ADHD Myths

Myths About ADHD

View the ADHD MYTHS Video from Medical News Today

There's been a lot of talk in recent years about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD. And with all the talk has come a lot of misinformation. Is this a real disease? If so, what are the causes? And how is it diagnosed? Join our panel as they help us separate fact from fiction.

Our Favorite ADHD Myths

Here are the Top 10 "ADHD Myths" that are popular on the internet or on talk radio. Follow the links below for our discussion on each of these "ADHD myths."

ADHD does not really exist at all. It was created by psychiatrists, or drug companies, or psychologists, or the media, to create more business.
ADHD does not really exist at all. It was created by psychiatrists, or drug companies, or psychologists, or bad parents, to create an excuse for children who act like "brats."

Here is a long reply to an article that maintained that ADHD was not a real mental health or medical condition. About 10 significant arguments are examined and rebutted with facts. Check it out!

Psychiatrists are all evil. Therefore if they say there is such as thing as ADHD, they must be wrong, and ADHD must be evil.

Here is a rebuttal to the Church of Scientology, since they are behind most of the push for these myths.

ADHD does not really exist at all. It is just a sign of exceptional intelligence, or exceptional creativity that is misunderstood by teachers, parents, doctors, and researchers.
Children who can concentrate on things that they enjoy, like video games or television, cannot possibly have ADHD.
Medication is horrible, terrible, sinful, dangerous, awful, and it turns anyone who uses it into a lifeless zombie or drug addict.
Medication is the only treatment options that works. "If the treatment doesn't have side-effects, it can't possibly work."
The only nation in the world that uses Medication for ADHD is the United States.
ADHD is over diagnosed, and over treated by doctors.
Here's your medication. There's nothing to worry about. ADHD medications are absolutely safe.
Drug companies aren't in it for the money, they just care about kids with ADHD.

Here we have rewritten the "ADHD myths" into statements of facts.

CCHR and ADHD

From the Top 10 "ADHD Myths"

ADHD does not really exist at all. It was created by psychiatrists, or drug companies, or psychologists, or the media, to create more business.
ADHD does not really exist at all. It was created by psychiatrists, or drug companies, or psychologists, or bad parents, to create an excuse for children who act like "brats."
Psychiatrists are all evil. Therefore if they say there is such as thing as ADHD, they must be wrong, and ADHD must be evil.

Really. There is a group of Scientologists known as the Citizens Commission on Human Rights that actually believes this. Their founder, L. Ron Hubbard, wrote the following (as quoted on Wikipedia):

CCHR's views on psychiatry are a straightforward reflection of the position put forward by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, whose writings express a very strong anti-psychiatry viewpoint. The practice of psychiatry is considered by Scientologists to be a form of extortion, based upon Scientology doctrine stating there is no biological evidence to support psychiatric theories of mental disorders.

According to Hubbard, all psychiatrists are criminals: "There is not one institutional psychiatrist alive who, by ordinary criminal law, could not be arraigned and convicted of extortion, mayhem and murder. Our files are full of evidence on them."[2]

CCHR follows this line very closely, for instance describing psychiatrists and psychologists as "Professional Rapists, Perverts and Pedophiles" [2] It has developed Psych Crime/ report psych crime, a database of psychiatric criminal convictions to which it invites members of the public to contribute.

Although CCHR states its purpose publicly as being "to investigate and expose psychiatric violations of human rights and to clean up the field of mental healing," in its own fund-raising publications - issued primarily to Scientologists - it espouses a goal of eliminating psychiatry altogether and invites contributors to sign up to that goal: "Be part of the team that is taking out psychiatry!"[3]; "The time to put an end to psychiatry and it's criminal practices is NOW!"[4]; "Get rid of the psychs! That is just what CCHR is doing."[5]

Now, I know a lot of psychiatrists. They are not criminals. And this sort of talk is simply bizarre. It ignores, or is ignorant of, brain research. It thinks of worst of people that the author has never even met. It is the worst kind of over-generalization and bigotry.

Please don't let the writings of the CCHR or Hubbard influence you on the topic of ADHD. They have no credibility when they begin from this perspective. Examine all of the research and facts for yourself.

ADHD is real. Medications can be good, or bad. There are other options available for treatment too.