THOUGHTS AND COMMENTARY
A Book Excerpt From
The Road to Neuroplasticity and Change to Heal Trauma, Improve Cognitive Capacity and Maximize Performance
I have been working on a book on neuroscience that is an easy way to understand the power of your brain, your mind and the thoughts that drive your creativity, insight and intelligence. The most powerful fact about the brain is the concept of neuroplasticity or the brain’s ability to change structurally to grow, evolve and increase it’s capabilities. We do this with cognitive training and surprisingly, mindfulness meditation.
> READ MORE ABOUT NEUROPLASTICITY
> READ MORE ABOUT NEUROPLASTICITY
DEBUNKING THE
MYTHS OF ADHD
There have always been many different myths about ADHD. Many of these myths cause misinformation to affect medical decisions. And all of them promote social stigma which can lead to people staying undiagnosed and untreated. Let’s debunk them.
MYTH: ADHD ISN’T A REAL DISORDER
ADHD is a biologically based disorder. Research shows that it’s a result of an imbalance of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters, within the brain.
MYTH: THERE IS NO CLEAR MEDICAL PROOF OF ADHD
Thirty years of medical imaging proves that there are multiple differences in the ADHD brain versus the normal brain.
MYTH: ADHD IS NOT GENETIC
Current research shows that 75 percent of ADHD diagnoses are linked to genetic causes.
MYTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE ADHD AS AN ADULT IF YOU WEREN’T DIAGNOSED AS A CHILD
Many adults have struggled all their lives with undiagnosed ADHD. They haven’t received help because they assumed that their symptoms were caused by other issues.
MYTH: ADHD IS OVER-DIAGNOSED
Many adults with ADHD never received the diagnosis as children. The inattentive type of ADD is likely underdiagnosed. Often people with the inattentive form of ADHD escape notice. They are not disruptive or hyperactive and people may not notice they are underperforming.
MYTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE ADHD IF YOU HAVE OTHER PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS LIKE DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY
A person with ADHD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder (comorbity) than most other people.
MYTH: ADHD ONLY AFFECTS MALES
Females are just as likely to have ADHD as are boys, and gender makes no difference in the symptoms caused by th disorder. See Also STATISTICS
MYTH: ADHD IS A RESULT OF BAD PARENTING
ADHD is found around the world in a diverse range of cultures, economies, social and educational systems. It is not the result of bad parenting. When a child with ADHD blurts things out or fidgets or moves around it’s because he cannot control his impulses. The problem is rooted in brain chemistry, not discipline. Overly strict parenting(punishing a child for things he can’t control) can actually make ADHD symptoms worse.
MYTH: CHILDREN OUTGROW ADHD
ADHD is connected to the way your brain functions, so continues over your lifetime.
MYTH: CHILDREN WHO ARE GIVEN DPECIAL ACCOMODATIONS BECAUSE OF ADHD HAVE AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public schools address the special needs of all children with disabilities, including children with ADHD.
Special accommodation simply level the playing field.
MYTH: ONLY HYPERACTIVE KIDS HAVE ADHD
Hyperactive children are noisy and excessively energetic but inattentive type ADHD children are actually quiet and withdrawn.
MYTH: PEOPLE WITH ADHD ARE NOT INTELLIGENT
“Data show us that children with ADHD are far from unintelligent; they can be extremely bright. Some of the Nobel Prize winners have in fact had ADHD, like Albert Einstein, for example.” says Edward M. Hallowell, MD, a child and adult psychiatrist and founder of The Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Sudbury, Mass.
MYTH; PEOPLE WITH ADHD CAN’T BE SUCCESSFUL
Many well-known, high-achieving individuals have ADHD.
MYTH: ADHD IS A PERSONAL FAILURE
ADHD makes everything about life more challenging like getting up each day and going to school to finding and keeping a job. But that does not mean an ADHD sufferer fails in these tasks. They just struggle. Research conclusively shows that people with ADHD are not choosing their condition. They have clear brain differences that can be treated with medication.
MYTH: PEOPLE WITH ADHD CAN’T PAY ATTENTION
“This is completely false,” says Dr. Hallowell. “When someone with ADHD is engaged in something they find really interesting or challenging, they can easily pay attention. In fact, they can pay better attention than most people.” He goes on to say. “It’s the [right] combination of interest and challenge that makes paying attention effortless for people with ADHD. What’s hard is paying attention to something boring.”
MYTH: ADHD IS A LACK OF WILLPOWER. THEY COULD FOCUS IF THEY JUST TRIED.
ADHD looks very much like a willpower problem, but it isn’t. It’s essentially a chemical problem in the management systems of the brain.
MYTH: PEOPLE WITH ADHD ARE LAZY
Being lazy implies that they do little or nothing. In reality, they work hard trying to keep up with all the challenges they face from their symptoms.
