Why do alot of people have a problem accpeting the fact that some one could be ADHD?

Question

Or that ADHD really exist and its not "all in your head"

Answer 1

Because for the longest time ADHD went undiagnosed, and was simply considered as a personality quirk. You were "hyper"; that was it.

Answer 2

My guess is because they haven't had a chat with me. :-)

I am a 36-year-old with ADHD. I quite sure that I've had it all of my life, but I was diagnosed with the disorder only three years ago. It was probably not recognised when I was in elementary school because of where I grew up and because I did well in school and was blamed on "boredom".

I never really had a problem with the existence of ADHD, but I did have trouble with it being diagnosed on me. It was hard for me to rectify that my disorder had affected my life in ways that I thought was due to some failing of mine. If I have trouble accepting it in myself, I would not be surprised that others would accept it in anyone.

However, I know that I have it because I exhibit the symptoms of it. It's not just in my head, otherwise the meds that I take for it wouldn't be doing what they are. I know that I'm different if I haven't taken my meds for a while. This is the biochemistry at work.

I think that the problem with the disorder is that it is easy to have an improper diagnosis. This is why diagnosis should be left up to specialists. Misinformation about ADHD has been a problem not unlike misinformation about AIDS has been a problem; not to the lethal level, but definitely to the social stigma level.

Hope that helps answer your question.

Answer 3

Nope, there is nothing as "all in your head". ADHD is an established diagnosis, and in order to make a proper one, the tests that an idividual has to undergo, are quite strict.
Nowadays, we have to accept that ADHD has been grossly overdiagnosed by some school teachers and school psychologists.( and sometimes overlooked by some parents and relatives, that think that the behavior is that of a normal restless child)
When you have discarded brain damage, hyperthyroidism, subtle seizures that appear as hyperactivity or "excessive daydreaming" with a proper Eelectroencephalogram, you end up with a fistful of cases that are candidates for the diagnostic features of ADHD. and the tests will prove them either positive or negative for the disase.
Parents take some time to accept the diagnosis, however in general, once explained, they are quite cooperative
ADHD as you know, is roughly 10 times more common in males than females.
It takes sometime that, the basis of the appearance of the symptoms is due to the relative lack of norepinephrine in the brain (although this is a very incomplete and crude to put the chemical reasons for the altered behavior)
About half of the children with properly diagnosed ADHD will develope some personality disorder in late adult life, that will make their lives difficult, ( and the life of the relatives too),the most frequent is sociopathic personality or severe traits of sociopatic (criminal) activities.
We do not know as yet, whether treatment will really decrease the personality disorder, or at least decrease the risk for such. risks in later life.
Most of diagnosed ADHD will not accept they have the disease or even worse, the parents will not accept the diagnose either, and will go "doctor shopping" in order to hear what they want to hear.
>The main risk is failing to diagnose with the proper tests a clear cut case, or diagnose it too much.( both falling on the false side)
All this can be solved with proper evaluation (personal interviews with the child or youngster, battery of tests and Electroencephalography and brain metabolism tests to mention some, etc)
Nowadays the other fear is to be classified as "Ritalin Guy", or fear of addiction to stimulants, such asl Dextroamphetamine sulphate, or pemozide.
The use of new drugs that are derivatives of antidepressants (they have a formula close to prozac), like atomoxetine (the name for prozac is fluoxetine) has brought more acceptance in both, parents and children ( single dose daily tablets).
Even when medication supresses most of the ADHD symptoms (the disease is quite real) we still do not know, how much influence this will have on the long term improvement of the indivuduals. All the actual evidence supports a long term improvement in some research works.
There is plenty of work to do in the subject.
Yours sincerely
Garfield 526

Answer 4

Possibly because I see such rotten Parents, with rotten children and the Parents go to the Welfare System and claim that thier kids have ADHD just so that they can collect SSI for the kids when they only needed discipline in the first place!!

Its the Parents fault that they wont discipline thier children and I would venture that 90% of the cases are just that! (People know how to "work the system" as they have many generations invested in them now).

The ones that have an "actual" problem are lost because everyone sees every rotten child as just that, a rotten child and not one that REALLY needs help.

(And if you send me an email about this, saying "your child" is different, I will still say the same thing, so dont bother, please).

I wish you well..

Jesse

Answer 5

So many people live in denial and feel if they ignore the obvious, it will not exist.....

This approach will catch up with them eventually...

When in reality , the weakness is them having to admit that they have problems and it is actually more beneficial for them to face The music than run from it.... ♥

Answer 6

it really does exist. my son has it. people say its an excuse for bad behavior.just keep reaching for a doctor. go to a brain doctor and he'll do test to prove that its a disease.be patient