ADHD. What do you think?

Does anyone really believe this exists? Or is it just some made up term to try to rationalise the behaviour of children these days? Do you think there were ADHD kids during the Blitz in WW2 or were people different then? I think it's just a way for parents to feel better about their annoying kids that they are unable to control. ADHD was probably first invented by a bad parent. Opinions....

Agree with you Mike! Back in the day, children who acted just like some of these children on Ritalin weren't categorized as having 'ADHD'...they were just 'bad'... and their parents weren't afraid of parenting!

I think the term 'ADHD' abuses and prey's on parents and their fears... and many of these parents think a pill will cure unruly behavior...

Now, some children may genuinely have mental issues, and they should be dealt with accordingly and properly with medication etc, but there are an overwhelming amount of children who are either just overactive, 'creative' or just plain ole 'bad' who are given this title and some parents use it as a crutch to rationalize their behavior...

my 2 cents...

I believe that there is such a disorder and know of children who suffer from it. I think that now a days people rationalise behaviours and categorise children, its like stereo-typing! Are all children supposed to be the same?? Can kids not live a little! I think that the awareness of ADHD is more than it used to be and is often used as a scapegoat to rationalise bad behaviour. Being a parent I would say that its unlikely due to bad parenting, as most parents would hate there kids to be diagnosed with such a disorder! The increase in awareness means that schools are often looking for kids that may suffer from ADHD, and 1st diagnosis is often by schools. I have mixed feelings about ADHD. I believe it is a disorder, however feel that it is over generalised and often miss-diagnosed in young adults and children! I also believe that for those whose children do have ADHD, it can be a tough journey!

I believe it exists to some extent and there are children that have it. However I think that it is frequently used to explain behavior in children that the parents cannot control.

That being said, I think that the parents with children that actually have ADHD are getting a reputation of being bad parents and that is not entirely true in all cases.

Granted I think if most parents would discipline their children and not let them run around like animals, the number of children "diagnosed" with ADHD would decrease dramatically.

I, as a 25 yr experienced care giver, believe that it does exist. I've seen children go from totally unmanagable to normal after one week on ridallin. I've had kids that I could tell had not had thier meds today.Children who need the help and are denied it ,usually suffer from low self esteem. They feel they're always in trouble, can't do anything right and aren't liked by thier peers or authority figures.Yes, there probably were children throughout history who suffered, in silence, labelled as "bad kids". Isn't it wonderful that now we can offer them help. I'd hate being branded as bad from an early age.Children tend to fulfill our expectations of them even if those are formed from years of being called bad.

Both ADD & ADHD do exist but are currently being overdiagnosed in children AND overmedicated. If A child truly has ADHD it can be treated perfectly well by providing the child with better schooling and a good diet of proper nutrition.

Why should society wish to stifle the natural energy & creativity of a child by diagnosing and medicating children for psychiatric disorders.

If you ask me schools dont offer enriching, stimulating, or even interesting learning enviroments that kids end up bored and restless and just plain not interested.

Rather than blaming schools or parents for not providing for the kids needs they blame the kids and think that some pills will make them all better.

I have ADD and have since I was a child. The schools back then had no clue. And I still think they have no clue what ADD/ADHD really is and how to properly diagnose and treat it.

People with ADHD have always existed. Just because it didn't have a name before does not mean people didn't have it then.
It's just that those kids were labeled as "bad." Parents and teachers would beat the snot out of these kids when the kids have little to no control over their actions.
Are you old enough to know a time when Alzheimer's didn't have a name? We just thought that some old people went silly and needed to be put away.
Diabetes didn't always have a name. People just suddenly went loopy or even violent and were sometimes killed by superstitious folks who feared deamons.
Yes, there were ADHD kids during the Blitz. Many "bad" kids were beaten to death by their parents to shut them up and protect the rest of the families.

Of course, unless you have a child with ADHD, it's easy to point a finger and label the child as "bad" or the parent as "negligent." I do agree that it's over-diagnosed, but I as a parent with adult ADHD with a child who has ADHD, I can testify that you are either uneducated or misinformed on the subject.
It is hard work to adjust my child's diet, sleep schedule, play schedule, and homework schedule to see that she can function as well as her peers.
She does not want to be "bad," she cannot help her actions when she cannot sit still or sleep and she is embarrassed that she needs to move about or her bones physically ache while her friends don't have that struggle.
But I can see your mind is made up on the subject. You will ignore me (and others with similar information) and give the best answer to someone who agrees with you.
You should be grateful that you do not have to deal with the disorder on a daily basis like some of us do.

