ADHD MYTHS

Despite rising recognition, there are still many misconceptions surrounding ADHD. The more people who understand the realities of ADHD, the more support, acceptance and compassion our ADHDers will experience. So buckle up, cause we’re about to bust some of the biggest ADHD myths plaguing our society today!

ADHD is a childhood disorder

ADHD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental brain difference. ADHD is not something people “grow out of”, although experiences and presentations may change over time as adults develop different coping strategies and may adapt their lifestyle to better suit their brain. Alternatively, some ADHDers don’t receive a diagnosis until much later into adulthood, when life changes (such as increasing demands, having children or menopause) alter their ability to cope, and previous supports aren’t enough anymore. While sometimes it can look different, many adults still benefit from support. 

If you have ADHD it’ll be hard to be successful

There are many very successful ADHDers who have learned to work with their brain and follow their passions. Some well renowned athletes, celebrities, and entrepreneurs are open about their ADHD, including Michael Phelps (Olympic swimmer), Simone Biles (Olympic gymnast), Justin Timberlake (Popstar), Tom Holland (Spiderman actor), Bill Gates (Microsoft Billionaire) and Jamie Oliver (Chef). Historians believe many of the world’s greatest inventors and artists such as Albert Einstein and Leonardo Da Vinci were likely ADHDers.

ADHD is over diagnosed

With growing awareness, the number of ADHD diagnosis has risen over recent years, but this is not a result of over diagnosis. Today, only an estimated 8.4% of children and 2.5% of adults have ADHD in Australia. These figures are likely much higher, but due to barriers to receiving a diagnosis such as cost, stigma and accessibility, ADHD is still relatively underdiagnosed. Lack of understanding around different presentations of ADHD (such as in women and adults) means many fly under the radar or their experience is instead interpreted as anxiety, depression or personality disorders.

You can’t have ADHD because you did well in school

ADHD impacts executive functioning, not intelligence. 
Many ADHDers are not diagnosed until later in life, due to their success in school. High intelligence may help students mask their ADHD differences by being able to understand material quickly, compensating for difficulties with organisation and attention regulation.
Many ADHDers (especially females) experience more internalised struggles and may not present with academic difficulties until they reach higher education, when the demands increase and school structure shifts to be more self-directed. 
Many high achieving ADHDers mask their differences with perfectionistic traits and applying immense effort and time into assignments. 

Everyone has ADHD these days...

Everyone can be forgetful, distracted or make an impulse decision some of the time. The difference is ADHD brains experience this every day at a much greater frequency, intensity and impact on their lives. Saying "everybody’s a little ADHD” can be dismissive of the ADHD experience by minimising the impact of living with an ADHD brain. 

Only boys have ADHD

ADHD has been more commonly diagnosed in males however this is not because ADHD is a male specific diagnosis. ADHD in females often presents differently, meaning many have been overlooked due to outdated diagnostic criteria and limited awareness, leading to missed or delayed diagnoses. Girls often experience more internalised ADHD traits or mask behaviours that might be seen as disruptive or different due to societal expectations. Just because girls with ADHD present differently doesn’t mean they don’t need support and understanding.

ADHD is just “bad behaviour”, “laziness”, or a “lack of discipline“

ADHD is not a character flaw, nor a motivation issue. It’s a brain difference in how attention, planning and regulation work. Many people with ADHD feel pressure to work even harder than their neurotypical peers to mask their differences daily. 
What others call “lazy” is often actually overwhelm, mental fatigue, or difficulty with task initiation and organization due to physiological brain differences. 

People with ADHD can’t focus

Despite its name, ADHDers don't have a "deficit” in attention, they actually have an abundance! ADHD brains have a difference in the way they control attention and direct it to different tasks. Individuals with ADHD can struggle with shifting, sustaining and allocating attention.
Sometimes attention may rapidly move between ten things all at once, and other times it locks into an intense hyperfixation, usually on something challenging, exciting or emotionally driven.

ADHD means being hyperactive

There are different types of ADHD; Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive and Combined Presentation. Within these categories ADHD can still present differently from person to person. While the Hyperactive-Impulsive presentation may be more well-known or easily picked up on, many people experience inattention, internal restlessness and executive functioning challenges without being physically hyperactive.
Mental hyperactivity can feel like racing thoughts, a constant need for stimulation or difficulty switching off. This often leads to irritability with boredom, impulsive thinking, sleep disturbances and emotional overwhelm.

 Phew! You made it! Nine myths busted...were you surprised by any?