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Author:
Michael Russell

When you were a child, didn't you run around all the time for no specific reason. Didn't you constantly turn your attention from one thing to the next. Didn't you have a hard time sitting still? Didn't you have a hard time focusing on one thing, for long periods of time? You were a child and you acted the way most children do. You didn't think about things, you just did them because at that age, there was no thought process. Most children go through this stage in their early life, but science has come along and told us that maybe this activity isn't so natural.

Attention Deficit Disorder, how do we define it? You would think with all the great minds in the world that someone would've came up with a definition that fits. But that's not the case, apparently ADD is a subjective description and not necessarily a disease. The naming of this disorder, has a history all by itself. In 1902 it was called, "Morbid Defect of Moral Control". In 1922 it became, "Post-encephalitic Behavior Disorders". 1960 gave us the term, "Minimal Brain Dysfunction" and then came 1968 with, "Hyperkinetic Reaction". It wasn't until the 1980s when the words Attention Deficit Disorder were spoken.

There is still confusion over who does and doesn't have ADD. Some members of the mental health industry had a need to classify anyone with ADD, as having a brain defect. Supposedly this was due to the fact that the first group of ADD patients that were studied, suffered from encephalitis; which is a swelling of the brain. But this criteria no longer exist, because over the years, people with no brain defects, have been added to the roll call of ADD.

At this time, there are two major types of ADD. ADD with hyperactivity and ADD without. Symptoms of ADD with hyperactivity are defined as, can't stay seated, fidgety, runs or climbs a lot, talks a lot, can't play quietly and having a hard time waiting in line or waiting their turn. Some symptoms of ADD without hyperactivity are, disorganized, having a hard time paying attention to tasks, easily distracted and doesn't seem to listen.

So, who has ADD? The numbers usually given are 3-5 percent of the population. But nobody knows. Because ADD is so subjective, it's obvious that many who are listed as ADD, may not even belong there.

There is still major discussion going on as to the validity of ADD. Is it real? Some people say that ADD isn't a disease, but a collection of behaviors and symptoms, that could be caused by any number of problems. And when you add in the fact that the experts in the field, can't even decide what exactly ADD is and who exactly has it; then this just gives more credence to those that doubt the existence of ADD. Of course there are many that believe ADD is real and not just some phase a person is going through. They believe people should be treated for their symptoms and not be expected to just grow out of them.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to ADD

| Article Keywords: ADHD News

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to ADHD News... ADD - What Is It? ADHD, or what's more commonly referred to as simply ADD, is one of the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed diseases in the world. The truth is, most people don't understand ADD and wouldn't recognize a person with it if they saw one. It is the hope of this article and the series to follow, to educate you about ADD, what it is, how it's diagnosed, how it's treated and several other topics that hopefully will aid in your awareness and understanding of this disease. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, ADHD or ADD, is a condition where the person with it is unable to maintain attention for an extended period of time. Other symptoms are impulsive behavior and motor restlessness. It is said that about 4.4% of all adults have ADD. ADD is what is classified as a neurobiological disorder caused by problems in the dopamine neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Most cases of ADD are inherited. If a parent or close blood relative has ADD then there is a 30% chance that a child will have ADD. In studies of twins it is shown that if one twin has ADD there is a 50% chance that the other twin will also have ADD. ADD is not caused by poor nutrition as it was once believed. It is also not caused by bad parenting, drugs or allergies. Other medical conditions may cause symptoms similar to ADD such as severe head trauma, thyroid problems, foetal alcohol syndrome and lead intoxication, so it is important to do a thorough analysis in order to determine if the person has ADD and not one of these other problems. What happens with ADD is that when a person does not get adequate neuro-chemicals, or in other words, the brain is not being properly stimulated, it tries to find ways to increase their release. Things such as movement, physical activity,...