One of the big myths that is very prevalent today is that ADD is the popular diagnosis for this time period: the "flavor of the month", in a manner of speaking. If a child acts up in the classroom, he or she is said to have ADD and requires medication. While there appears to be an explosion of ADD in America, this is due to a variety of factors. One factor that needs to be considered is the evolution of technology and medicine: we continue to learn more and more about every type of disorder, and ADD just happens to be one of them. This does not make it a fad diagnosis. We must also take into account that at times children are slapped with a label before having been formally diagnosed. In fact, the ADD label is informally used so often, that the number of children that actually suffer from the disorder is misconstrued.



Another myth is that ADD is overly diagnosed. This is simply not true. ADD is not formally diagnosed unless a psychologist or psychiatrist tests the individual in question. Testing can either be formal (which is preferable) or informal; where an individual history is taken and evaluated. Doctors simply do not quickly state ADD as their diagnosis, and over diagnosis is pure myth.

A third myth is that ADHD is only a disorder affecting hyperactive boys. This myth originates in the many years that it was considered as fact by the medical community. Not only is it untrue, but it is also untrue that more boys than girls suffer from ADHD. Since girls have only recently been diagnosed with this disorder, an accurate picture of how many actually have it is unavailable.

Yet another myth that can be very damaging is that having ADD is only a small problem in life. Yes, some individuals who have ADD may fare better than others, but many suffer real problems in dealing with everyday life issues and routines; their difficulties should not be taken lightly.

A myth that has just recently been discounted is that people outgrow ADD by the age of twelve or thirteen. While some individuals may outgrow, or their symptoms may dissipate over time; however many do not. In general, ADD is not something that just goes away on its own.

And lastly, a myth believed by many people is that medication is the only thing that can help individuals with ADD. Yes, it's true that medications help in many cases, but it is the only the beginning of the help needed. Counseling and learning how to structure your time are also very important components in the treatment of ADD.