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Does ADD and ADHD Mean The Same Thing?

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The terms ADD and ADHD are often used to describe a behaviour-related disorder in which a child find it impossible to focus or concentrate for even short periods and who just cannot sit still.

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, while ADD is short for attention deficit disorder. The word that makes the difference is "hyperactivity." So it is not surprising that when the hyperactive element is absent, the kid will be said to have ADD. The ADHD label will come up if there is hyperactivity. That is how people differentiate the two, but ever since 1994, the official term is ADHD.

If you research old resources to find information on this disorder, which is one of the most researched childhood disorders in the West today, you may often come across terms such as mental deficiency, hyperkinesis and minimal brain damage. The term ADD came about in late 1970s, followed by ADHD in 1987 to reflect the idea of hyperactivity that often comes together with ADD.

There are basically three kinds of ADHD - ADHD, ADD and ADHD combined type (which exhibits a combination of symptoms of ADHD and ADD).

Kids with ADHD are often picked out very early on by teachers because they are often very naughty. The ADHD individual is hyperactive. He cannot sit still. He is very noisy and talkative. He cannot play quietly.

While many view this liveliness as a common childhood stuff, or perhaps the by-product of bad parenting, medical experts believe the problem could be genetic in nature. Most medical practitioners believe the cause of ADHD is biological in nature, and that it is due to some wrong "wirings" in the brain. There exists an imbalance of some neurotransmitters in the brain, including dopamine. They brushed aside suggestions that ADHD is due to to excessive sugar intake, food allergies, poor parenting or watching too much TV.

Current studies estimates that between three and six per cent of children globally are affected by ADHD, with the condition somehow affecting more boys than girls in the ratio of 3:1.

As these studies show that ADD-ADHD cuts across all cultures and races, lack of diagnoses in other parts of the world (other than the developed countries, notably the US) is because of two key reasons: first, mental health workers are non common in these countries, and second, there is a huge stigma associated with mental health problems in many cultures, so even if diagnosis are made, it would not be publicised.

Critics say that ADD-ADHD figures are climbing because diagnosis is too vague. Others point out that it is not easy to isolate symptoms of ADHD because many people with ADHD often also suffer other health problems. In addition to that, the symptoms of an ADHD kid is very much like those displayed by regular naughty children. In fact, it looks similar to an attitude problem, and no wonder most parents don't bother to get it diagnosed.

Then there exists a few who believe that ADHD is nothing more than a huge conspiracy. These individuals believe that everything is fine with their child and all he needs is a good spanking.

However, many ADHD experts have cautioned that should ADD-ADHD is not given early treatment, the outome could be ugly. It can lead to all that society despises, such as bullying teachers and classmates, getting involved in crimes or substance abuse.

But the bottom line is that whether its called ADD or ADHD, the general consensus is that an ADHD child is basically someone who is very intelligent and creative. He can be very productive in future if the medical condition is given early treatment.

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