Written by: Lauren Pflug / Digital Content Strategist at Blueprint Evolution (5 minute read)
There are quite a few myths and misconceptions surrounding ADHD. Being that it is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder among children, you’d think that as a society, we’d have a decent understanding of ADHD as a whole. We are certainly making strides– but folks, we still have lots of work to do.
Until recently, the disorder was believed to occur almost exclusively in males. Although we now know this to be untrue, a 2018 study showed that ADHD diagnoses were still significantly less prevalent in females. (https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12874) I could write pages on this issue alone but for now, I’ll spare you. This underdiagnosis in females can be explained by a few factors.
(Disclaimer: Gendered language is difficult to avoid here as the data is based on current research limited to binary terms often conflating gender and sex assigned at birth. Moreover, I believe it is important to know how these gender norms/roles were harmful to the under-diagnosed children turned adults.)
In children especially, symptoms present differently. This is due mainly to gender norms (shocking, I know). The hyperactive symptom has a tendency to present more outwardly in boys, making it more easily noticeable and diagnosable. However in girls, hyperactivity is more likely to manifest inward resulting in a very busy mind with racing thoughts. This busy mind makes it quite difficult to focus, leading to inattentiveness. If you aren’t paying close attention, an inattentive child or student might come off as shy, quiet, or even well-behaved.
Additionally, we often see more encouragement towards boys to play and exist loudly and proudly, while girls are taught to embrace quiet, graceful play. I do have faith that these norms are fading, but elementary school in the late 90s – early 00s very much demonstrated these exact gender roles. Because of the hyperactivity manifesting in different ways, many girls were left either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed (racing thoughts = anxiety, inattentiveness = depression), and fell right through the ADHD crack. The myth that ADHD is only a childhood disorder is not true, and what we are seeing now is a sizable emergence of adults finally being diagnosed correctly with ADHD. So no, this uptick in diagnoses isn’t just a fad.
Due to the word hyperactive, humans with ADHD are commonly perceived to have endless amounts of energy. My life would be so much easier if that were true. I’m not saying that we don’t experience bursts of energy, but when we do, it’s typically channeled into anything else other than what we need it for. As previously mentioned, hyperactivity can be noticeable when presented outwardly, but for many it manifests in the mind. Having a brain that never shuts up is equal parts exhausting and overwhelming. When living with ADHD, you’re in a constant state of overwhelm. The disorder is a result of low dopamine levels– nope, it’s not bad parenting, which people do still believe. Having low dopamine levels produces a significantly lower threshold for stress, which culminates as a very easily overwhelmed person.
When hyperactivity decides to journey outside the brain, it often shows up as hyperfocus. This can be an incredible tool if it is harnessed towards your priorities, but that skill takes lots of brain power and practice. Neurotypical humans are able to prioritize tasks naturally, but ADHD hinders this ability greatly. Because of this, hyperfocus will have you deep cleaning your kitchen with a toothbrush at 1am. That is not an exaggeration. Hyperfocus is hard to control; once you’re in the zone, you lose sight of things like time passing, feeding yourself, hydrating, etc.
To piggyback off of the ‘hyperactive-never-ending-energy’ myth, I can’t help but touch on probably one of the biggest roadblocks for humans with ADHD: ADHD paralysis.
This is when your brain physically will not let you do anything. Yes, I’m serious, it’s real, and it’s indescribably frustrating. Your mind is screaming at you telling you all the things you should and could be doing, while simultaneously keeping you glued to the couch (or chair, bed, floor- hey, we’re not judging!). No matter how hard you try to fight it- You’re. Just. Stuck. This paralysis can be caused by overwhelm/overstimulation, or sometimes for no reason at all. It is also common for this to occur while waiting for something; an appointment at 3pm, a package arriving at 7pm, a friend picking you up in 2 hours. The concept of this paralysis can be hard to grasp if you have never experienced it. Those with ADHD know it (and hate it) all too well. While many people believe that we are burdened with over-busy bodies, oftentimes we are struggling at the opposite end of that spectrum.
To learn more about ADHD paralysis, visit:
A great misconception of ADHD is the way the disorder is often portrayed. Characters with ADHD in movies and shows present a harmful stereotype. As if the “Ooh look! Something shiny!” bit isn’t tired enough. Many ADHD symptoms are invisible, and most of the time you won’t be able to tell if someone is struggling. In fact, lots of us go to great lengths to ensure that you can’t tell. This is called masking. You may be familiar with this term, but masking is essentially an attempt to hide or conceal your symptoms so that you appear typical. Masking can be harmful not only because you’re signaling to yourself that your baseline isn’t “normal”, but it can also lead to a delayed diagnosis. I was masking my whole life without even realizing it. Even after receiving a diagnosis at 19, I wasn’t fully convinced and continued to mask until I was in my 30s and finally accepted my ADHD reality.
Humans with ADHD are not lacking intelligence, in fact, there is no correlation between the two. Most of the time, our brains are processing information faster than we can interpret it. And though the disorder comes with lots of hurdles, when we understand why our brains work the way they do, figure out what works for us, and have a supportive environment, we are able to succeed. Understanding this disorder is important for everyone, and I’m glad we could lay some myths to rest. At the end of the day we all just want to be happy, healthy, and heard.
Sources:
- ChildrensHospital.org
- Martin, J., Taylor, M. J., Rydell, M., Riglin, L., Eyre, O., Lu, Y., Lundström, S., Larsson, H., Thapar, A., & Lichtenstein, P. (2018). Sex-specific manifestation of genetic risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the general population. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 59(8), 908–916. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12874
- ChildMind.org
- Fletcher, J. (2019) Does ADHD affect IQ?, Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325715
- Images courtesy of Canva