I completely disagree... my older brother is statemented as having ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.
I think that ofthen certain behaviours are overlooked just because the child has ADHD, but I have seen for myself the struggles that children with ADHD have to work through.
Since the introduction of Ritalin my brothers behaviour altered dramatically, and has helped him achieve what was otherwise deemed impossible.
Surely saying that ADHD is a consequence of bad parenting would imply that all children in that family would act in a similar manner and show signs of the supposed 'bad' behaviour ???

awwww, I get really annoyed by this debate. They really can't know without having it, and it has been proved that their is differences in the brains of these kids.
Firstly I have ADD, im a girl, and I defy your theory cos I'm the best behaved student in the school practically.... I've never gotten detention, I don't talk whatsoever in class, I try to get my work done.... and I was brought up to be polite and open minded. ADHD is a better description of those kids... it includes hyperactivity. I'm a little fidgety and move in my seat a lot but I'm not really hyperactive.
Its needs to be realised that ADD is really horrible to live with. Never being able to concentrate when it seems so easy to everyone else. Feeling dumb and weird. Loss of self esteem. Always forgetting things. Getting extremely frustrated and taking a long time to do work.
I don't enjoy knowing I can't function like normal people without pills! Back during WW2 those kids just had an awful time not knowing why they acted as they did. They just got beaten if they missbehaved anyway.

Back in the days before ADHD existed, there were quiet kids and boisterous kids.

The boisterous kids can be boisterous their whole lives - except at school.

I think the mismatch has been exacerbated by the MTV & video game generation. Then you get stuck in the "I've got a medical problem" bandwagon and treated with something akin to the street drug, speed - with all its addictive properties.

So I think calling it "bad parenting" is going a bit far. Maybe parents should prepare their kids for school better but I can understand why they don't want that responsibility.

I agree. It's a quick fix solution to children who behave badly. Medication is not always appropriately prescribed. Learn more about behaviour management techniques (google search that term) for yourself, to control a 'wild child'. Also, try to find a therapist/ psychologist/ psychiatrist who really has time for your "case".

I think when you have a family with three children, two of which are perfectly well behaved and were raised in the same way as the third who acts 'irrationally' it soon becomes apparent that it isn't made up.

It seems to be the case though that diagnosis of ADHD has increases exponentially in recent years so I am sure there are many cases of jumping the gun on what are simply badly behaved kids!

All these kids existed in the 40's and 50's and before but did not have medical names put to their behavour. The same with Autism, Aspergers etc. At least now they get some help. In my childhood these kids would have been beaten by their teacher (and/or their parents) so I think at least we have moved on. Whether kids with ADHD should be put on medication is another question altogether.

Like a lot of modern illnesses it is a load of cr@p.
They used to be referred to as little sods, as with dyslexia, they were known as "thick".
M.E [yuppie flu] is really laziness.

Namby pamby country this is now, most of these types just need to get off their ar@e and get on with life.

i think its a combination the food we eat colourings E numbers etc. all i know is when my mum told me to do something i did it and if you didn't eat your dinner go hungry. I do believe in most cases it is a real condition.

Son, I've ADHD all my life; but i tried to do things to help me get by; but it was impossible, i PHYSICALLY could not concentrate, and they really didn't' diagnose those things when i was younger. it's real.

I totally agree..and how spooky and what a coincidence....I was just watching child of my time and they were talking about ADHD and I said to my other half (before I came online) that it's an excuse for badly behaved children

I agree with you ,, I know I'm gonna get thumbs down for this, but every child I have ever met with ADHD, has had parents that have not brought them up properly, been in foster care, or had absent parent(s).

it definitely does exist - the earliest recorded description of it is this (although it hadn't been recognised as a particular problem then) http://www.fln.vcu.edu/struwwel/philipp_...

ADHD exists. I know people who have it and they have really bad trouble paying attention and are to the extreme hyperness, always shaking and having the nerves....

is bipolar, depression, schziphrenia etc, real? course they r an so is add/adhd!

I had a friend diagnosed with it, I think its a real thing, but not a big deal, they just need discipline innit.

IT IS NOT A LEGEND. there has been hundreds of tests with a great set of parents and having an ADHD child. it is a proven fact that their brain is wired differently

Hear, hear! It's a load of old tosh invented to make excuses for bad parenting and bad schooling.

it's real. don't argue.