by Susan Klatz Beal

Created on: July 17, 2009

We live in a world in which television, computers, video games, I-Pods and cell phones have taken over people's lives. Children expect to have their own computers, televisions, I-Pods and personal cell phones. Although both children and adults have no problem spending mindless hours in front of a television, playing video games for hours, hanging out on the computer, chatting, surfing, Twittering, or looking for people on any of the social networking cites, many who suffer from ADHD cannot concentrate long enough to focus on a book, do their homework, balance the check book, stick to a budget or do the things around the house that need to be done.

ADHD, now widely diagnosed and perhaps even over diagnosed was once an unknown disorder. Back in the late 1950's, people who exhibited the symptoms of ADHD or ADD were said to suffer from "minimal brain damage." Over the past 50 years, countless other myths regarding ADD and ADHD have surfaced. This is an attempt to set the record straight and to distinguish what is fact and and what is myth.

*MYTH - There is no such thing as ADHD or ADD -

*FACT - ADHD is a real, often very much misunderstood disorder. It is a disorder that can affect boys, girls, men or women. ADHD more commonly affects boys than girls, but that doesn't mean that no girl or women can have it.

*MYTH - People who have ADHD are just lazy and would be fine if they paid attention to what was going on.

*FACT - Many people who suffer from ADHD are very productive. Albert Einstein had ADHD. It is not a simple matter of paying attention. People with ADHD don't seek to tune out what is going on around them. They have no control over what is happening to them, and even when they do try to focus, they are often hopelessly unable to do so. Blaming them for that which they cannot control is damaging and hurtful.

*MYTH - Testing for ADHD proves nothing and is pointless.

*FACT- Testing for ADHD is probably the only legitimate way by which to prove that the disorder is legitimate. It is a concrete way to illustrate exactly where the attention problems lie, and to show that there is a consistent problem.

*MYTH - ADHD medications aren't necessary and don't do any good for people

*FACT - Nothing could be further from the truth. For people who legitimately have ADHD or ADD, the ultimate proof that they do have the disorder will be evident in the way by which they respond to stimulant medication. People who really do have ADHD will be calmer, more focused, less impulsive,

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