Is ADHD Real?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD, has been recognized in the medical literature since 1902. However, beginning in the 1970s, the rate of diagnosis of ADHD in children has been increasing. This increase has sparked concern among the public about the legitimacy of ADHD. Is ADHD a real disease? Or is it something that is socially constructed; a product of the imagination of a modern society?

Media Controversy: Is ADHD Even a Real Disease?

There has been some controversy in the media about whether ADHD is even a real disease. Some people have become concerned about the possible overdiagnosis of ADHD, especially in children. Some have suggested that diagnosing a child with ADHD could be a way for parents to correct what is, in reality, a behavioral problem that could be solved with better parenting. Others have expressed concerns that ADHD may not be a "real" disease, but a way of pathologizing individuals who merely think differently, or who don't fit well enough into accepted social norms. There is also concern that ADHD may be an invention of the medical and pharmaceutical industries, not be a real disease, because selling more medications for the disease would be in the interest of the corporations that design and market drugs.

ADHD Is A Real Disease: The Scientific Viewpoint

This idea that ADHD is an invented disease is not held by the psychiatric community. Based on scientific research and evidence, the medical community has concluded that ADHD is in fact a real disease. ADHD is one of the most extensively researched psychiatric disorders. It is distinguished by a certain set of behavioral characteristics, as well as certain differences in brain structure which have been identified by recent research. 

The ADHD diagnosis is only given to individuals who fit a certain set of established criteria, when other possible diagnoses have been ruled out. There may be other reasons for the individual's seeming inattentiveness. These could include undiagnosed hearing or vision problems, learning disabilities, or neurological problems that interfere with attention and learning. It is only when other possibilities are exhausted that a doctor can diagnose someone with ADHD.

What Determines An ADHD Diagnosis?

The DSM, the diagnostic manual for psychology and psychiatry, specifies a set of characteristics and behaviors typical of ADHD. To be diagnosed, an individual must meet a certain number of these criteria. The characteristics that define ADHD involve inattentiveness and hyperactivity, which goes beyond what could be considered normal for the individual's developmental level. Many children can be "hyper" at times, or unwilling to pay attention to something that they find uninteresting. In people with ADHD, these traits are overwhelming to the extent that they interfere with the activities of daily living. Children with ADHD have difficulty paying attention in school, to the point of having academic and social difficulties as a result. Just because a child is very physically active, or has trouble paying attention in some of their classes, does not mean they will automatically be diagnosed with ADHD. Some people may show one or two symptoms, but not enough to meet the criteria for ADHD. Physicians cannot diagnose just anybody with ADHD.

So Is ADHD Real?

According to what has been learned from scientific research, ADHD is a real disease. The extensive research that has been done into ADHD, especially since the 1960s, has indicated that ADHD is in fact a unified, discrete disorder, rather than a "blanket term" for any number of more mundane behavioral issues, or an imaginary construct of profiteering "Big Pharma" companies. Although some people have expressed concerns, via the media, that ADHD may not be real, or may be diagnosed too frequently or too easily, this is not rooted in scientific research. In light of the scientific evidence, nearly all medical professionals have come to the conclusion that ADHD is a legitimate medical concern. 

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