add one of four subtypes, including:- ADHD, predominantly inattentive type
- ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type
- ADHD, combined type
- ADHD, not otherwise specified
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