MYTH: ADHD MEDICATIONS ARE UNSAFE AND TURN KIDS INTO ZOMBIES
Every medication has side effects, whether it's taken for a mental or physical health condition. These drugs don’t cure ADHD, but they are highly effective at easing symptoms of the disorder. The drugs do not turn kids into addicts or zombies.
MYTH: ADHD MEDICATIONS CAN’T HURT YOU
Prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin are safe and effective when prescribed for people with ADHD and used properly. But the same drugs, when used by someone without ADHD, can be dangerous. Taken without ADHD can disrupt brain communication. When used improperly or in excess, they can cause mood swings, loss of sleep, and an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature.
MYTH: CHILDREN WHO TAKE ADHD MEDS WILL ABUSE DRUGS AS TEENS
Having untreated ADHD actually increases the risk that an individual will abuse drugs or alcohol. Appropriate treatment reduces this risk.
MYTH: ADHD CAN BE CURED
There are no “miracle cure” treatments.
MYTH: ADHD MEDICATIONS LIKE RITALIN OR ADDERALL CAN MAKE YOU SMARTER
While medication may help you focus, they don’t help you learn better, and they won’t improve your grades. Being “smart” is about mastering your ability to learn new skills, concepts, and ideas. Research has shown that students who abuse prescription stimulants actually have lower GPAs in high school and college than those who don’t.
MYTH: ADHD MEDICATIONS ARE BRAIN VITAMINS
Unlike vitamins, amphetamine based ADHD medication contain ingredients that can change brain chemistry and may have serious side effects.
MYTH: ADHD DOES NOT REALLY CAUSE THAT MUCH DAMAGE TO SOMEONE’S LIFE
Untreated or inadequately treated ADHD often severely impairs finances, family life, education, work life, social interactions, and driving safely.
MYTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE ADHD IF YOU FOCUS REALLY WELL AT A TASK
The opposite is actually true! Adults with ADHD experience hyperfocus. Hyperfocus means they can stay on one task so long the rest of the world seems to vanish. The problem is that their brain leads them to choose inappropriate things to focus on and that causes problems.
Have you heard of any of these myths?
MYTH: ADHD ISN’T A REAL DISORDER
ADHD is a biologically based disorder. Research shows that it’s a result of an imbalance of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters, within the brain.
- ADHD has been recognized as a legitimate diagnosis by: The National Institutes of Health
- The American Psychiatric Society recognizes ADHD as a medical disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
MYTH: THERE IS NO CLEAR MEDICAL PROOF OF ADHD
Thirty years of medical imaging proves that there are multiple differences in the ADHD brain versus the normal brain.
MYTH: ADHD IS NOT GENETIC
Current research shows that 75 percent of ADHD diagnoses are linked to genetic causes.
MYTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE ADHD AS AN ADULT IF YOU WEREN’T DIAGNOSED AS A CHILD
Many adults have struggled all their lives with undiagnosed ADHD. They haven’t received help because they assumed that their symptoms were caused by other issues.
MYTH: ADHD IS OVER-DIAGNOSED
Many adults with ADHD never received the diagnosis as children. The inattentive type of ADD is likely underdiagnosed. Often people with the inattentive form of ADHD escape notice. They are not disruptive or hyperactive and people may not notice they are underperforming.
MYTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE ADHD IF YOU HAVE OTHER PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS LIKE DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY
A person with ADHD is six times more likely to have another psychiatric or learning disorder (comorbity) than most other people.
MYTH: ADHD ONLY AFFECTS MALES
Females are just as likely to have ADHD as are boys, and gender makes no difference in the symptoms caused by th disorder. See Also STATISTICS
MYTH: ADHD IS A RESULT OF BAD PARENTING
ADHD is found around the world in a diverse range of cultures, economies, social and educational systems. It is not the result of bad parenting. When a child with ADHD blurts things out or fidgets or moves around it’s because he cannot control his impulses. The problem is rooted in brain chemistry, not discipline. Overly strict parenting(punishing a child for things he can’t control) can actually make ADHD symptoms worse.
MYTH: CHILDREN OUTGROW ADHD
ADHD is connected to the way your brain functions, so continues over your lifetime.
- More than 70 percent of the individuals who have ADHD in childhood continue to have it in adolescence.
- Up to 50 percent will continue to have it in adulthood.
- 6 percent of the adult population has ADHD, (the majority of those adults remain undiagnosed)
- Only one in four of undiagnosed adults seek treatment.
MYTH: CHILDREN WHO ARE GIVEN DPECIAL ACCOMODATIONS BECAUSE OF ADHD HAVE AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that public schools address the special needs of all children with disabilities, including children with ADHD.
Special accommodation simply level the playing field.
