6. You shouldn’t be taking drugs (medicine) if you have ADHD. It will make your condition much worse! You might get addicted!

False, false and false! For people with ADHD, getting the medication they need is actually one of the best things we can do for them! Medication won’t necessarily cure ADHD, but it can help these people manage their symptoms and prevent their symptoms from messing with their daily lives. Studies have also shown that people with ADHD, who don’t receive proper medical treatment and drugs (medicine) are the ones who get addicted to drugs (heroin, cocaine etc).

7. ADHD is over-diagnosed.

Definitely not! Like we said before, ADHD is a very real condition and people who have it definitely do not get diagnosed falsely. Criteria for diagnosis is also very strict. Besides having the six or more symptoms of both inattention and/or hyperactivity up to the age of 16 to 17, four other criteria must be met and combined together, all to prove that a child has ADHD.

8. But I’m a girl! Only boys get ADHD.

Unfortunately, false. It is true that boys are the ones predominantly getting ADHD. After all, they are more than three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD (13.2%) However, 5.6% of girls are still diagnosed with ADHD.

9. ADHD isn’t a big deal.

This statement is false, and with far-reaching consequences. People with ADHD may not show it that often, but their lives are severely affected by their condition. Teenagers with ADHD will be in car crashes or other similar traffic accidents four times more likely than their neurotypical peers and seven times more likely to be in a second car crash. Their adult counterparts will be 50% more likely to be in serious car crashes than neurotypical ones. Even if they manage to stay safe long enough for school, 35% of teenagers with ADHD eventually drop out of school. 45% of them have been suspended, and 30% of them have failed and needed to retake one year of school. Most terrifyingly, having ADHD makes you three times more likely to be dead by the age of 45. So, yes. It’s not a big deal, it’s a huge deal.

10. People with ADHD are a danger to society, and they need to be isolated from the world.

This last statement is absolutely, completely, wrong. People with ADHD, just like people with other mental disorders, are just like you and me. They just have a (much) harder time trying to get through their daily lives. They may get distracted much more easily, and have a hard time trying to stay still. But with the right treatment and guidance, as well as tons of support, people with ADHD can actually succeed and do a lot of good for society! So they definitely should not be locked up, but be loved and supported by the community.