ADHD Medication Myths vs. Facts

MYTH #1: Medication cures ADHD.

FACT: While there is no treatment to date that cures ADHD, treatment courses that include a combination of medication and coping techniques can help to manage the symptoms of ADHD. For many people with ADHD, medications in the "stimulant" class improve many of the symptoms of ADHD. These medications influence those parts of the brain that help increase focus and improve one's own ability to control behavior.

MYTH #2: Using stimulant medications will lead to drug addiction later in life.

FACT: There is no evidence to date that indicates in any way that ADHD medication leads to an increased chance of drug addiction later in life. Stimulants help many children to focus and to be more successful at school, home, and play. In fact, by avoiding negative experiences now, children with ADHD may actually learn to make more positive choices in general, thus preventing addictive and self-destructive behavior in the future.

MYTH #3: Responding well to stimulants proves that a child has ADHD.

FACT: Professionals have found that stimulant medications allow many people, in general, to focus and pay better attention, whether or not they have ADHD; however, the improvement is more noticeable in people with ADHD. The fact that a child, while taking ADHD medication, shows improvement in attention span and/or reduction in excessive activity, does not prove a diagnosis of ADHD. A diagnosis of ADHD must still be confirmed through accurate testing by both a medical professional and a mental health professional.

MYTH #4: ADHD Medication should be stopped once the child reaches adolescence.

FACT: The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) states that in the United States, over 4% of youth ages 9-17 have ADHD. In addition, 2-4% of the adult population also has ADHD, so symptoms of ADHD can persist not only into adolescence but, also, into adulthood. The adult population figure (2-4%) may also be an inaccurate, in fact low, figure, as many adults with ADHD may be undiagnosed (due to the myth that only children have ADHD) or misdiagnosed (ADHD is commonly confused with the manic phase of bipolar disorder). In any case, ADHD medication should never be stopped without a doctor's supervision. ADHD medication also should never be stopped while there are still symptoms of ADHD, whether the child is an adolescent or not.

MYTH #5: Children build up a tolerance to ADHD medication.

FACT: Since some medications are dispensed according to the weight of the child,
the dose of ADHD medication may need adjustment from time to time. However, there is no evidence to suggest that children, in fact, build up a tolerance to their ADHD medication, meaning that they will need increased amounts of the medication for that reason.

MYTH #6: A child with ADHD will have to be on medication for the rest of his/her life.

FACT: Not necessarily. As a child ages, his/her ADHD symptoms may stay the same, improve, or seem to "disappear." ADHD medication is used to manage ADHD symptoms but, as stated earlier, not cure the ADHD. ADHD symptoms may be improved not only by medication, but also by behavioral therapy and by learning coping mechanisms. By practicing the skills learned in therapy and using the coping mechanisms they have developed over a period of time, people with ADHD may eventually find that their medication needs may, in some cases, decrease or even become unnecessary. Again, medication should never be stopped without the supervision of a medical professional.

About the Author

Michele Soloway has dealt with bipolar disorder from a very young age. Her grandmother, mother, herself, and her teenage son all have the disorder. She also lost her sister to suicide because of bipolar disorder. Michele has a blog for bipolar survivors at http://bipolarsurvivor.blogspot.com, and is also a contributing writer to www.bipolarcentral.com.

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