MYTH: ONLY HYPERACTIVE KIDS HAVE ADHD
Hyperactive children are noisy and excessively energetic but inattentive type ADHD children are actually quiet and withdrawn.
MYTH: PEOPLE WITH ADHD ARE NOT INTELLIGENT
“Data show us that children with ADHD are far from unintelligent; they can be extremely bright. Some of the Nobel Prize winners have in fact had ADHD, like Albert Einstein, for example.” says Edward M. Hallowell, MD, a child and adult psychiatrist and founder of The Hallowell Center for Cognitive and Emotional Health in Sudbury, Mass.
MYTH; PEOPLE WITH ADHD CAN’T BE SUCCESSFUL
Many well-known, high-achieving individuals have ADHD.
- David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue Airways, Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko’s,
- Terry Bradshaw (Super Bowl winner and NFL commentator)
- Howie Mandel (comedian)
- James Carville (prominent political consultant and commentator)
- Michael Phelps (Olympic swimmer)
MYTH: ADHD IS A PERSONAL FAILURE
ADHD makes everything about life more challenging like getting up each day and going to school to finding and keeping a job. But that does not mean an ADHD sufferer fails in these tasks. They just struggle. Research conclusively shows that people with ADHD are not choosing their condition. They have clear brain differences that can be treated with medication.
MYTH: PEOPLE WITH ADHD CAN’T PAY ATTENTION
“This is completely false,” says Dr. Hallowell. “When someone with ADHD is engaged in something they find really interesting or challenging, they can easily pay attention. In fact, they can pay better attention than most people.” He goes on to say. “It’s the [right] combination of interest and challenge that makes paying attention effortless for people with ADHD. What’s hard is paying attention to something boring.”
MYTH: ADHD IS A LACK OF WILLPOWER. THEY COULD FOCUS IF THEY JUST TRIED.
ADHD looks very much like a willpower problem, but it isn’t. It’s essentially a chemical problem in the management systems of the brain.
MYTH: PEOPLE WITH ADHD ARE LAZY
Being lazy implies that they do little or nothing. In reality, they work hard trying to keep up with all the challenges they face from their symptoms.
MYTH: ADHD MEDICATIONS ARE UNSAFE AND TURN KIDS INTO ZOMBIES
Every medication has side effects, whether it's taken for a mental or physical health condition. These drugs don’t cure ADHD, but they are highly effective at easing symptoms of the disorder. The drugs do not turn kids into addicts or zombies.
MYTH: ADHD MEDICATIONS CAN’T HURT YOU
Prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin are safe and effective when prescribed for people with ADHD and used properly. But the same drugs, when used by someone without ADHD, can be dangerous. Taken without ADHD can disrupt brain communication. When used improperly or in excess, they can cause mood swings, loss of sleep, and an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature.
MYTH: CHILDREN WHO TAKE ADHD MEDS WILL ABUSE DRUGS AS TEENS
Having untreated ADHD actually increases the risk that an individual will abuse drugs or alcohol. Appropriate treatment reduces this risk.
MYTH: ADHD CAN BE CURED
There are no “miracle cure” treatments.
- Some people argue that medication alone can fix ADHD and that there's no need for therapies.
- Others vehemently oppose medication emphasizing that school accommodations and parenting changes will “cure” the condition.
MYTH: ADHD MEDICATIONS LIKE RITALIN OR ADDERALL CAN MAKE YOU SMARTER
While medication may help you focus, they don’t help you learn better, and they won’t improve your grades. Being “smart” is about mastering your ability to learn new skills, concepts, and ideas. Research has shown that students who abuse prescription stimulants actually have lower GPAs in high school and college than those who don’t.
MYTH: ADHD MEDICATIONS ARE BRAIN VITAMINS
Unlike vitamins, amphetamine based ADHD medication contain ingredients that can change brain chemistry and may have serious side effects.
MYTH: ADHD DOES NOT REALLY CAUSE THAT MUCH DAMAGE TO SOMEONE’S LIFE
Untreated or inadequately treated ADHD often severely impairs finances, family life, education, work life, social interactions, and driving safely.
MYTH: YOU CAN’T HAVE ADHD IF YOU FOCUS REALLY WELL AT A TASK
The opposite is actually true! Adults with ADHD experience hyperfocus. Hyperfocus means they can stay on one task so long the rest of the world seems to vanish. The problem is that their brain leads them to choose inappropriate things to focus on and that causes problems.
Have you heard of any of these myths?
STARLIGHT POETRY BY KAI
View Me on Twitter @kairosoflife
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View Me on Twitter @kairosoflife
See Creativity Chaos - a Creativity Blog by Kai
About | Reprints & Copyrights | Home
© 2019-2020 Copyright Starlight Poetry
VIEW FULL SITE DIRECTORY