Is ADHD a real medical condition?

Question

I have to do a research paper and I need some factual evidence and studies that prove whether or not it can be categorized as a medical condition. please give me sites or any place i can find this information.

Answer 1

ADHD is a real illness that starts in childhood. It can change the way children act, think, and feel. Nearly all children are overactive and inattentive at times, but for ADHD children and their families their behavior can be extreme and disruptive.

ADHD is thought to affect between 3 and 5% of the school age population. In general ADHD is estimated to be 3 or 4 times common in boys. For some there is remission at puberty but for others the condition, if untreated, continues to blight their adult life.

Generally the ADHD child is unable to concentrate, constantly moves around, and has poor school performance compared with intelligence. Their behavior at home and at school is disruptive.

Answer 2

Yes, ADHD is a real medical condition. It is often neurological and can be measured by a neurologist with an EEG and other tests. Not all ADHD conditions, however will be diagnosed in this manner, but most do respond to medication prescribed by a psychiatrist when closely monitored, and sometimes can be controlled through dietary measures, although allergies and behaviors directly related to food intake are more rare. There have been an abundance of tests of ADHD kids and their reactions to flour, sugar, and other foods, as well as ADHD kids and neurological differences in brain patterns and the pros and cons of using medications to treat ADHD. You might also want to look under ADHD and education. There is an abundance of information aimed at the teacher on the net. Any of the medical journals such as JAMA or neurological texts or the more layman's approach can be found in psychology today articles. This is a very popular topic, and you should have no problem finding mounds of information.

Answer 3

If its in the most recent DSM the it is considerd a mental health disorder.
I am not sure why this question is confusing me.. I no longer know if mental health and medical condition can be considerd the same thing... my mind is not allowing me to remember this information.
I guess I would think that if something needs to be treated by medication it is considerd a medical condition.

I know it isnt fake, or made up by the big pharmacutical company.. though the over prescribing of this medicaion is what makes people think that it is fake.

I spent some time in an elementry school observing the students and a few of them had been diagnosed, I was very aware of this by watching their actions and how they performed in class and at breaks, how they acted when scheduals where changed, how they acted when they thought nobody was looking. It's a real condition and it really needs more people to understand it.

There are many books out there that talk about AHDH/ADD so get your butt down to the library.

Answer 4

Get your hands on the book Healing ADD by Daniel Amen. His research is fascinating and strongly supports that yes, this is a real medical condition. Having lived with it my whole life and having a son with it as well, I would say that once you have experienced it, there is no room for doubt that it's real. We are not just talking about "kids being kids." It is so far beyond that. It's the persistance and intensity of a cluster of symptoms that leads to a diagnosis.
You should have no trouble finding many sources to back up ADHD being a medical condition.

Answer 5

Yes, it is real, but often misdiagnosed. Try to find the medical books: The Good News about Anxiety and Depression, I believe they mention ADHD symptoms and treatment. Go to a library and check psychology articles--preview the abstracts--or find a psychiatrist to interview. Don't limit research to just the internet, and don't trust every site you visit. Visit the JSTOR webiste for professional articles as well. Or the ERIC databases.

Answer 6

Yes! I would start with a medical web site. There are many and I think that you should be able to find them easily as just typing in your question. Do your own research and you will find that you will learn a lot more than if someone just gives you the answers. Now go make me proud of you.

Answer 7

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized as a real medical condition but I say it is abnormal to expect anyone especially a child to be still all the time. The drug most often prescribed for this is Ritalin and is one of the most OVERPRESCRIBED drugs of our time. Longterm affects on children who took Ritalin have not been great.

My son (now 20) was diagnosed ADHD back when he was 7. Two years later I got a court order to get him off the drug. He attempted suicide while taking it. He is just fine now.

Answer 8

Yes it is a real medical condiiton. If you looked at the PET scan of a normal brain versus someone who has ADD or ADHD you will see a differnence. I am not sure why you are asking someone to do your reseach for you though and provide you with the websites. Shouldn't you be getting this info on your own?

Answer 9

It is a real medical condition, more neurological. But I personally think its over diagnosed and used as a blanket diagnosis for bad parenting, poor nutrition and tv-lifestyles.

Where was ADHD when we were growing up?

Answer 10

I have ADHD and I assure you it is a very real medical condition. I take adderall every morning, 30 mg, actually. If I don't take it I am bouncing off the walls, making dumb decisions, and saying things I don't mean. It is a real condition.